Taking neurodiversity seriously is essential to the future of work

"Thanks Rachel, going the extra mile as usual."

That was in an email from my boss. Autistic people like me often develop a reputation for going the extra mile, over-delivering, and doing a great job.

But look again at the end of that message.

"As usual."

My workplace was used to me doing a good job. It was how I worked, what I was known for. And it meant I was taken for granted.

I walked into my next appraisal with great confidence. I was doing a sterling job, working really fast, got on with most of my colleagues, and I was excited to see how my company was going to reward me. In my head, I was imagining a promotion and a significant payrise. But I was in for a shock.

I can still remember my heart sinking as I stared at the piece of paper with the paltry figure on it. There was a teeny payrise and no promotion. Because I'm autistic, it takes me a long time to process things and, at the time, I avoided confrontation. Inside, I was furious. Outside, I said nothing.

"You have to walk before you can run," said my boss. I hated that. I had heard it before, always from people who didn't want to pay me more, or promote me.

I went home and immediately started searching for another job. I was very quickly offered two, one of which was double the money I was on, and both were a step up from where I was. I quit, and very soon started on the path that would eventually lead to me having my own business. And my employer lost one of their most hard-working and reliable employees. They've since gone into administration.

My story is not unique. We see similar stories played out in workplaces all over the world. Neurodiverse people are not only failing to get their basic needs met, but their strengths are also being taken for granted.

The neurodiverse employee feels increasingly frustrated, isolated and not rewarded properly. Autistics have a reputation for loyalty, but even we won't hang around forever. So the workplace which isn't taking inclusion seriously loses its neurodiverse employees and becomes more homogenous and less productive. Study after study shows that inclusion of all types increases revenue, through improved collaboration, attracting more talent, generating great ideas and working more efficiently.

Too many employers still view neurodiversity as a "nice to have". They think it's great that ADHD people work fast, dyslexics have brilliant problem-solving skills, and autistics are famous for our attention to detail. But too many are still not recognising that our skills are not just nice to have around but that including us is essential to the future of work.

Here are three reasons why.

Firstly, a workplace that doesn't take neurodiverse inclusion seriously will lose out on talent. They will still be scaring off neurodiverse job-seekers because they don't want to change the way they recruit (even though changes are easy to implement, low-cost, and proven to result in a return on investment). So they recruit in the same old ways, getting the same old people. The effect is wider than just losing out on neurodiverse talent though - studies have shown that neurodiverse inclusion reduces bias for other marginalised groups. So if you want a workplace that's "male, pale and stale", shutting out neurodiverse people is an excellent way to go about it. But of course, you'll end up with old ideas, old processes and the same old problems.

Secondly, workplaces that take neurodiverse inclusion seriously will be outperforming their competitors. With happy, loyal, diverse staff that communicate well and collaborate effectively, they will be generating products and services that surpass those of others - without any extra investment. These workplaces go beyond box-ticking and asking neurodiverse people for free consultancy (yes, it happens all the time). Inclusive companies commit to culture change - making sure that they create and maintain a self and welcoming atmosphere where all employees can be their authentic selves.

Finally, taking neurodiverse inclusion seriously results in the ripple effect. When you have a workplace that welcomes difference and builds a culture of belonging, everyone there benefits. When everyone's stress and anxiety is reduced, and they're in an environment which is designed to enable them to work at their best, they collaborate well and produce amazing results.

And this is the key to neurodiverse people being essential to the future of work. Although often stereotyped as "less than" others, we are actually "more than". So yes, we do have our challenges and you might find some of the things we do a bit odd, but the flipside of our foibles is that we have incredible strengths and talents.

That trait you call "pickiness" is actually attention to detail and it's going to save your skin when your autistic colleague is the only one to spot a problem. The team member with ADHD who can't seem to concentrate in your meetings? Give her a project that lights her fire and she's done it in half the time it would take anyone else. Your dyslexic manager who drives you bananas with mis-spelt emails? He's the only person who can look at two problems simultaneously and use each one to solve the other.

Diversity is absolutely key to any progression. We need diversity to generate new ideas, tackle challenges, come up with new products, improve our services, become more efficient and ultimately, be more productive. Study after study shows that any kind of diversity brings improvements throughout organisations, and neurodiversity is key to the mix. Why? Because neurodiversity is the only skills-based marginalised group. We're the only ones with different brains, which means we have particular talents and skills. Of course, other individuals may possess exceptional talents too, but neurodiverse people are the only group to consistently outperform their peers.

Embracing diversity - taking inclusion seriously - means investing in training, modifying your processes and creating a culture of true inclusion. It doesn't have to be expensive, and you'll find the rewards are innumerable. Financially, of course, you'll be better off as a result of improved efficiency and productivity, but you'll also find your workplace generally a nicer place to be. And of course, you'll be ahead of your competitors, most of whom are still too slow to realise the benefits of neurodiverse inclusion.

I was told, in that awful appraisal so many years ago, that I had to walk before I could run. But I was already running. I'm still running. Still way ahead of the curve.

Come and join me.

To learn more about how I can help your organisation be more inclusive, get in touch .