Neurodiversity is often not included in discussions of diversity and inclusion, it was said at the recent Diversity and Inclusivity Finance Forum (DIFF) Leadership Briefing.
Presenting at the event this month, Rosie Higgins, director at Unquiet Media and Fields Park Productions, said this may be because it was new, evolving and “can be quite contentious sometimes”. She said people might also have a “fear of getting it wrong”.
Neurodiversity is the “natural, unique ways in which all of our ways develop” Higgins explained, adding, “any developmental path that deviates away from what is understood to be typical is characterised as conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism, dyspraxia amongst many others”, which is described as neurodivergent.
She said one in seven people were likely to be neurodivergent and a recent study suggested this could be higher in the financial services sector.
She said the number of neurodivergent people had not necessarily risen, but society had just become better at identifying it.
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Mental health and discrimination with neurodiversity
Higgins said the lines between mental health conditions and neurodivergence were “often blurred”, as neurodivergence in itself was “not a mental health condition”. However, she said mental ill health was “more common” among the neurodivergent population due to “heightened emotions and reactions”.
She also said there were challenges with discrimination, isolation and the extra pressure of navigating a world not built for neurodivergent people. Higgins said this could result in neurodivergent people masking who they are, leading to anxiety, burnout and depression.
She said neurodivergent people faced discrimination within the job market and were “vastly overrepresented” in unemployment figures.
Neurodivergence is rarely considered in the workplace, management practices, environments, technology, and the way work is organised, Higgins added.
“The reality of neurodiversity means every interaction that happens at the workplace takes place between different brains, yet typically, very few organisations are thinking about neurodiversity.
“Clearly, more needs to be done to ensure that these minds are being sufficiently served by our sector,” she added.
Higgins said this should not be considered a box-ticking exercise, as there was an “active, competitive” advantage to fostering a neuro-inclusive workforce.
Making neurodivergent people safe at work
During the panel session after Higgins’ presentation, she said greater awareness was what neurodivergent people wanted to see to make themselves feel safer.
She repeated her point that there was often a fear of talking about neurodiversity because people were unsure of what they were allowed to say.
Higgins said: “I don’t think this fear is unfounded… there’s still debate in neurodivergent communities around person first identity or language and terminology around your divergence. But I do think if we’re scared to talk about these things or approach them then nothing changes. Stereotypes get upheld and people don’t feel safe to disclose.”
She said the first hurdle was greater understanding and awareness and the best way to overcome this was to speak to neurodivergent people and find out what their needs were and how they wanted to be identified.
Higgins said addressing this barrier would help to overcome further barriers to recruitment.
Panel chair, Nathyn Kerchhoff, founder of NDK Solutions, said the responsibility was not only on businesses but also on neurodivergent people.
He added: “Without us willing to be open with you, there’s no opportunity for you to get the education you need or the opportunity to have the right conversations at the right time.”
Kerchhoff said this required a “meeting of the minds”.
Higgins said it was okay to get things wrong as long as the intentions were right, and people were trying.
Nicola Alvarez, senior manager of proposition development at Accord Mortgages, said her journey with neurodiversity started with her son who was diagnosed with ADHD, and then she was diagnosed herself after noticing similarities in her own behaviour.
She said she “spent a lot of years” masking and trying to do things in a way she thought was acceptable but then “realised, actually a lot of my strengths come from my ADHD”.
Alvarez said this included her attention to detail and her ability to think outside of the box.
She said neurodiversity was fundamental to Accord Mortgages and it also had a neurodiversity network. She said this had been “really instrumental” in demonstrating a commitment from leaders to advocate and support neurodivergent people.
Higgins and Alvarez said their respective businesses were also part of the Sunflower scheme, which is when people wear a yellow lanyard to indicate they might have a hidden disability which requires extra time or support.
Alvarez said a parent and carers group for people with neurodivergent children had started as an offshoot of Accord’s neurodivergent network, where there was “key support” among colleagues to deal with the daily challenges of managing a child with additional needs.
The lender has also been trialling recruitment around autism to have a fairer playing field and is working on a “disability passport” to assist employees.
Alvarez said a lot of these measures did not necessarily cost a lot of money and the main thing was to speak to colleagues to allow them to give feedback.
Kerchhoff said the disability passport was useful in not making people have to speak about their conditions repeatedly.
Higgins said it could also encourage others to ask for support by knowing such a scheme exists.
Higgins said to create a safe space, managers would also need training to know what to do when someone discloses their condition, gain understanding and be able to communicate with people.
Changes to the recruitment process
Kerchhoff asked how recruitment could be changed to help people with neurodivergence.
Higgins said although there was no one size fits all, providing questions in advance could help and introducing measures to reduce anxieties such as a map showing where parking or the reception desk is.
“Neurodivergent people naturally often come to work with a lot of self-esteem and confidence issues based on previous experiences… anything that can be done in the recruitment process to reduce those anxieties… it’s small things that can make someone feel more comfortable and have less to worry about because they’re already worried about bringing their best selves,” she added.
Alvarez said some neurodivergent people tend to speak fast, and recruiters should be considerate and ask people to repeat themselves. She said speaking fast was sometimes a result of their anxiety.
Kerchhoff also said someone fidgeting did not always mean someone was not paying attention, but actually they were focusing more on the situation, rather than the other things around them.
Additionally, demanding eye contact could make a neurodivergent person anxious or uncomfortable and make them seem incompetent or lacking conversation skills.
“Language, communication, all the things you’ve been trained to look out for during recruitment typically don’t work with neurodiverse people,” he added.
Key takeaways
- Don’t hesitate to speak to a neurodivergent person, opening up a discussion can lead to knowing how to support them.
- Consider introducing a scheme to support people without making them disclose their condition, such as the Sunflower scheme.
- Ask questions and ask neurodivergent employees what they need.
- Try to reduce barriers and anxieties from the recruitment process.
- Consider the needs of neurodivergent people when it comes to working practices and work environment layout.
- Don’t assume someone’s behaviour is a sign of bad manners or poor communication skills as it could be neurodivergence.
