Unlocking Potential: 5 Tips to Embrace Neurodiversity in Your Workplace
This piece was written by Alexis Wajda, an HR Intern with Sipley the Best during Spring 2024. Alexis is a current undergraduate at UCF majoring in Business Administration, minoring in Sociology, with a certificate in Human Resources.
Picture This: A workplace where creativity flows, problem-solving takes unexpected twists, and every day feels like a journey through the quirkiest corners of the human mind. Welcome to the neurodiverse workplace!
First off, what is neurodiversity? It’s not as complicated as it seems! Neurodiversity is simply the idea that people experience and engage with the world around them in different ways (Harvard Health Publishing). Though it may seem uncommon to some it is estimated that neurodiverse individuals make up approximately 20% of the population (Charara, 2023)! From ADHD, Autism, Depression, Anxiety, or even Chronic Migraines addressing neurodiversity comes with challenges, but also fresh, unique perspectives that otherwise a company would not have access to if all employees were neurotypical or not allowed to express their viewpoints as part of the team.
As neurodiversity becomes a more talked about subject in our culture reinforcing the idea that neurodiverse individuals are just as capable of producing stellar work as those who are neurotypical. It’s important to understand how we can learn to embrace it in the workplace. Here are 5 Tips you can take to begin creating a neuro-inclusive space at your company:
Tip #1: Create a Colorful Workspace
Now by this we don’t mean painting rainbows and murals all over the wall. We actually recommend staying away from that as neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals can be overwhelmed by super bright colors or harsh lights. Instead of those extreme decorations opt for splashes of color, cozy nooks, or stimulating decor to make the office feel like a safe space. In fact reports show that when employees feel comfortable in the office, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and productivity all increase!
Tip #2: Foster Flexible Work Arrangements
Did you know 56% of employees could do their job completely at home? (Apollo Technical). Embracing flexibility in both work styles and locations can be a great step to accommodate individual needs and preferences. Offering remote work options or flexible schedules can allow for neurodiverse employees to blossom on their own terms. This can prevent burnout and overall allow better results for employers and employees alike.
Tip #3: Celebrate Neurodiversity Awareness
Representation is one of the leading causes of job satisfaction and can often lead to reducing stereotypes. Don’t get me wrong, offering accommodations for these employees in private is a great first step but celebrating their individuality is also incredibly important! Hosting fun events, educational workshops, or creating themed activities can raise awareness about neurodiversity but also promote understanding and showcase the talents and perspectives of neurodiverse individuals.
Tip #4: Encourage Open Communication
Creating a workplace where everyone feels like their opinion is not only heard but embraced is crucial to workplace success. Fostering an open culture allows neurodiverse individuals to feel comfortable sharing their perspectives, ideas, and concerns. In HR we can embrace this by training managers to communicate clearly to their staff the procedure to appropriately communicate their concerns. As well as encouraging your staff to be active listeners, empathetic, and respectful doesn’t cost a penny and it creates an environment of mutual respect and a supportive environment where neurodivergent voices can be embraced.
Tip #5: Create Calming Retreats
We can all agree that sometimes work is hard and overwhelming. By creating sensory safe spaces for employees to go and recharge they can center themselves and when they're prepared to come back to work they’ll have a fresh start. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an elaborate space within the office though these are a great option; it can simply be allowing employees to go outside and get some fresh air- free of stimuli. Removing yourself from the work environment for 5 minutes offers a chance to reset and may even generate some amazing ideas.
Our tips are a great place to start but educating ourselves is important and there are some great additional resources to continue your education on this! For HR Managers, the Job Accommodations Network offers a searchable database of disabilities & possible accommodations for such. This serves as a basis to formulate accommodations and gives more helpful tips to ensure your company is keeping to best practices. Many companies have already implemented these practices effectively, such as HP and Home Depot, however there is always still room for growth.
Not only having but embracing a neurodiverse workplace encourages new perspectives and fosters innovation but along with this we need to consider not only how they can positively impact us but how we can best support these individuals. By implementing any of these ideas you can take the first step towards a truly diverse workplace.
