Thinking Differently About Hiring People Who Think Different

I have been at the hiring game for 18 years in Silicon Valley. I am an astute observer of what is happening at my clients in regards to jobs and skills. I am also very passionate about the importance of building unique work teams that are diverse and inclusive.

I am the warrior mom of a Dyslexic, and an advocate for all to gain a better understanding of the outstanding qualities that a Dyslexic brain can bring to the workforce. 

In addition to the beauty of the way they think, they are often the most persistent, and hard-working people you will meet. If you struggle through school for 18 years, you learn something about perseverance and survival. If you struggle academically and have a good advocate, you learn to self-advocate.

If you believe in the importance of building unique diverse work teams, you need to introduce the concept of Neurodiversity into the hiring process and the Diversity and Inclusion conversation.

In a report published by EY consulting, there are skills that are going to be needed in the future workforce, and some of the skills that a Dyslexic can bring to the table are aligned with skills that will be needed for the workplaces of the future.

https://www.ey.com/en_uk/diversity-inclusiveness/how-dyslexic-capabilities-can-help-organisations-of-the-future

Automation continues to evolve in the workplace, and so the need for processing and manual capabilities like time management, reading, math and active listening are on slow decline. According to the report creative and social skills such as leadership, analytical thinking and technology design are now on the rise.

The report’s authors highlight capabilities and skills typically seen in people with dyslexia that can be helpful to all industries by the year 2022.

They included leadership, social influence, creativity, initiative and idea generation.

“Overall, our analysis shows that competencies for a significant number of jobs in the workplace that dyslexic individuals may typically find challenging will largely be impacted by forms of automation,” the report’s authors said.

“In their place, enhanced tasks and new jobs will be created that match closely to the strengths of dyslexic thinking. Dyslexia could provide an opportunity for organizations to bridge the skills gap of the future.”

‘Neurodiversity’

Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the different ways in which people’s brains work and interpret information.

From a hiring standpoint, the more we are allowed to delve into candidates’ capabilities based on the way they think, is something that we all should be exploring in the hiring process.

If companies could tap into the skillsets of people with Dyslexia, that could help create a new way of evaluating talent during the hiring process. EY’s report suggests that companies take steps to tap into the skillset of people with dyslexia.

If CEO’s and Talent leaders can start to invest in hiring strategies, and try to create a neurodiverse workforce, it could benefit companies greatly.

In regards to diversity and inclusion, neurodiversity is yet another component.

“Dyslexic thinkers are often able to see connections that others may miss and create narratives that can simplify complex products or tasks,” he said in the report. “For organizations to successfully adapt, thrive, and access these dyslexic strengths, there needs to be support for and celebration of a change and growth mindset. This mindset is a skill in itself and can often be more important than specific areas of experience.”

When you start to evaluate your Diversity and Inclusion programs, I hope you will consider researching the importance of including Neurodiversity as part of that hiring strategy. I hope you will try to understand deeply about the beauty and brilliance of Dyslexia and embrace how Dyslexic thinkers can add unique perspectives, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving in unique ways to your teams and companies.