Cultural and racial diversity are critical goals for the success of any small to medium-sized business. However, these two areas aren’t the only ways you can strive to make your workplace more diverse and inclusive.
Neurodiversity should also be a top priority and is something your brand can benefit from in the long term. The CDC has projected that 1 in 44 children born each year is on the Autism Spectrum. Therefore being a neurodiverse workplace is critical for the future of a growing workforce.
Let’s look at what neurodiversity is, the benefits of expanding your inclusive horizons, and how you can embrace diversity in your workplace.
What is Neurodiversity?
A neurodiverse workplace expands its inclusivity to recognize the skills and experience of employees living with neuro-variations. ADHD, Autism, and dyslexia are all neuro-variations your hiring process must consider if your brand wants to be a truly inclusive organization.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Neurodiverse Workforce?
As you begin to embrace different identities in your workplace, it’s essential to understand the benefits of creating a hiring process that includes neurodiverse candidates.
- Diversity spurs creativity and innovation within your organization.
- Neurodiverse companies hire candidates that the average employer often overlooks. Neurodiverse individuals are an untapped source of talent and help companies outperform competitors in their markets.
- Employees with Autism tend to lean into rule-based thinking that can help them meet your organizational and long-term goals.
- Dyslexic candidates are often highly creative. This leads to excellent problem-solving skills in the workplace and helps you find multiple approaches to a solution for any problem.
- A neurodiverse workforce helps everyone in your organization learn from each other’s life experiences. This improves personal growth and can improve the overall workplace performance of everyone in your organization.
How Can You Embrace Neurodiversity in the Workplace?
Creating a neurodiverse environment takes time, but with the help of a team like DEI Recruiting and Consulting, your organization can embrace diversity and ensure every skilled candidate has a fair chance of success in your industry.
Some of the steps you can take to start embracing neurodiversity are:
- Train supervisors and team on best communication methods. On the autism spectrum, specifically, focus on clear written and verbal direction, and never assume someone knows how to perform a task.
- Create flexible work hours or work from home schedules for neurodiverse employees
- Create a distraction-free work environment. Someone on the spectrum can easily be distracted by noises, smells, or visual stimuli.
- Implement technologies such as noise-canceling headphones, screen filters, time management software, or mind mapping software.
Revise Your Hiring Process
Sometimes a hiring manager’s idea of a “good candidate” needs adjusting. Unconscious bias and poor screening practices can often disqualify neurodiverse candidates before they have a chance to show their value.
Take some time to revise your hiring procedures and ensure they focus on a person’s skills and benefits to your company over behavioral differences that may have excluded them from employment in the past.
Help Your Workplace Thrive With DEI Recruiting and Consulting
DEI Recruiting and Consulting helps small and medium-sized businesses expand their workforce opportunities through diversity recruiting and consulting services.
We want your brand to reflect the community you serve. So, let our consultants help you create a business environment that leaves no one behind.
Reach out to us today to learn more about our consulting options for your business.
