Are people with a neurodiversity supported and celebrated in the workplace?
In recent years we have seen a positive shift in attitudes towards neurodiversity, with more focus now being placed on celebrating different minds and the ways in which embracing our uniqueness can benefit individuals and society.
We chose to explore this topic by asking people who are neurodiverse to tell us how this change has impacted them, specifically when it comes to work.
51% of people with neurodiversity surveyed think the recent spotlight on neurodiversity is a good¹ thing
Our findings show that the growing spotlight on neurodiversity and conversations celebrating different ways of thinking have had widespread positive impacts.
We discovered that just over half (51%) of people with neurodiversity surveyed see the recent spotlight on neurodiversity as a good¹ thing (51%), while almost half (48%) also said that the increase in conversation and spotlight has positively impacted how they feel about their own neurodiversity².
Neurodiversity – a workplace superpower
53% of people with neurodiversity surveyed agree² they have many strengths from their neurodiversity
When it comes to how neurodiverse people feel about their differences, our research shows that many consider their unique ways of thinking to be an asset. In fact, over half (53%) of respondents agree² they have many strengths from their neurodiversity and 46% agree2 they see their neurodiversity as a positive rather than a negative.
This appreciation of neurodiversity strengths potentially comes with age as people gain a better understanding of how their brain works and pick up tips and tricks to help them overcome the challenges they face. For example, those aged 35-44 with neurodiversity are more likely than those aged 16-24 to agree² they have many strengths from their neurodiversity (63% vs 47%) and that they see their neurodiversity as a positive rather than a negative (51% vs 41%).
92% of neurodiverse people surveyed said their neurodiversity positively impacts them at work
In the context of day-to-day work, a resounding 92% of respondents said their neurodiversity positively impacts them at work. Indeed, for many, their ability to think differently means they are skilled in areas that are hugely beneficial in the world of work. Respondents are most likely to say they are positively impacted through skills related to problem solving (30%), focus (29%) and attention to detail (29%). This is followed by creativity (26%), ability to absorb information (21%), drawing connections (20%), innovation (19%), provide different method to tackling work (19%) and, finally, pattern recognition (18%).
Not only are neurodiverse individuals appreciating their strengths, but many employers are also celebrating how neurodiversity positively impact their employees. Indeed, just over 3 in 5 (61%) respondents said their employer celebrates³ the ways in which their neurodiversity positively impacts them at work, with almost a fifth (19%) saying it is really/significantly celebrated.
Is workplace support for people with neurodiversity up to scratch?
While it’s extremely encouraging that so many respondents think that their neurodiversity positively impacts them at work, the percentages of respondents who are proud of and wouldn’t change their neurodiversity are less emphatic. In fact, less than half (43%) of people with neurodiversity surveyed agree² they are proud of their neurodiversity while a similar percentage said that they wouldn’t change their neurodiversity if they had the choice (42%).
Employers have a key role to play here as supporting neurodiverse employees is crucial to ensure they feel comfortable talking about their needs and confident in their abilities.
However, a significant proportion of people with neurodiversity surveyed have not told their manager / employer about their neurodiversity (43%). Although it is positive to note those who have not told their manager / employer are more likely to say they plan to tell them in the future than they are to say they are not planning to do this (55% vs 45%).
28% of people with neurodiversity who haven’t mentioned it to their employer said this is because they are embarrassed
When exploring the reasons why individuals have not told their managers / employer about their neurodiversity, embarrassment (28%) was most likely to be cited, followed by concern people will look out for their ‘flaws’ (26%), worried about the reaction (26%), not thinking it is necessary (25%), worried it is going to be seen as a negative (24%) and, finally, not thinking they will understand (21%).
When employees with neurodiversity do open up, it is crucial that managers / employers react in a way that makes them feel supported, understood and respected. Unfortunately, this does not always seem to be the case. In fact, less than half (44%) of people with a neurodiversity surveyed said the reaction from their manager / employer was supportive (i.e., asked how they can support them).
Almost 3 in 10 (29%) said the reaction was neutral (i.e., acknowledged what they were saying but took no further actions), 14% said the reaction was negative (i.e., saw their neurodiversity as a concern) and 11% said the reaction was dismissive (i.e., didn’t fully acknowledge it/ask how it impacts them).
