Helping Neurodivergent Employees Succeed

How welcoming is your organization to neurodivergent employees, and how successful is it at engaging them effectively in the workplace? When it comes to hiring, management, and retention in the workplace, individuals with differences such as autism, dyslexia, or Tourette syndrome are often discounted by employers, to the detriment of the individuals and employers alike.

Neurodiversity recognizes that “there is no single way for a brain to be normal” and that these differences benefit organizations and society at large.1 Conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and Tourette syndrome may all be placed under the banner of neurodiversity, but neurodivergent individuals do not represent a homogeneous group; they are a large, diverse cohort that can vary greatly in terms of their skills and abilities.

Although the global market for diversity, equity, and inclusion is projected to grow to a staggering $28.9 billion by 2030, the vast majority of DEI programs overlook neurodiversity.2 Despite estimates that 15% to 20% of the global population is neurodivergent, only 1 in 10 organizations specifically includes neurodiversity within its DEI programs.3

Some organizations focus on neurodiversity as a form of disability inclusion, although many members of the neurodivergent community object to their characteristics being framed as disorders, disabilities, differences, or diseases.4 We propose simply that neurodivergent individuals can meaningfully contribute to the workplace when organizations recognize their strengths and support their needs.

Incorporating neurodiversity into the larger conversation about DEI is important for reasons of fairness and inclusion and because of the advantages that neurodivergent individuals can bring to organizations. Companies such as Deloitte, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft, Ernst & Young (EY), JPMorgan Chase, and SAP are among those that have recognized the benefits of introducing neurodiversity programs.

SAP’s neurodiversity program has improved its employer reputation, innovation capabilities, and employee engagement. For example, a technical issue that a neurodivergent employee helped resolve resulted in $40 million in savings on a single project.5 Similarly, JPMorgan reports that participants in its neurodiversity program complete tasks more quickly and are significantly more productive than the rest of its workforce.6 Meanwhile, EY reports that its neurodivergent employees excel at innovation, learn how to automate processes faster, and have identified process improvements that have cut technical training time in half.7

The Challenges Faced by Neurodivergent Employees

Despite the advantages that a neurodiverse workforce can bring to an organization, many neurodivergent individuals face challenges that may restrict their ability to gain and sustain employment and can find themselves excluded from the workplace altogether.

Such challenges are often related to developing interpersonal relationships. For example, neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals often convey and interpret social cues and empathy differently. Behaviors that some neurodivergent individuals may display during interviews, such as a lack of eye contact, an atypical speaking volume or rate of speech, and difficulty reciprocating nonverbal cues, can diminish rapport between an interviewer and candidate and deter a company from hiring the applicant.

The environment matters, too. The typical workplace is full of bright lights and noisy, open spaces, which, coupled with practices such as hot-desking, can exacerbate sensory challenges for some neurodivergent individuals. Even with the recent acceleration in remote work, which may allow neurodivergent employees to avoid sensory overwhelm at the office, they might still find communication, social understanding, and work-life balance difficult.8

All of these factors have contributed to unemployment and underemployment rates as high as a shocking 85% to 90% among neurodivergent individuals.9 Unless organizations engage in targeted efforts, neurodivergent job candidates and employees will be left unsupported, potentially exposed to psychological harm, and unable to reach their full potential. At the same time, managers will feel the strain of not knowing how to support their neurodivergent employees, and organizations will miss out on an important, undervalued, and often overlooked pool of talent.

Through our research and consulting work, and discussions with a range of organizations, we have found that many managers are unsure about how to support neurodivergent employees. Using the employee journey as a guide, we suggest support mechanisms that can be implemented at each stage: attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, progression and performance, and retention. This ensures that neurodivergent employees are not only recruited and retained but also managed and supported during their time with an organization so that they can thrive. We explain what activities to include at each stage.

