Why Employers Need to Embrace Neurodiversity or Risk Falling Behind

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For this week’s Workplace Intelligence Weekly Newsletter, I interviewed my good friend Peter Shankman. Peter is a serial entrepreneur and author of multiple bestselling books, including his latest, “Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain.” Peter has delivered keynote speeches to more than 4,000 audiences, speaking and consulting on neurodiversity, customer experience, social media, ADHD, and the future of the customer-centric economy.

Below is an excerpt from our conversation — subscribe to the Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter and you’ll immediately receive the complete interview.

You’ve predicted that close to 15% of the workforce will identify as "neurodiverse" in the next ten years. Can you define what this term means, and describe the unique characteristics and skillsets that neurodiverse individuals bring to the workplace?

Neurodiverse is a relatively new term that encompasses anyone with a “different” or “faster” brain. The neurodiverse universe is made up of those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), some levels of the autism spectrum, those with Executive Function Disorder (EFD) Asperger’s, and other subtle brain differences.

In the past, these different brains were all characterized as “disorders,” which is a damning and often negative judgment. Someone who is highly creative, exceptionally motivated, and thinks in new, radical, and usually quite beneficial ways should never be labeled as having a disorder. Yet every single day, hundreds of kids in schools across the country and around the world are “diagnosed” with different ways of thinking as opposed to their peers.

The problem with this line of thought, of course, is that it tends to negatively label the child as “broken,” a stigma that they can easily carry with them for life. This robs them of the reality that’s becoming more well-documented by the day: that those with “faster than normal” brains are often more creative, better problem solvers, and unique thinkers when compared with their “normal-brained” peers.

Companies live and die on creativity and new ideas, and creativity and new ideas are usually birthed by those with “different” brains. The neurodiverse connect the dots in new and exciting ways, seeing patterns before they’re visible to the masses, and capitalizing on that information to lead their companies to the forefront of the market. Without allowing the neurodiverse to lead you to those new heights, you’ll consistently be playing catch-up as those companies who embrace the neurodiverse leave you in the dust.

Here’s a look at some of the other questions I asked Peter during our conversation:

• What can employers do to attract and retain these uniquely talented and creative people, and how should they work with "faster than normal" brains to integrate them into their company?
• How were neurodiverse people affected by the sudden shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic?
• For the neurodiverse members of the workforce, what does the ideal post-pandemic workplace experience look like?
• Why will hiring neurodiverse talent be critical in the aftermath of the pandemic, and what does the future hold for neurodiversity in the workplace?

To immediately receive the full interview with Peter, subscribe to my FREE Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter.