Neurodiversity in the workplace

While it is likely that there are already neurodiverse people in many workplaces, even if they haven’t identified themselves, this group has been shown to experience a higher level of unemployment.

There have been a number of studies that indicate this:

• One Australian study showed that the unemployment rate for autistic people was 31.6%, which at the time, was 3 times the rate of people with a disability and 6 times that of people without a disability. 
• It has been estimated that in American adults, those who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood or adolescence were at least  10% less likely to be employed than the comparison group at 30 years of age. Employment rates are also lowered for those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, Tourette syndrome and other neurodiverse groups.  

As well as experiencing a higher level of unemployment, in the workplace there are studies that show how neurodivergent people are discriminated against and how unaware coworkers are of those who are neurodiverse:

• A 2020 UK survey from The Institute of Leadership and Management explored attitudes and  knowledge of neurodiversity in the workplace. 28% of respondents stated that they have no  neurodivergent colleagues, which is surprising considering the number in the population shows that  up to 1 in 5 may be neurodiverse. This could be due to underemployment or lack of disclosure.  
• The survey also asked the question – “Would you be comfortable employing (recruiting and line managing) neurodivergents?” 50% stated they would be uncomfortable employing or line managing  someone with at least one form of neurodivergence. 30% of respondents said they would not be comfortable employing people who have tourette syndrome or ADHD, 20% for autistics or dyscalculics and 10% for dyslexics.  
• For neurodivergent respondents, 47% gave examples of experiencing discrimination against  themselves or others and just over a third reported explicit negative personal treatment in how colleagues or leaders had responded to knowledge of their conditions and differences. 25% of neurotypical respondents directly stated that their employer discriminates against neurodivergents. 

There is still work to do in the workplace

HR processes for recruitment, selection and career development often exclude the neurodiverse. HR processes often focus on wide application across the organisation rather than specific to the tasks  for the role and interview processes often screen for people who are good at interviewing, which  may not be a neurodiverse person’s best skill. 

Many organisations work under assumptions that to maximise efficiency, standardised processes must be absolute, not allowing flexibility that might support neurodiversity. If employees are concerned about fitting in, in adjusting their behaviour and thinking to suit the workplace, then they are less likely to be creative in problem solving or offer innovative solutions.  

There are other concerns for neurodiverse people in the workplace. They may struggle with training or engaging with policies which are presented in a set way, or having to sit through long, dry presentations or deciphering complex written documents. 

They may also struggle with social networking or understanding communication which is oblique or unclear. These too can hold them back from giving their best work to the organisation or progressing in their career.  

The benefits of a neurodivergent workforce 

With these challenges, it might not be immediately obvious what the benefits of building a neurodiverse workforce might be. There are several benefits, and there is a growing collection of examples and studies where building and supporting neurodiverse teams has improved innovation, productivity and financial outcomes.  

Diversity Council Australia has been tracking the state of inclusion in the Australian workforce for the past five years, including assessments by workers on the effects of an inclusive workplace.  

While they are looking at the larger view of diversity as all the ways in which we may differ, including race, age, education, gender etc., they have found that workers who have non-inclusive managers are 10 times less likely to innovate, 6 times less likely to be highly effective, and 3.5 times more likely  to leave their current employer than those who consider their manager to be inclusive.  

While individuals with neurodiversity have their challenges, they also bring those strengths from the “spiky graph” skills.  Spiky graph skills refer to their unique collection of strengths and cognitive abilities.

People who are autistic or on the autistic spectrum can have an amazing ability to concentrate, be able to memorise and access factual information and often have excellent attention to detail and can recognise patterns where others might miss them.  

People with ADHD can be very creative, and out-of-the-box thinkers. They can be excellent in a crisis, which is evidenced by the higher rates of ADHD among emergency workers, health care workers, or  quick-thinking roles like journalists, stock traders and entertainers. They are often intuitive and as  they often don’t filter sensory information well, they may notice patterns or anomalies that others  filter as irrelevant, spotting important details.  

Those people with Dyslexia are typically  innovative and good at problem solving. They are often excellent, empathic leaders and managers with the ability to consider complex situations and recognise patterns which can make them very effective at assessing risk and decision-making as well  as excellent entrepreneurs. They also often have enhanced visual processing skills, being able to  mentally view and pull apart 3D objects in their minds.  

The other conditions also bring their own skills which can build innovation, flexibility and  productivity when allowed to use their strength and support their challenges. Programs to support  the recruitment and employment of neurodiverse people have also shown high rates of retention. 

What are organisations doing? 

Successes have been found in organisations that have programs to employ neurodiverse people. The most well-established programs have been with autistic workers but have been expanding to include ADHD, dyslexia and others as a broader neurodiverse cohort.  