Stage 1: Attraction

In order to attract neurodivergent candidates, organizations must establish a neuroinclusive culture and communicate it to prospective hires. Appointing neurodiversity champions or executive sponsors for neurodiversity initiatives, as EY has done, will highlight the significance of the issue and motivate change in the wider organization.10 An employee resource group could also be established to enable those who identify as neurodivergent to meet, share experiences, and support one another, as well as advocate for supports in the workplace and potentially educate colleagues outside of the group. It’s also important to increase current employees’ awareness of neurodiversity and its benefits by sponsoring information sessions, distributing articles, and sharing stories on the topic throughout the organization.

This neuroinclusive culture then needs to be projected through the organization’s employer branding. When candidates visit your corporate websites or view social media posts, they should see evidence that your organization values and enables diversity and inclusion generally and is also specifically a neuroinclusive employer.

To appeal to neurodivergent candidates, construct your job ads to avoid misinterpretations. Specifying the tasks a successful candidate needs to be able to perform in the role is more effective than detailing a long list of mandatory and desired attributes.11 Individuals with autism, for example, often take things literally and therefore might apply for a job only if they meet all of the listed criteria. Organizations should also consider advertising positions on nontraditional platforms, such as Instagram or podcasts, which may be effective in reaching candidates who prefer nontextual media.

Stage 2: Recruitment

Traditional recruitment strategies tend to favor candidates with strong social skills, professional networks, and conventional career trajectories, which neurotypical and neurodivergent candidates may not have in equal measure. Neurodivergent individuals can have a wide variety of talents and may be well suited to almost any role, so organizations should avoid the mistake of identifying roles specifically for the neurodivergent under the assumption that it will result in a better fit.

Organizations should instead adopt a strengths-based approach to recruitment and be conscious that all neurodivergent individuals have different strengths, challenges, and professional and personal experiences.12 Understanding these differences can help you better match a neurodivergent individual’s specific strengths and experiences to a role. Neurodiversity recruitment and consultancy firms can also assist with sourcing and recruiting neurodivergent individuals and in adapting strategies to be more effective and inclusive.

Recruiters should also consider allowing candidates to use formats such as video and artwork as an alternative to written applications. In addition, candidates should receive as much information as possible at all stages of the recruitment process, to limit surprises and potential discomfort. Ease candidates’ anxiety by providing details regarding what questions may be asked in interviews, who will be attending, the physical environment, how to access the building, and where facilities such as restrooms, drinking water, elevators, etc., are located.

Interviewers should also be flexible. For example, at GCHQ, the U.K.’s Government Communications Headquarters, candidates can bring notes and mind maps into interviews, are allowed additional time to reflect, and can defer answering questions until later in the interview.13 This can greatly assist neurodivergent candidates who find it challenging to process and communicate information verbally. Interviewers can also avoid asking multiple questions at once, to give candidates time to process and respond to each one. Additionally, if a candidate chooses to disclose their neurodiversity in their application, ask whether any reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate them in advance of the interview.

Recruiters and hiring managers should consider multiple means of assessing candidates, in addition to or instead of the traditional formal interview, to allow neurodivergent candidates the opportunity to show their strengths. Neurodivergent individuals may have challenges with social interaction and communication, which can prevent them from effectively connecting with the interviewer and communicating their skills. Some candidates may prefer to demonstrate what they can do rather than try to explain their skills and abilities. This makes skills-based assessments, informal conversations, group activities, presentations, work trials, and practical assessments potentially more effective in understanding a candidate’s capabilities. You can use a variety of approaches, such as Pymetrics games, Lego Serious Play, and robotics projects as platforms to create more efficient, effective, and fair assessments, so long as they are accurately aligned with the skills required for the role. During the pandemic, Microsoft developed Minecraft worlds with customized challenges that enabled small groups of candidates to work together, and found that this enabled them to showcase communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership skills.14

Stage 3: Onboarding

New employees should be given as much information as possible before their first day to help alleviate uncertainties, and this can be especially helpful to neurodivergent employees who may have trouble reading social or cultural cues. Provide details such as what time to arrive, where to go, who they will be meeting with, and what the workplace dress code is. Spell out as much as possible about the organization’s culture and norms, including working hours, break times, communication channels, and social events. If a new employee has disclosed a neurodiversity, ask them before their start date whether any reasonable adjustments can be made in the workplace to help support them. While neurodivergent individuals’ needs can differ from those of the general population, there can also be considerable variation within the community, so it is important to ask.

