Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Hi there,

We are delighted to?invite?you?to?support?an?exciting?opportunity undertaken by our academic colleagues?looking to?explore?and improve?their?understanding of?neurodiversity in the workplace.

LJMU Graduate Futures has joined forces with?LJMU?lecturer?Dr Marcus Hansen?and?Professor?Brian Garrod of the University of Swansea?to explore?the benefits of embracing a more inclusive workforce.?This collaborative research?will explore effective ways and means to connect the under-valued talents and interests of neurodivergent graduates against job opportunities in?the?Liverpool?City Region.

Dr Hansen and Professor Garrod?are keen to speak to employers individually, to begin with, in a semi-structured interview format, after which?they would like to?invite?each?participant to join?them?in?a?focus group to share views and good practices.

How?will this research make a difference?

?Taking autism as an example of a neurodivergent condition, recent statistics indicate that only 22% of autistic people are in paid employment – the lowest of all disability groups. Yet, research indicates that hiring autistic workers may bring various advantages, particularly if ways can be found to harness their unique cognition and out-of-the-box thinking, greater attention to detail, greater ability to focus, and so on. Research?also?indicates that many employers decide not to employ autistic people because they are unsure about their legal responsibilities?around how?to support them in the?workplace?and/or because they think that an autistic person will not be able to do the job?as effectively as a non-neurodiverse employee.

?Our academic colleagues are?to hear your thoughts on employing neurodivergent graduates – including any concerns you may have.?Through this research,?they will be looking?to understand what it is like to employ neurodivergent graduates and?what barriers may be in place preventing this.?They?are?also?keen to learn about any past or current experiences of employing neurodivergent graduates (whether good or bad)?you may have.

What challenges did?you?face, and how did you help them to overcome this? What alternative arrangements did you find useful? Has anything surprised you about the breadth and extent of talents?or neurodiverse employees? What?were they able to bring to your organisation that you wouldn’t otherwise have had??And likewise, why?you?might not find employing neurodivergent graduates suitable for?your?organisation.?All insights you share will be discussed in confidence,?and there is no obligation for you to attend the focus group if you?do not?choose to?continue further with the study.

?If you are keen to participate in this important study, please contact Dr Marcus Hansen direct at?[email protected].

?Very best wishes

?The Graduate Futures team