These programs often target the recruitment stage as traditional recruitment and interview processes can filter out the neurodiverse as they focus on skills like interviewing, rather than the  tasks specific to the role. 

They can achieve this by supporting an informal meeting process and then a period of supported training and assessment prior to employment, or as internship programs. They may also set up specific ‘pods’ i.e. teams centered around neurodiverse workers.  

Some examples include:

• The Australian Department of Human Services found that employing the participants of these programs in software testing teams increased productivity by 30%. Encouraged by this, and the work of the Israeli Defence Forces with a unit responsible for analysing aerial and satellite imagery  primarily staffed by people on the autistic spectrum, the Australian Defence Force and Department of Border Protection have used the Dandelion program to hire people into information and  communication technology (ICT) positions.  
• Furthermore, in 2019, the Australian public service began the Aurora Program to support  employment into non-ICT roles, which has had glowing reviews from managers and team members  impressed with the high levels of accuracy, detail and productivity.  

While these are examples from government organisations, many companies have similar programs,  including Microsoft, SAP, Deloitte and Telstra amongst others. As some of these companies are  limited in expertise or resources to support this kind of innovative recruitment, many have partnered with ‘social partners’ such as government or nonprofit organisations. These partners  have the expertise to provide mentorship and support to the employees that managers may not feel confident providing.  

What can employers and employees do? 

There has been an increase both in awareness and diagnosis of neurodiversity over the past few years. However, stigma and discrimination continue, and there is significant discussion and concern in the neurodiverse community regarding disclosure of their diagnosis. In many workplaces, while disclosure may let workers access accommodations, there is a very reasonable fear that it may also bring judgment, discrimination and affect their working relationships.  

For workers to feel safe disclosing their diagnosis, workplaces need to be seen as supportive of a diverse workforce and actively pursuing a culture of inclusivity. This likely starts with education and training. 

As shown by the Institute of Leadership & Management survey, many people don’t really know much about neurodiversity, so training both for managers and workers can improve the inclusivity of the workplace. Understanding neurodiversity not only allows workplaces to accept their neurodiverse co-workers, but it also helps prevent resentment of any personal accommodations they may get. Many workplaces have had success with buddy systems or mentorship programs and having regular catch ups to communicate successes and challenges.  

There is sometimes a belief that accommodations in the workplace must be expensive and complex. This is both true and false. Many accommodations, such as changing lighting or having quieter working areas, providing noise canceling headphones, or using straightforward language for workplace communications are not expensive. 

However, not all accommodations will be suitable for all neurodiverse workers, some won’t be necessary, some may even be unhelpful.  

Everyone will have individual needs, and this is true for anyone, whether they are neurodiverse, live with disability, are of a different background or with varied training. In fact, accommodations for the neurodiverse often benefit everyone in the workplace. 

Unambiguous language in communications can decrease confusion in general. Working in open plan offices can be distracting for many people, neurodiverse or not, and the options for quiet working areas or noise canceling headphones could help many. 

Likewise, developing a structure for support or mentorship in the workplace has been recommended for some neurodiverse people, but could support all new employees to integrate quickly and support career growth.  

Conversely, being aware of each worker’s strengths to provide encouragement and challenges to offer support is likely to cause a shift for the role of the manager, which could require a cultural shift in an organisation. 

Rather than building a structured focus on the worker in a uniform process,  managers would need to consider their workers as unique opportunities and assets, discussing their needs and supporting their successes. This would in turn require training and top-down support for structural change.  

In summary 

Approximately 1 in 5 people could be considered neurodiverse. Historically many of the conditions  under this umbrella have been considered a barrier to employment. While the differences in the way  that they learn, think and behave may present challenges in the workplace, they bring with them skills that can improve innovation, efficiency and retention. The exclusion from the workforce has  not only been unfortunate for them, but to the companies and colleagues who have not had the  advantage of their skills and creativity.  

If you suspect you may have a neurodiverse condition, speak to your doctor about pathways to diagnosis. There are also several resources available to find out more about neurodiversity. 

• https://www.neurodiversityhub.org/ - Neurodiversity Hub – Has information and resources for employers and others regarding employment and education. 
• https://www.amaze.org.au - Amaze – Creating an autism inclusive Australia with information, resources and a support line  
• https://www.adhdaustralia.org.au/ ADHD Australia – Information and links to support groups and resources regarding ADHD Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia
• https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/ Australian Dyslexia Association – Has information on Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia

Related reads:

• Mental health and wellness in the workplace
• What is workplace burnout?
• How to deal with work related stress (and not bring it home)

Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board June 2024.