Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Practical Insights and Strategies for Fostering An inclusive and Supportive Workplace

How can organizations ensure that their hiring processes are inclusive and accessible to neurodiverse individuals, and what specific strategies can be implemented to identify and attract neurodiverse talent?

• Neurodiverse individuals may not be in your pipeline – so post in multiple places. Alternatively, they may already be in your organization, and just need encouragement.
• Clarify job descriptions so that the requirements are true to the job, and the qualifications match what you need. Candidates may be reading pessimistically, and may be discouraged by items that don’t really matter to you.
• Think about the language you use in crafting positions – “creative,” “routine,” and “detail-oriented” are examples of words/phrases that convey deep meaning to candidates.

– Ruth Rubin, College Guidance Coordinator, Marburn Academy

“I watch workplaces and see who treats employees with kindness and respect. (you’re hiring before you know you’re hiring!)” and “I am interested in how my friends are treated as employees (So there’s a chain effect to hiring neurodiverse employees)”

– Students at Marburn Academy

In what ways can managers and team leaders adapt their communication styles and work environments to better support the diverse needs of neurodiverse employees while promoting collaboration and productivity?

• Make sure that expectations are clear and understood. Presenting materials and having them available for review for all learning styles written, recorded, and on the job training.
• Be present and pay attention; look for struggles so you can intervene when necessary and be supportive.
• They are visual thinkers, have great attention to detail, out of the box ideas, creative and have tremendous visual memory. Look at it from strengths not from deficits. They will add to a team rather than detract.
• Avoid sarcasm or innuendo that can be confusing to someone who processes literally or doesn’t grasp social cues.
• Consider not using acronyms off the bat. You are very familiar with your business and the associated lingo. Someone new is not. For neurodiverse individuals, this can be particularly hard. Consider creating a list of common terms utilized in your industry or within your organization to help with the onboarding.

– Laura Schmidt Brady, Chief Human Resources Officer, Marburn Academy

What are some successful examples of workplace accommodations and support structures that have been implemented to empower neurodiverse employees to perform at their best, and how can these be scaled across different types of organizations?

• The rise of technology has really opened up the world for creating a working environment that supports diverse needs. I have hired very capable individuals that utilized a job coach (from a social partners) to work side by side with them for a few weeks to make sure they had the processes and work instructions down. They assisted in that person’s acclimation to the new work environment. Those coaches touched base with me regularly to ensure that if any issues popped up that it was addressed quickly to keep the employee successful and the business running. They were amazing employees who could be counted on to get the job done, not deviate from the work instructions, ask for help when they needed it and were quality conscious.
• For sedentary jobs consider offering standing desks as well as chairs, spaces that people can go to get quiet thinking/desensitizing time, give people the flexibility to take a walk, use of headphones, lighting changes, have fidgets, work from home if needed (even if just on occasion), explore the benefits of AI in their work and use adaptive tools without judgment.
• If someone has earning limits, consider job sharing as an option to give opportunity but also for all the essential functions to get done. We really need to lobby for change of the earning limits to help these individuals be gainfully employed and feel good about it without having to worry about losing benefits.

– Laura Schmidt Brady, Chief Human Resources Officer, Marburn Academy

What are some effective strategies for addressing misconceptions, unconscious or implicit bias and reducing stigma surrounding neurodiversity within the workplace, and how can organizations proactively challenge biases and promote a more inclusive and supportive environment for all employees?

• Model behavior from the top down, at all levels, without exception.
• Proactively champion DEIB learning.
• Ask for and listen to employees’ perception of what is going on or what would be helpful. They feel valued, and you surface problems you can solve.
• If there’s stigma from a previous experience, surface it and educate/ problem solve around how that situation could be managed differently. Don’t let history be the future for your organization.
• One barrier to inclusion is the fear of institutional culture changing – think about what elements of workplace culture are core to survival. Will inclusion challenge them, or just the change how they look/ feel/ are experienced?

– Ruth Rubin, College Guidance Coordinator, Marburn Academy

• Neurodiverse individuals possess a unique skill set and cognitive abilities which provides innovative ways of approaching job duties and problem solving.
• Many neurodiversities are not visible and people work alongside these individuals successfully everyday. You don’t necessarily know if they do not divulge. It is their story to tell. They may choose to not share because of past trauma from stigma or shaming. Neurodiverse individuals are your relatives, your best friend, your clergy, and your favorite person in customer service.

– Laura Schmidt Brady, Chief Human Resources Officer, Marburn Academy

“As a DEIB Business Consultant and the driving force behind LBB Edutainment, I advocate for a workplace that not only recognizes but actively harnesses the unique abilities of neurodiverse individuals. We must rethink traditional employment frameworks to embrace practices that accommodate neurological differences as naturally as any other human variation. By adapting our recruitment strategies, creating sensory-friendly work environments, and fostering a culture of empathy and open communication, we unlock a wellspring of innovation and productivity. The success stories from leading corporations like SAP and Microsoft underscore the immense potential of neurodiverse teams to outperform conventional expectations. It’s time for all organizations to integrate these practices and lead with inclusivity, ensuring that every talent, regardless of neurological makeup, is valued and given the opportunity to thrive.”

Lachandra B. Baker (she/her), Founder & Lead Consultant, Lachandra B. Baker Edutainment