Neurodiversity describes the many different ways that we think, move, see, hear, understand, process information and communicate with each other, according to the City & Guilds Foundation annual neurodiversity Index Report. The CEO’s summary attached to the 2024 report findings is that employers could still do more to support neurodiverse employees. But how can that be done?
Neuroinclusion at work
Neuroinclusion describes an ongoing and long-term dedication to destigmatising neurodiversity by starting and maintaining an open discussion about neurodiversity in the workplace. This should take place from the start of the employment relationship and continue throughout the employment relationship, whether that be during career discussions, annual reviews, promotion, performance management, disciplinary processes and supporting working relationships with colleagues and managers.
It is imperative that employers take active steps to foster a supportive and enriching environment for neurodiverse staff, particularly given the Index’s finding that 50% of respondents to the survey were absent in the last year because of neurodivergent challenges they faced at work.
How to be a neuroinclusive employer
Being a neuroinclusive employer goes beyond adjusting the organisation’s values and policies and making a hollow commitment to being “neuroinclusive”. It needs cultural change and commitment from the top. Employers can make a start by carrying out holistic training for all staff, proactively engaging everyone to create a neuroinclusive and empathetic work culture, and creating a long-term plan on how to deliver on neuroinclusion.
In particular, there are practical steps that can be taken to provide a better recruitment experience for neurodiverse candidates. John Lewis, for example, has published its interview questions for all roles on its website. By making interview questions available, candidates will often feel more confident in presenting their experience and goals during an otherwise daunting process. Allowing candidates to prepare for questions in advance is a practical step that all employers can take to enable interviewees to provide more meaningful answers and to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the process.
Offering a quiet interview space can also make candidates more comfortable and allow them to perform to the best of their abilities. The same applies to considering the type of lighting in the interview room, the use of more closed questions rather than open-ended questions that can cause unnecessary confusion, allowing a support worker to join the candidate and actively enquiring into any other adjustments that can be made to accommodate the specific needs of each individual. The Index Report also recommends providing a pre-interview package with more information on what candidates can expect, offering additional answering time, reviewing job descriptions to remove inaccessible terms and providing alternative application processes amongst many other measures.
Key takeaways
Empowering neurodiverse individuals should be a long-term commitment that starts with recruitment upskilling. By way of example, the approach taken by John Lewis represents a significant shift in the traditional view of interviews as a means of “catching out” candidates. Simply publishing interview questions can have a substantial impact on allowing potential neurodiverse talent pools to feel encouraged to apply for a position. Similar small steps should be consistently implemented throughout the employment relationship to ensure that existing staff are not neglected en route to becoming a truly neuroinclusive workplace. The Index Report provides valuable insights for employers on how to further this improvement.
