Everyone is unique. People think and process information individually, producing various characters, behaviours, and skillsets. It's what makes us interesting as a species. However, in the business world, we have often set up processes that assume all people will behave similarly in comparable situations, leading to missed opportunities for companies and candidates.
Both organizations and employees benefit from a more diverse workplace. This includes neurodiversity and ability alongside race, culture, and background diversity. Many people who are neurodiverse find themselves shut out of the hiring process – and therefore unable to contribute fully in the workplace.
The term 'neurodiverse' refers to those people who think and process information in ways that are not typical for individuals of their age in their culture. It describes the wide spectrum of ways that people think. People who are autistic and those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and similar conditions fall into the neurodiverse category.
Many of these candidates have exceptional talents to augment an organization's productivity. Still, the potential that they could bring to the table can be untapped if an organization doesn't take steps to recognize and engage with this rich pool of talent. And it is indeed a rich pool. A recent study found that roughly 20 per cent of the population have learning and thinking differences. Those workplaces that don't prioritize neurodiversity in their hiring efforts could be missing out on a fifth of the potential workforce.
While many neurodiverse people have extraordinary talents and other outstanding aptitudes, unfortunately, they often don't match with many aspects of the traditional candidate hiring and screening process.
"In the case of people with autism, the knowledge base and technical aptitude of individuals can be very high, so we had to figure out why we weren’t placing them. We discovered the problem—the interview process," explained Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft.
She explains how they screen and select candidates without expecting them to perform well in the typical one-on-one question and answer job interview situation. "Now we work with a local group to bring candidates in for a week-long academy. We offer teamwork and technical exercises, and a lot of training. At the end of the week, we have an idea of those who will receive a job offer."
Why does the traditional hiring method fail neurodiverse candidates?
Because neurological differences impact how the brain functions and processes information, screening and evaluating methods that expect one set of predetermined behaviours from candidates place the neurodiverse candidates at a significant disadvantage.
However, companies can access uniquely talented individuals by adjusting their hiring process to accommodate and promote neurodiversity in the workplace, similar to the Microsoft model.
For example, employees who have dyslexia may struggle with spreadsheets or complex reports, but they have often developed advanced creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. Workers on the autism spectrum may also have difficulties understanding their coworkers' facial expressions or body language, although complicated code, scripts, or data processing could come easily to them. JPMorgan Chase reports that professionals in its Autism at Work program make fewer errors and are 90 per cent to 140 per cent more productive than their neurotypical coworkers.
But these are just examples. While there are behaviour patterns, neurodivergent people are still individuals, and everyone will have their own unique skillsets and challenges.
Strategies for hiring neurodiverse candidates
Employer branding. Incorporate neurodiversity in your company's messaging about inclusivity and diversity hiring practices. Showcase neurodivergent staff members on your company's website and branding videos. This can encourage similar candidates to apply.
Focus on the essentials. Beware of the nice-to-have skills in your job postings. Does the data analyst need to have 'customer-service' skills? Is 'excellent communication' a necessity for your JavaScript specialist? Focus on the essential skills necessary to excel on the job, and watch out for some of the extras that are routinely included in many job descriptions that could discourage neurodiverse candidates from considering the role.
Re-think the job interview process. There is more than one way to assess potential candidates, and the typical job interview situation may filter out many well-qualified individuals who simply don't perform well in that particular circumstance. Consider skills assessments instead, allowing neurodiverse candidates to demonstrate their abilities in a setting that more authentically mirrors the job itself.
Get to know the individual. Talk to the candidates themselves about how they work most effectively and what environments bring out the best of their abilities. Companies that truly embrace diversity take steps to create a workplace culture that allows employees of all stripes to shine.
Neurodiverse people have to be creative to adapt to the neurotypical world around them. This is why they often develop such valuable strengths as problem solving, adaptability, persistence, and creativity. These are all highly sought-after abilities across industries, and they can be the essential building blocks for innovation.
However, these candidates are often misunderstood and stereotyped during the hiring process, which leads to higher rates of unemployment. In a tight labour market, savvy employers would be wise to tap into this underutilized pool of talent that can represent as much as 20 per cent of the workforce.
