When I worked on Wall Street in the early 1990s, there was a floor in our building dedicated to the “quants”. Nobody was allowed there without permission so we imagined rows of silent men in darkened rooms with flickering screens reflecting off thick spectacles.
In that era of Revenge of the Nerds and Rainman, thinking or acting differently was weird and deeply uncool instead of valued as a skill that could shape the future.
Today, the quantitative analysts, mathematicians and computer scientists who develop and refine algorithms for the finance sector are coveted as highly-skilled workers.
Quants not only proved their ability to see things more traditionally-minded finance people couldn’t imagine; they transformed the industry.
Something similar is happening now across other sectors as employers recognise the superpowers that can make a difference. In particular, they appreciate what neurodiversity can bring to their teams. Many organisations are implementing programmes specifically designed to recruit and support these employees.
German software company SAP, which has one of the most advanced programmes, realised innovation was key to competitiveness. They recognise that “having people who see things differently and who maybe don’t fit in seamlessly helps offset our tendency, as a big company, to all look in the same direction”.
An estimated 15-20 per cent of the population is thought to be neurodiverse, so there’s a good chance you’re already working with people whose brains are not neurotypical.
Neurodiverse individuals have cognitive and perceptual differences that are considered normal variations in the brain. These variations include diagnoses such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, Asperger’s, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, OCD and Tourette syndrome.
Many people with neurological conditions have extraordinary skills, including detail orientation, pattern recognition, focus, memory, and mathematics. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) related industries have the highest levels of neurodiversity due to their flexible, hands-on, and problem-solving natures.
Yet neurodiverse job candidates often struggle to fit the profiles sought by employers and burn out if not well supported.
Gaining from difference
This month, TG4 launched a new two-part series exploring neurodivergence in Ireland called Néara-Éagsúlacht: Dearcadh Difriúil. It explores the challenges and opportunities for neurodiverse people in education, relationships and at work.
With the right supports at home and in the community, it’s clear from the fascinating stories highlighted that thriving is possible when barriers are removed.
A growing number of companies, including SAP, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Microsoft and Bank of Ireland have embraced the challenges by reshaping their HR processes to access neurodiverse talent. As a result, they are seeing productivity gains, quality improvement, boosts in innovative capabilities and increased employee engagement. Plus, it’s creating better managers who are more attuned to individual staff members’ needs.
To realise the benefits though, companies need to adjust their recruitment, selection and career-development policies to reflect a broader definition of talent.
Neurodiversity, like most human behaviours, is on a spectrum. How one person behaves might be totally different from someone with the same condition, so employers need to ensure tailored help or workplace adjustments.
Some neurodiverse people may seem obviously different or awkward to others – they might speak very directly or intensely about things or be unable to maintain eye contact. Others simply need headphones or a quiet place to work to prevent auditory overstimulation.
The biggest barriers for companies hoping to add neurodiverse skill sets to their teams seem to be fear of getting it wrong and lack of knowledge.
Eleanor McSherry designs and teaches programmes on neurodiversity in the workplace as the senior programme co-ordinator of autism studies at University College Cork’s Adult Continuing Education (ACE) programme. She says sometimes we overthink it.
“As Irish people, we can be overly empathetic,” she said. “We want to help so it’s coming from a good place. It’s likely there are lots of neurodiverse people already working in your industry but it’s about helping them thrive, not just survive.”
Adapting for neurodiverse people is not an expensive or time-consuming process, she says, so it’s possible for companies of all sizes to take this step. “Just take one step to the left. It’s not difficult and making these changes creates a better workplace for everyone, not just neurodiverse people.”
From advertising the job and interviewing to onboarding and mentoring, it’s really just about thinking things through in advance to ensure everyone has the best chance of success and enjoys a supportive, comfortable environment, according to Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, director of operations and HR at TG4, who has worked with McSherry.
“It requires a mindset shift,“ he said. ”Now it’s more about making sure the person is comfortable and able to come prepared and show their best side at work. In interviews today, it’s not like it used to be where it was almost like an ambush."
Adjustments might include communicating more clearly, breaking things down into stages or providing more details in different formats.
For job adverts, it’s best to avoid big blocks of text and to include infographics. Interviews can be particularly challenging and anxiety-inducing for everyone, so sending detailed interview information out in advance ensures there are no surprises.
Explain the process from beginning to end in an email or even in a video walking the job candidate through the venue.
Where is the interview room? How many people will be in the room? What are their names and titles? How long will it take? What questions might be asked and what topics might be covered? What’s the room like: is it large and noisy? Can you offer alternative interviews through phone calls or videos or a walking interview?
This information benefits all job applicants, so there’s no reason not to include it, says Ó Clochartaigh.
“The people coming for interview are already talented, so why have the extra barriers?” says McSherry.
It’s illegal to ask anyone if they are neurodivergent or differently abled, but she says “you can simply ask, as you would any employee, ‘is there anything we can do to support you?’. You can make minor adjustments without having them share any personal information.”
McSherry says many of the adjustments to ways of working are just common sense. When it comes to social events and interaction, colleagues should not be afraid to just ask: “Is [this] something you want to be involved in? What do you like to do in a group?”
If a manager notices the person is off form or acting out of character, just ask them how they are. “Say ‘is there anything we can do to support you?’ instead of ‘what’s wrong with you?’. Asking in this way allows the person to come forward with their needs.”
Companies seeking neurodivergent workers generally follow a seven-step process: team with non-profits experienced in working with people with disabilities; use non-interview or specially-adapted assessment processes; train other workers and managers in what to expect; set up a support system; tailor methods for managing careers; scale the programme; mainstream the programme.
The neurodiverse population remains a largely untapped talent pool but companies like Specialisterne Ireland support neurodivergent people into employment, says McSherry.
They are dedicated to developing roles for autistic people and those with similar neurodivergence by working alongside employers to carve out roles that work for both parties. McSherry also recommends products from Exceptional Minds as they can be valuable, inclusive and accessible resources for employers.
Margaret E Ward is chief executive of Clear Eye, a leadership consultancy. margaret@cleareye.ie