Ensuring that neurodivergent employees are provided with clear and direct communication, especially from their managers, is important. Joking, sarcastic, or informal approaches can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, and managers may need to be explicit when explaining situations and expectations. It may be helpful to prioritize written over verbal communication and to provide clear, concise information about job requirements and performance expectations while ensuring that these are understood by the neurodivergent employee. Making multiple written and visual communication tools available to neurodivergent employees, such as voice-to-text and text-to-voice, mind mapping, and on-screen reading software, has also proved to be effective and helpful.15

Organizations should also consider making internal and external supports available to neurodivergent employees. Internal organizational supports can include buddies (colleagues who can assist with navigating the specific social norms of the organization), mentors (a more senior person who can assist with providing organizational knowledge and career advice), and employee resource groups. Neurodivergent employees can seek assistance from such resources should they wish to disclose their neurodivergence to others, discuss their preferred working style, or explain how their neurodiversity may influence their work.

External supports can include coaches (who can offer guidance on managing finances, improving emotional well-being, and achieving work-life balance), vocational counselors or outside affinity groups, and community and government resources. Placement organizations like Specialisterne offer post-employment support over a number of months for neurodivergent employees and their managers.

In some cases, integrating the internal and external support mechanisms may be helpful. For example, the mentor and coach might communicate about specific coaching opportunities related to the neurodivergent employee’s job or career aspirations.

Many neurodivergent individuals have sensory challenges associated with lighting, sounds, smells, and textures and might require special accommodations in their work environment. Housing finance company Freddie Mac has found that providing softer lighting and noise-canceling headphones, or positioning the individual in a quiet area of the office, has helped make its neurodivergent employees feel more comfortable and be more productive.16 Allowing employees to bring sensory support tools into the office and providing them with designated quiet spaces can also assist with productivity. For example, an employee with Tourette syndrome reported that having a quiet space to go to when her tics were active was a particularly helpful support mechanism, because she felt more comfortable and did not feel that she was disturbing colleagues.17

It is also not uncommon for neurodivergent individuals to enjoy routine and dislike change, making unexpected changes in routine something to either avoid or flag in advance. Hot-desking, for example, can be a real challenge for neurodivergent employees.18 Alternatively, allowing for flexible work hours and locations can allow employees to shape their work environment to best suit their needs.

Stage 4: Development

The training and development of neurodivergent employees calls for the same personalized, strengths-based approach used in recruiting them. Rather than focusing on the potential deficiencies or weaknesses of the individual, aim to further develop their strengths or apply their strengths in new and innovative ways. Ensure that training is available in multiple formats so that the neurodivergent employee can access it in the format that suits them best.

Creating a neuroinclusive organization calls for specific training and development efforts that benefit neurodivergent employees and the wider workforce. Unaddressed biases can sabotage workplace diversity initiatives. People often disfavor a person or group that acts or displays behaviors contrary to their expectations, but in many cases they aren’t aware of such biases and how strongly they influence their decision-making and interactions with others.19 To ensure that neurodivergent employees are treated fairly and have opportunities to contribute to and advance in your organization, all managers and staff members must undertake training that acknowledges and attempts to mitigate conscious and unconscious biases including toward neurodivergent individuals. Such training must dispel myths about neurodivergent people and offer guidance on how to work effectively with them.

