Talking and instilling neurodiversity at work
“We offer reasonable accommodations, therefore we are an inclusive workplace.”
Well, yes and no. If only it was that simple.
What if your employees don’t feel comfortable asking for accommodations? And do you, as an employer, know all the needs to address to ensure the day-to-day work experiences of your people is an effective and efficient one, in support of productive business?
When it comes to neurodiversity, like with many other invisible disabilities, it can often be easier to stay silent than to say anything – let alone to officially self-identify. The latest data from Disability:IN’s Disability Equality Index reports a slight increase in self-identification (5%), up from 4%, but employers have some work to do to create environments where employees feel both comfortable disclosing AND celebrated by their employers for their unique experiences. A recent DEI survey from BCG across 16 countries found 25% have some form of disability, whether they have disclosed one or not.
2023 research from Accenture reported 76% of employees with disabilities do not disclose at work – a percentage that further increases at the leadership level, where 80% of C-Suite executives and their direct reports who have disabilities do not disclose them. Without the visibility within organizations, especially at more senior levels, it can be difficult for employees to feel comfortable sharing this information with their employer.
Let’s work to change that.
July marked Disability Pride Month, celebrating the annual anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In observance of the month, equitABLE – The Weber Shandwick Collective’s Business Resource Group (BRG) for employees with and caregivers of those with physical and mental disabilities and chronic illnesses – held a session on neurodiversity in the workplace in partnership with IPG D&I, bringing together teams from across IPG for the discussion.
The event featured special guests from Mental Capital, a new consultancy based in New York City that helps companies worldwide attract, hire and retain neurodiverse employees, while helping to make their workplaces and corporate culture neuroinclusive: Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, owner of Hartstein Psychological Services, and Peter Shankman, an entrepreneur and author of Faster Than Normal.
“It is truly amazing what can happen when you allow someone who doesn’t see the same thing as everyone else into that conversation.” – Peter Shankman
The discussion highlighted many helpful angles on the important perspectives neurodiverse talent bring to organizations, the ways organizations are making changes to address their needs and how some of these modifications might not only help neurodiverse talent but organizations as a whole.
Steps to building a neuroinclusive workforce
Here are a few key takeaways and themes from the discussion:
- Identify individual needs: Managers should check in with their employees throughout the year, regardless of whether or not they have self-identified, to gauge how they are doing and if there are things they need to be successful. This shares ownership between employees and their employer.
- Clarity benefits all: From using plain language in communications to sharing agendas for meetings in advance, providing detailed job responsibilities and defining project deadlines – clarity in processes and expectations will help support your neurodiverse talent and benefit all in the workplace.
- Visibility is essential: For employees and new hires to feel welcome within your organization, they need to feel confident they will be accepted. Offer accommodations starting with the interview and new hire processes and externally highlight your neuroinclusive practices as well as your neuroinclusive talent.
A full transcript of the above video clip is available below. The Weber Shandwick Collective, Current Global and IPG are proud corporate partners of Disability:IN and The Weber Shandwick Collective and Current Global are also part of Disability:IN’s CMO & CCO Coalition.
Dr. Jen Hartstein: So Peter used a really important word that he and I have been leaning into in Mental Capital, which is the idea that neurodiversity is kind of the diversity of all diversities. It doesn’t discriminate. You can be in all sorts of different categories and be neurodiverse. And so what we want to help companies think about is how to be neuroinclusive. Because when we are neuroinclusive, everyone benefits and we look at what the needs are of a neurodiverse individual and how can that translate across the board? Because a change for one might really be a change for all.
Dr. Jen Hartstein: We have to shift out of this idea of an “us versus them” – very medical model thing that we’ve all grown up with. Hello. What are we missing when we do that? We’re missing out on all of this amazing nuance. So we are aiming to help companies talk about how to lean into the idea that difference is good. And maybe a noise canceling headphone is just something you give to somebody regardless of diagnosis, but if it’s going to help them be more productive, more engaged, and you retain that great employee, what’s the harm?
Peter Shankman: So sometimes you have to understand how your workforce works, and they’re not all going to work the same. Neurodiversity in all of its forms contributes to an innovation, creativity and problem solving environment that is, every single study has shown, higher and more functioning than a non-neurodiverse workplace.
Dr. Jen Hartstein: Groupthink is a psychological term where we all kind of start to think alike, act alike, do the same things, and then there is no creativity. Whereas if we have different cognitive styles, different ideas, different groups of people coming together, groupthink gets protected a little bit. We don’t end up in that space because you’re bringing in all of these different ideas or different strengths of different people. So you’re now suddenly able to create an environment of real creativity and productivity as a result.
Dr. Jen Hartstein: And so these are the struggles that we have been finding in businesses is how do we communicate with people who think differently than we do? How do we create the best bridge in that space within the people that we’re working with, and how do we create, and I think thirdly and most importantly, how is it a safe space for people who maybe have been concerned about sharing their neurodiverse status or their own cognitive styles? How do we make it a safe space so they can come and say, hey, you and I don’t do this the same way, but that doesn’t mean one of us is better or worse than the other, because historically, environments are neurotypically focused.
Peter Shankman: And that’s the biggest key, as always, in almost anything in life, it comes down to communication. The premise that if you can’t explain or be heard, which is even more important, if the management or executive teams that you report to don’t have the ability to understand why you are the way you are, that causes issues as well.
Peter Shankman: But one of the things that we have really focused on with our clients is teaching companies how to listen and how to engage listen, so that when someone says, you know, instead of saying “why can’t you get this right?” it becomes a conversation about what can we do differently as a company to help you get this right.
Dr. Jen Hartstein: Then we stop and we think about, okay, how do we take people who think differently than I do, and how do I learn about them? How do I incorporate them into my workspace? How do I see what strengths they bring that maybe fill gaps that I don’t have? And how do I use that creativity to even build bridges, create bigger opportunities, think about all of that stuff and be available to it? And how do I promote the best and most effective work environment? Because we know every bit of research shows us happier employees are more productive employees, happier employees stay at companies longer and happier employees want to produce, right?
Peter Shankman: So it starts with being able to understand that people are different and their differences are not necessarily wrong. Their differences can be incredibly beneficial to the company, to the division, to the branch, whatever, if we embrace them, if we understand them, and if we give the employees some leeway to say, I work better this way, but my productivity is going to be higher than you’ve ever seen.
Peter Shankman: So it has to come down from top, and it has to be explained back up to top so they get it. And that’s key for anything sort of in that world, whether it’s DEI, creating a neurodiverse workplace, whatever. And I think that this is a perfect time to move into the fact that diverse cognitive perspectives, I might see something because of the way my brain works, entirely different the rest of the team working on that project, but how those can enhance those solutions and innovation. We’ve touched on it, but it is truly amazing what can happen when you allow someone who doesn’t see the same thing as everyone else into that conversation.