70% of respondents agree² employers have a duty to support employees with a neurodiversity
It is clear then, that a concerted effort must be made on employers’ parts to rectify these issues. Especially given that 70% of people with neurodiversity surveyed agree² employers have a duty to support employees with a neurodiversity, with a third (33%) strongly agreeing.
Fortunately, over three quarters (77%) of respondents said their employer is supportive⁵ of their neurodiversity at work, with almost half (47%) saying they are very supportive.
However, this support isn’t felt by all, as 1 in 11 (9%) said their employer is unsupportive⁶, over half (52%) agree² their employer could improve the support they provide employees with a neurodiversity and 36% said their employer does not celebrate⁷ their neurodiversity. These employers who are not supporting or celebrating the strengths of neurodiverse staff are potentially having a negative impact on the individual’s confidence, but also, they themselves are missing out on leveraging the individual’s neurodiversity strengths and allowing their wider team to learn from the individual.
How can employers support staff with a neurodiversity?
There are a variety of ways employers can be supportive. Below are some great examples of how respondents with Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism are supported by their employer:
|
Dyslexia |
ADHD |
Autism |
|
Checks emails and written work for grammar and spelling mistakes (38%) |
Allows additional time for me to complete work (29%) |
Providing quiet spaces (29%) |
|
Not putting on time pressures (25%) |
Not putting on time pressures (26%) |
Not putting on time pressures (26%) |
|
Providing quiet spaces (23%) |
Checks emails and written work for grammar and spelling mistakes (26%) |
Colleagues write meeting notes and sends to me after (24%) |
|
Provides tips for organisation / manage workload (22%) |
Providing quiet spaces (25%) |
Checks emails and written work for grammar and spelling mistakes (24%) |
Our research reveals that there is no one-size-fits all approach to supporting employees with neurodiversity, and that support needs to be tailored to peoples’ unique needs.
For example, one notable difference in the ways that people with different neurodiversities are supported is that almost a quarter (24%) of those with Autism said their employer supports them by having colleagues write meeting notes and sends to them after, whereas those with ADHD (19%) and Dyslexia (14%) are less likely to say their employer support them in this way. In a different pattern, allowing for additional time to complete work seems to be less common for those with Autism (18%), compared to those with ADHA (29%) and/or Dyslexia (20%).
Is the workplace inclusive of individuals with a neurodiversity?
In terms of inclusivity, respondents are more likely to say their employer is inclusive⁸ rather than not inclusive⁹ during recruitment (45% vs 12%), onboarding (41% vs 10%), attending / leading meetings (43% vs 11%), and during the day to day working in the company (45% vs 10%).
People surveyed with Dyslexia are least likely to feel their employer is inclusive of individuals with a neurodiversity across all aspects of employment compared to those with ADHD or Autism. For example, 58% of people surveyed with Autism said the recruitment process is inclusive⁸, closely followed by those with ADHD (53%), whereas just over 2 in 5 (41%) of those with Dyslexia said the same. The largest difference in terms of feeling their employer is not inclusive is related to attending / leading meetings, as over a fifth (22%) of those with Dyslexia said their employer is not inclusive⁹ in this area, whereas much fewer of those with ADHD (12%) or Autism (11%) said the same.
It is interesting to note, older respondents are less likely than younger respondents to say all the mentioned aspects of employment are inclusive⁸. For example, around half of respondents aged 16-24 (53%), 25-34 (52%) or 35-44 (49%) said the onboarding process at work is inclusive⁸ for individuals with neurodiversity, whereas a third (33%) of those aged 45-54 and a quarter (25%) of those aged 55+ said the same.
Overall, the survey demonstrates the need for open conversations and support for those with a neurodiversity in the workplace to build their confidence and enable them to let their strengths shine through. So, let’s keep the conversation open, learn about how neurodivergent individuals need support at work and celebrate their strengths.
Notes
¹’I see this as a really good thing’ and ‘I see this as a somewhat good thing’ responses combined
²’Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ responses combined
³’Really/significantly celebrates’ and ‘Somewhat celebrates this’ responses combined
⁴’Strongly disagree’ and ‘Somewhat disagree’ responses combined
⁵’Very supportive’ and ‘Somewhat supportive’ responses combined
⁶’Very unsupportive’ and ‘Somewhat supportive’ responses combined
⁷’Doesn’t really celebrate this’ and ‘Does not celebrate this at all’ responses combined
⁸’Very inclusive’ and ‘Somewhat inclusive’ responses combined
⁹’Not at all inclusive’ and ‘Not too inclusive’ responses combined