Managers are key to the success of neurodiversity programs, but they need to be educated about how to support their neurodivergent employees.20 We recommend that organizations collaborate with a neurodiversity consultant to develop additional support for both neurodivergent and neurotypical employees. For example, DXC Technology provides autism awareness training for all staff members at sites where autistic employees are working. However, disclosing that there is a neurodivergent employee on a team is a privacy issue and requires the individual’s consent. If privacy is breached, this could negatively impact the neurodivergent employee and their team. When an individual discloses a condition to HR or their direct manager but does not want their wider team to know, accommodating them is about listening and understanding what they want the organization to do in order to support them. Ultimately, it should be the individual’s choice regarding whether they wish to share their condition, and they should be supported regardless of their disclosure decision.

Stage 5: Progression and Performance

Progression and performance management must be personalized to ensure that neurodivergent employees are supported. Avoid using standard position descriptions across the organization. Instead, consistent with the strengths-based approach, offer flexibility in job requirements by allowing position descriptions to be amended to fit the strengths of employees. This customized employment strategy is known as job crafting and can be codesigned by the employer and employee. Job crafting involves adding or removing tasks to suit the strengths or weaknesses of the incumbent.21 For example, a design engineer may not be required to attend client meetings, allowing them to use their strong design skills without the stress and potential challenges of interacting with clients.

KPIs should be agreed upon based on the position and checked for any inherent biases. As with all employees, performance should then be evaluated against the agreed-upon KPIs. However, when you are engaging in performance discussions, it is important to remember that neurodivergent employees may not have the same level of self-confidence or ability to talk up their own performance as their neurotypical colleagues.

Organizations should also ensure that personalized progression plans address the short- and long-term career goals of individuals, including pathways to management-level positions, and offer flexible career paths to help individuals achieve their potential. For example, in multinational enterprises, global assignments may be seen as an important part of career progression, but this may not suit the interests or strengths of a neurodivergent employee. (Such assignments would need to be carefully considered and managed, given that the acceptance and support available to neurodivergent employees may vary significantly across national and cultural boundaries.) Likewise, within professional services firms, senior roles typically involve responsibilities related to client relationship management and business development. Some neurodivergent individuals, however, may find this kind of social interaction challenging and should be given opportunities to advance on the basis of their subject matter expertise.

Stage 6: Retention

Historically, the turnover rates for neurodivergent employees have been higher than those for neurotypical people because of the persistent lack of inclusion and support for neurodiversity.22 This highlights how important it is for managers to play a role in retaining neurodivergent talent and provide ongoing support to address neurodivergent employees’ interpersonal and environmental needs in the workplace.23 However, some managers have had no prior experience working or interacting with someone who is neurodivergent and will need to upskill their capabilities to effectively empathize with and support these employees — and improve their prospects for retention. Ask for feedback from neurodivergent employees and all other relevant stakeholders on a regular basis to ascertain whether any adjustments or further training is needed.

Your organization’s neurodiversity strategy should be subject to regular review, by assessing the recruitment and retention of neurodivergent individuals against the organization’s goals. Ensure ongoing success with a framework that assesses the performance of the organization’s neurodiversity initiatives and holds stakeholders accountable for meaningful change. Based on the performance outcomes, your organization should be ready to adapt when challenges arise at any stage of an employee’s journey.

A significant hurdle in assessing the composition of your workforce is employees’ reticence to disclose their neurodivergence. Employees tend not to make such disclosures out of fear of being stigmatized. Ensuring that your organization is taking steps to create a neuroinclusive culture can increase people’s willingness to discuss their neurodivergence. Employees should also be able to ask for support or accommodations without having to explicitly state a diagnosis.

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As you advance your neurodiversity efforts, it’s important to remember that not every neurodivergent person is the same. Rather than making assumptions, get to know each employee as an individual and ask what adjustments will help to support them. It’s also important to keep in mind that no single support or accommodation will be relevant to every neurodivergent individual, and you need to personalize the support your organization provides, offering flexible workspaces, conditions, communication, and management. Most support and accommodations for neurodivergent candidates and employees do not involve significant expenses. Many involve no cost at all but deliver an unexpected benefit: Managers have found that making simple changes aimed at supporting neurodivergent employees have helped them become better managers to all employees.24