by William Hughes – March 18, 2024
I only heard of Neurodiversity Celebration Week two years ago, partially because it’s new, and partially because it didn’t take off in the United States until then. Companies were issuing empty platitudes saying that they were proud of their neurodivergent employees and how they were welcome in their companies. My former company, WTW, put out one of the worst of the lot by saying that neurodiversity would be an important part of the workforce in the future. When I first saw this, my jaw almost hit the floor in shock, because of the way I had been treated in the last several months of my employment with them. I went from being called a “wizard” in 2020, to being the one who brought more good will to the department in 1000 words than the rest of the team had combined in the entire time I worked there in 2021, to being out the door and with another employer in 2022. You can imagine the shock I felt when I saw that absolute pile of nothing in 2023 on LinkedIn.
So, this year, I decided to look at what could a true neurodiversity celebration look like. Some of it borrows from previous writings or videos, and some is original. Here’s my list:
- Accept us for who we are, not for what condition(s) we may have: Look, if you anything to convince you, look at the Alludo survey that said more than half of neurodivergent employees would leave the firm if their conditions were not welcome and/or they were not made to feel welcome. Been there, done that. Want to drive neurodivergent employees out? Keep doing what you’re doing, and at least half of them will leave ASAP. I suspect the actual number is higher, only because many of us don’t wish to rock the boat.
- Stop the empty BS platitudes: You appreciate us for one week in March, and if we’re autistic, for a day in April, but nothing after that. Put your money where your mouth is, and start showing the world how important neurodiversity will be in the workforce.
- 1 in 5: One in five people in the world are considered to be neurodivergent. Some of the conditions lend themselves to success in a way, as it’s thought that a considerable number of CEO’s are dyslexic. Most autistic people are unemployed or underemployed. Autism is on a spectrum, so why is that not considered when we are applying for jobs or trying for promotions.
- Clear language, please: I see this on LinkedIn at least once a week, if not more frequently. How many more times do you need to see it to understand that what you’re saying may not make sense to us, and we appreciate a direct answer. Sometimes, however, that will drive us out the door and motivate us through PhD programs 😊.
- Change the narrative in hiring: I’ve discussed this at length, but there needs to be a more holistic approach to hiring where the jobs are better matched to a skill set. Perhaps the job they’re applying for is not a good fit, but a higher-level position may well be. Also, the colleges and universities with neurodiversity support programs can help out by working with companies to help get their students internships during their studies and get them hired after graduation.
- Clear paths in careers: Make it so people who apply for jobs are given clear paths in their careers. If you leave anyone in the same role without offering to expand it or promote them to the next level for too long, they’ll consider leaving for a place that will do that. Clearly set out a way for promotion if someone wants it, especially if they are close.
- Would a neurotypical person be in a neurodivergent person’s position?: A recent article suggested that neurodivergent people take jobs that don’t match their skills because they aren’t being considered for more appropriate positions. It’s not uncommon for highly educated neurodivergent people to work in low-level positions because that’s all they’re considered for. While I know my firm, Stradley Ronon, is working towards expanding my role so it better matches my skill set, this is uncommon among neurodivergent employees. Many neurodivergent employees possess better credentials than mine, yet are not being given the opportunity to showcase their skills.
- Leadership and Neurodiversity: It’s not enough for corporate and organizational leaders to welcome neurodivergent people, they also must embrace neurodivergent leaders in their own right. If you want out-of-the-box thinking, think neurodiversity. If you want empirically proven higher work rates, think neurodiversity. If you believe neurodiversity is an important part of the future, then embrace the idea of neurodivergent leaders in your organization.
- Information, please: More and more information is becoming available about hiring neurodivergent people. I’ve bought 10 or so books in the last six months based on LinkedIn recommendations. There are now organizations, conferences, websites, and podcasts about this topic. The more information that’s out there, the better educated we will be, and the greater the chance of changes for the better for all sides of this equation.
- Perhaps a true celebration would be the end of neurodiversity hiring initiatives: I’ve become a fan of Wells Fargo’s neurodiversity hiring initiative as it offers a wide variety of jobs, trains the staff on how to work with us, has a 99% retention rate, and has a stated goal of the program becoming unnecessary since the abilities would speak for themselves. Let’s make that an honest goal if you change the way hiring is done in the first place.
I hadn’t set out to write this article this way, however, I realized that this was the most effective way of getting my thoughts in print. This article is the first one to be posted solely on leadershipandneurodiversity.com, a continuation of my project. It will focus on articles like these, research articles I may find about neurodiversity hiring or even leadership and neurodiversity, discuss my academic progress, eventually include my research as it goes along, be a showcase for the Leadership and Neurodiversity video series, and finally let you, the visitor participate in what will be a game-changing way to do business with our community.