With the rise of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion awareness in the workplace, the advantages of neurodiversity are starting to be more widely recognized.
“There is a growing awareness of the need to make neurodiversity a part of inclusivity, but ‘neurodiversity’ is most often considered as conditions like autism spectrum, Down’s syndrome, and dyslexia. There is very little honest discussion of major disorders like schizophrenia, borderline, schizoaffective, and bipolar in the workplace. There is still a great deal of stigma in the workplace, especially for those of us who don’t fit conventional narratives.” –Susanna Paola Antonetta, writer and advocate
Before businesses and employers can understand how to help and support neurodivergent employees, we first need to understand what neurodiversity is. And according to Ellie Middleton, who runs the Unmasked Community for Neurodivergence, we all have different brains that work in different ways, and neurodiversity refers to all the unique ways that people can think, process, feel, and act. “There are neurotypical people, whose functioning falls within societal standards and norms, and neurodivergent people, whose functioning falls outside of those norms,” including those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.
Telework can be beneficial to neurodivergent employees
Companies with effective disability inclusion programs like telework report significant increases in revenue, employee satisfaction, and risk reduction.
The flexibility of remote work allows those who may be overwhelmed or distracted by certain social interactions more control over how and when they communicate with their co-workers and supervisors. This is especially beneficial to neurodivergent employees, allowing them to work with the same level of comfort as neurotypical employees.
Businesses can benefit from disability-inclusion
Allowing employees to create working environments that align with their needs and preferences is crucial to ensuring that people have equitable access to work.
One way to do this is with remote work. Telework also allows people to work in ways that may be deemed disruptive or inappropriate in a shared workspace. For example, someone with dyslexia may feel more free to utilize text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools in the comfort of their home, where they do not have to worry about crowding the airspace or annoying their coworkers.
Employees may also install moving or standing desk set-ups that may not be feasible in a shared workspace. There are a myriad of ways to work, and every individual is different, which is why it is so useful to allow people to meet their own needs during the workday.
With the implementation of effective telework and other disability-inclusive programs, businesses have seen an increase in employee satisfaction and retention, as well as an increase in productivity and profit.
According to a Deloitte report, research shows teams with neurodiverse talent can be 30% more productive than those without. And a J.P. Morgan Chase study found that employees in its ‘Autism at Work’ program were 90-140% more productive than neurotypical employees.
Barriers to employment for neurodiverse workers
Neurodivergent employees are not only positive additions to the workplace, they also tend to be more loyal with significantly lower turnover rates than neurotypical employees. They also frequently have some of the most sought-after skills by employers, such as critical and creative thinking and elevated productivity.
But despite the advantages, neurodiverse employees face many obstacles in the workplace.
One such obstacle is a lack of ‘reasonable accommodations’ or adjustments, such as a flexible schedule, telework, noise-cancelling headphones, extra time to complete projects and making sure video meetings are recorded and captioned.
It’s up to employers and managers to make sure they are accommodating all their employees. A great way to do this is by encouraging them to develop a ‘user manual’ for themselves. This allows everyone to share their preferred ways of working. It allows teams to get to know each other in new ways and helps ensure they work together more effectively.
Neurodiversity is an often overlooked form of diversity, but one that when embraced, helps create more profitable, productive and inclusive workplaces.
For employees
How to advocate for the implementation of remote work in your workplace.
First it’s important to assess if you would actually benefit from telework. While it can be a great tool, its not necessarily good for everyone. People who work remotely should be self-motivated and good at setting priorities and deadlines with little supervision.
If you believe you would benefit from the ability to work remotely, the first step is to contact your human resources department and see if there are any programs already in place.
If not, then make a written and verbal request to start working one day a week, or a couple of days a month remotely, with the intention of increasing remote working days if found to be effective.
This will help ease supervisors into the process and test the waters, as it isn’t a large initial commitment. In your written proposal, be sure to include statistics as well as personal characteristics that you believe will help you succeed.
Make sure to also establish an arrangement between you and your supervisor that works for everyone. This will vary depending on the nature of the work, but it’s always important to make sure everyone is on the same page up front. Remember - telework is a partnership between you and your employer.
