What do you mean by neurodiversity?

“Neurodiversity” is a word used to explain the unique ways in which people’s brain works. No two brains function just alike. Neurodivergence means that the brain functions differently from an average

or “normal” person.

What do you mean by neurodiversity at the workplace?

A workplace that supports all types of ways to think, learn, interact and perceive the world support neurodiversity. Increasingly, many people across the world and identify as neurodiverse.

What is the importance of neurodiversity at the workplace?

Neurodivergent people often bring to the workplace out-of-the-box thinking, creative solutions. They may also spend a lot of time adapting the work environment to their needs. Indeed, work environments are often configured for typical patterns of thought and behaviour.

What are the challenges of neurodiverse people face at work?

The challenge in the workplace is unique to this group for many reasons:-

Lack of support.
Anxiety and workplace bulling.
Time Management
Communication and engagement style of workplace environment
Corporate Culture
Policies and Practices – By policies we can say that, there are so many organisations that have no policies regarding the neurodiverse people. And due to lack of policy system, these people face challenges in the organization to adjust.

Eventually these challenges lead to mental health problems. Being different from others places neurodivergent employees at higher risk of developing mental health issues than their colleagues.

What are the Strengths of neurodiverse employees?

Ability to Recognize where to flourish
Listen hard, change fast
Diversity
Absorbing information
Innovation
Passion for Social Justice and fairness.
Challenging old habits
Adding purposeful value
Questioning how things are currently done
Stellar Imagination
Drawing Connections
Better Understanding of Consumer base

How to make the workplace more inclusive for neurodivergent?

Educate Your Workforce:

One of the biggest barriers to a neurodiverse workforce is an understanding of neurodiversity. Employer can provide training to all employees and managers on the basics of neurodiversity that would be covered understanding the spectrum of neurodiversity, communication style and dispelling myth of misconception. It is also important to educate managers on best practices for providing different type of accommodations for neurodivergent individuals, such as adjustments for temperature, light, sound or extra time for projects. Once team members have basic understanding of how neurodiverse individuals operate, they will be able to communicate better

Promote recruitment and employment:

Recruitment and retention processes are the biggest areas to hiring a

neurodiverse workforce. It is also the easiest area for employers to change in order to communicate a warm company to neurotic people. For

example, asking all applicants if they need any accommodations during the interview process is one of the easiest and most effective steps an employer can take. I It is recommend to ask the applicants if they have any special needs during the recruitment process.

Examples of adjustments that can be made during the interview process include adjusting sensory sensitivities (temperature, lighting, sound, etc.), granting extra time, or removing time limits for maintenance tasks.

Providing a clear understanding of the interview process.

so, people know what to expect when they arrive. Also check that you assess “social norms” during the interview process and whether social interactions are essential for the position – For example, lack of eye contact, restlessness or non-verbal cues. Finally, think about “job interviews”. Sometimes it’s easier

for neurotic people to show you what they can do than to tell you. After all, the goal should be to hire people who can do the job, not explain how they can do

the job.

Offer Flexibility: It is important to remember that neurologically diverse employees are

still human beings.. They don’t fit neatly into the boxes that employers can

tick. All workplaces need some kind of structure, but employers need to adopt a flexible mindset when the need arises. For example, some neurotic employees find prioritization or time management at work very difficult. This can be important in some industries with tight deadlines.
But today’s technology can do wonders to help overcome this obstacle.

This is where project management software or even a shared work calendar can be of great help. Employers shouldn’t let the rigidity of “typical” hiring models rob them of the opportunity to bring diversity of

thoughttheir teams.

Support Socializing Appropriately:

Many neurodivergent individuals struggle with social interactions or recovering from them (especially those who are part of thethe autism spectrum)., Work culture in theIndia . places an unnecessarily high value on an employee’s ability to “fit in” socially. Don’t let an employee’s professional progression depend on their ability to socialize, It should be about what they can add to your team and their ability to get the job done. That doesn’t mean that neurodivergent individuals can’t socialize or won’t socialize. Some of them might be working on improving relationship-building skills. In fact, we still recommend employers provide a wide variety of optional social opportunities that allow employees to pick a size, setting, and time that works for them. In this way, neurologically divergent individuals can relate and socialize at a level with which they are comfortable, without concern as to whether it will be considered in their next performance review.

Ask for help when required:

There’s no shame in bringing in an expert. Understanding of neurodiversity is constantly evolving. HR professionals (if a business even has them) may not have the expertise or bandwidth to make big adjustments by themselves. There are many organizations and consultants that work to provide guidance and/or training on neurodiversity and its various cognitive differences in the workplace. Bringing on an outside expert can make a huge difference toward creating a truly inclusive environment that benefits everyone.

In a working world where so many things are uncomfortable for neurodivergent individuals, small adjustments can make all the difference. It would not only make people feel comfortable, but also valued for the unique skill sets they bring to the workforce. As the employment landscape is ever-changing, embracing neurodiversity is an important (but often missed) opportunity for companies to grow their business.

Demystifying neurodiversity at the workplace