To advance business productivity and performance, HR professionals must place increased focus on policies and practices to ensure all employees feel supported and empowered.
Identified as one of five emerging trends of the collective workforce in Top Employers Institute’s recent World of Work Trends report, this research paper offers practical recommendations for those looking to achieve an inclusive neurodiverse workforce. This includes the creation of collaborative and adaptive working environments, via a systems-thinking approach to inclusion. This will help to alleviate feelings of isolation and disengagement among neurodiverse employees, ultimately building stronger teams.
To realise true inclusivity, organisations must move beyond isolated efforts towards truly integrated talent strategies that tap into collective strength through individual empowerment.
Neuroinclusive by Design draws on the findings of eight in-depth interviews with neurodivergent employees, conducted by the Top Employers Institute, to better understand how leading employers are embedding neurodivergent frameworks into their organisations. Crucially, it finds that successful neurodiverse teams, regardless of size, function, or seniority, follow three key practices:
- Harnessing individual talents for collective success: Neurodivergent employees often bring strengths that boost overall team performance, such as creative problem solving and pattern recognition. The paper highlights the importance of role flexibility, to ensure that individuals can apply these talents where most appropriate rather than as tied solely to their job description.
- Defining and committing to consistent ways of working: Norms around communication, meetings and task ownership should be clear and designed to suit the teams that follow them. While neurodivergent employees have varied preferences, structure and clarity can enable everyone to thrive.
- Embracing empathy and nurture interpersonal trust: The research reveals that when a positive culture is established in which colleagues assume good intentions by default, neurodivergent employees feel safer and better able to contribute. Supporting allyship through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and providing training around diverse cognitive approaches are core recommendations.
David Plink, CEO at Top Employers Institute, comments: “Creating environments where all individuals can thrive is no longer optional, it’s essential. Organisations are starting to recognise this, alongside the competitive advantage that neurodiverse employees bring to an organisation. Not only do they offer a unique set of skills, but the very practices that companies adopt to ensure they feel included benefit all employees, which is evident through this research. Neurodiversity is a catalyst for collaboration, which boosts business performance, and these insights provide a blueprint for the future of work.”
The full Neuroinclusive by Design report can be found here.