By advocating for telework programs, you can help pave the way for a more inclusive, flexible and productive work environment. With effective planning and an open dialouge, telework can greatly enhance your job satisfaction and positively contribute to your teams performance.
By recognizing and catering to the unique strengths of each employee, companies can foster a more productive, innovative, and equitable work environment.
For employers
How businesses can support neurodivergent employees
From hiring practices to working arrangements, there are many ways businesses can better support all employees – regardless of their neurological makeup.
A survey of hiring managers showed that 43% believe that ‘unprofessional body language’ is a deal breaker, and while it is important to remain professional on the job, this aversion to differing social behavior has proven to be a great barrier for many neurodivergent people -especially those with autism.
It is best to focus on individual traits and accommodate accordingly, rather than trying to prescribe accommodations generalized for everyone.
There are many ways businesses can level the playing field in order to get a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s abilities and their aptitude in the field.
One great way of assessing candidates equitably is by sharing any interview materials and questions beforehand; this can make a huge difference for someone who may have challenges socializing, and being prepared will reduce stress and allow the interviewer to have a better understanding of their talents.
Furthermore, if the nature of the work allows, it can be helpful to utilize sample problems or screen sharing activities during the interview process.
This is a great way to see how a candidate handles work pertinent to the job, and not just how well they can communicate their abilities verbally.
As the conversation continues, it is important that interviewers be thorough and clear with their questions; review all interview materials to be sure that questions cannot be interpreted in multiple ways.
This allows interviewers to get the most accurate response, as well as alleviating some stress and hardship for the interviewee.
Once a business has found the best candidate, there are still ways to support them and whatever their needs may be. Issuing a questionnaire about working habits, strengths, and weaknesses to all employees gives managerial staff the most accurate look at their teams.
While some traits are assumed with certain neurological diagnoses, for example ‘someone with ADHD may have issues with procrastination and time management’, this isn’t necessarily the case, and is sometimes true for people who don’t have ADHD as well.
Because of this, it is best to focus on individual traits and accommodate accordingly, rather than trying to prescribe accommodations based on an employee’s medical history.
Having the option for standing desks, movement, and sending materials for meetings in advance also reportedly is an effective way of supporting all employees.
However, there is only so much accommodation that one can have in a shared workspace. This is why another great tool for businesses to utilize is telework, because it allows the employee to accommodate themselves as they may need.
By offering tailored support and embracing flexible work options like telework, businesses can empower employees of all neurological backgrounds to thrive and contribute their best work.
How to implement telework into your workplace
The best way to implement telework programming at your firm is to make the process and expectations clear for managers and employees. A great place to start is by implementing a formal telework policy, outlining all expectations about productivity, availability, and communication so that employees who may be interested have all the information they need.
Next, create a telework application and interview process that allows supervisors to discern who may be a good fit for telework. Remember, telework is about work. While it can reduce stress in the household, it is not a childcare alternative nor is it a benefit, it is a tool to utilize in service of optimal performance and employee/customer satisfaction - it can be revoked at any time.
If a supervisor affirms that an employee would be a good fit for telework, the next step is to offer both teleworker and managerial staff resources such as telework training, home office recommendations, and information about how to work ergonomically.
Managers are best served by asking for specific deliverables so they can most accurately access work
quality; this also makes the expectations clear to the teleworker, allowing for the most optimal working conditions.
Ultimately, a well-structured telework program can serve as a valuable tool to enhance performance and maintain high standards of work quality as well as providing flexibility and improved job satisfaction.
We All Benefit from Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity in the workplace doesn’t just have to be a matter of just accommodation. There is a true and necessary symbiosis to be found here, one that allows us to help those living under systemic disparity while also - as the data shows - bolster the longevity, productivity, and creativity of all employees within a workplace.
The world and the workplace are changing, and as they do, it is essential for us to reframe our view of how a society must necessarily function, and learn to not just tolerate but embrace the ways in which we differ from each other to the benefit of us all.
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