Neurodiversity is present in every organisation (whether you realise it or not) and should be welcomed as a way for you to elevate your team and wider business.
Harvard Business Review reported on this back in 2017, highlighting that “Everyone is to some extent differently-abled (an expression favoured by many neurodiverse people) because we are all born different and raised differently. Our ways of thinking result from both our inherent “machinery” and the experiences that have “programmed” us.” Neurodiversity covers a wide spectrum, such as Autism, Dyslexia, and ADHD to name a few.
Having a team of people who all think the same (and lack neurodiversity) can actually do your organisation harm. But, equally, you must think of ways that you can support neurodiverse employees in the workplace so they are included, and can ultimately perform to their full potential without any hindrance.
Hiring for neurodiversity is the future
Dice produced a compelling piece talking about hiring for neurodiversity, stating “Neurodiversity-friendly recruiting practices will be important for sourcing mission-critical, scarce talent. A common concern of technical hiring managers is the overwhelming demand and scarce supply of technical talent. However, research has found that people with autism have a particular interest in studying computer science-related fields.
As such, companies who develop neurodiversity-focused hiring and retention programs may get double the benefit: attracting and sourcing in-demand talent from an untapped talent pool and a more diverse and inclusive organization.”
But, before you start hiring specifically for neurodiversity – are you equipping your current team with the right tech to support them? We’ve got a list of 10 different pieces of tech/resources that you can tap into today!
-
Grammarly | Dyslexia
Grammarly is a well-known online application that can help with writing, spelling, grammar, and general sentence structure. Great for those with dyslexia, Grammarly can be an excellent tool to elevate your email writing on a day-to-day basis.
-
Talking word processors | Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD
If reading is difficult for some neurodiverse employees, invest in a talking word processor which can enable information to be taken on board differently! Some of the ones we love are Speechify and Otter.
-
Visual organising applications | All
A visual organising application can be very helpful for managing teams with neurodiversity – and also managing teams in general. There are multiple visual organising applications online, but some of our favourites are Asana, Trello, Monday, and Later. Some work best for specific teams such as Marketing and Social media, whereas others are more agnostic.
-
Pomodoro Timer | ADHD
The Pomodoro Timer is an online timer that helps with focus as well as general timekeeping. Particularly useful for those with ADHD, but can be used by anyone in the business who wishes to be better with their timekeeping overall. It is accessible on desktop and mobile.
-
Neurodiversity hub | All
The Neurodiversity hub is an online resource that covers everything from downloadable templates you can use as a leader, to educational pieces to aid you in having a better understanding of neurodiversity as a whole. You can access their main hub page here which is completely free.
And finally, make sure you’re asking your neurodiverse employees what they want. Whether it is through one-to-one meetings or quarterly surveys. Ensure that you’re regularly checking in so you can support your neurodiverse employees as best as possible.
