An organization's employees are its biggest competitive advantage. Performance gains can be achieved through cost saving, process improvement or technology adoption, but the biggest difference is made by people. This means that recruiting, engaging and retaining the very best talent has never been more important.
Crucially, these employees should be a diverse group of people with different approaches, skills and strengths in problem-solving and driving innovation. As well as focusing on gender, race, age and class, it is critical that businesses also develop a neurodiverse workforce if they are committed to outperforming the competition and achieving sustainable business growth.
Neurodiversity at Work is a practical guide that explains what neurodiversity is, why it's important and what the benefits are. It covers how to attract, recruit and engage neurodiverse talent and provides guidance on how to adapt HR policies, processes and workplaces to ensure that all employees, including the 2 in 10 employees in the UK who are neurodiverse, can reach their full potential.
Neurodiversity at Work is packed full of case studies from leading organizations like Microsoft who are already seeing the productivity, performance and financial benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace. Individuals in these companies are also experiencing benefits in their working environments. Also featured are interviews with prominent figures in the neurodiversity community and people who have successfully adapted their HR processes for neurodiversity, including members of the ND@IBM Program and the Head of People and Culture at Autotrader. With tips, advice, examples and 'how to' actions in every chapter, this is essential reading for every HR professional.
Author(s): Theo Smith and Amanda Kirby
Publisher: Kogan Page Limited
Year: 2021
Language: English
Tags: DEI,Neurodiversity,Human Resources
Praise For Neurodiversity at Work
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
About the Authors
Theo Smith
Professor Amanda Kirby
Preface
Why have we created this book?
Who is it for?
Introduction
We are all neurodiverse
Reducing stigma makes a real difference
Notes
01 Why neurodiversity is important
Introduction
Why do we exclude some people from the conversation?
Why should employers be more neuro-inclusive?
Developing creative and innovative solutions and having more effective neuro-complementary teams
What neurodiversity as a concept means to different people
Notes
02 Labels: what do they mean?
Introduction
Getting the words right or wrong
What is neurodiversity?
Why do we like labels?
Changing perceptions
Changing labels over time
So… is it a good thing or not to have a label?
Notes
Further reading
03 Categories and spiky profiles
Introduction
Categories
Spiky profiles
MAD abilities
Time for change; time to change
Notes
04 Eliminating kryptonite and enabling superheroes
Introduction
Eliminating kryptonite
Enabling superheroes
Note
05 Pre-employment: the lost demographics
Introduction
Why do some people miss out on getting support and where have they been?
Who else gets missed in school and what’s the potential fall-out for some?
What can we do to change this?
What about universities?
Some concluding thoughts
Notes
06 Policies and procedures
Introduction
Putting in the policies and procedures
What’s the key legislation?
Putting something in place
Performance appraisals
How confident are you of your knowledge relating to neurodiversity and the actions you would take?
Notes
07 How can employers attract neurodiverse talent in recruitment?
Introduction
Bidirectional communication strategy
One of the simplest things you can start doing today!
General recruitment guidelines
Notes
Further reading
08 Apprenticeships, internships, work placements and hiring schemes
Introduction
What to consider if setting up a neurodiversity placement or internship scheme
Considering your selection process
Onboarding – making the first day a good one
In the placement
Note
09 Interviews and assessments
Introduction
Who is the perfect candidate?
Hiring diverse talent
Assessments and skill tests
The future of assessments
How ‘game based’ assessments are widening the talent pool
Notes
10 Making workplace adjustments
Introduction
What are workplace adjustments?
Taking a person-centred approach
Generic principles
Notes
11 Induction and onboarding
Introduction
Induction
Notes
12 Line management means having good conversations
Introduction
So where do we start in having a conversation and how do we get it right?
Notes
13 Everyday meetings, conferences and seminars
Introduction
Conferences
Meetings
Notes
14 Champions, staff networks and communities
Introduction
Taking an all-inclusive approach
How do we succeed in being an inclusive workplace?
Setting up networks
Building and engaging with communities
Notes
Further reading
15 Future workspaces and workplaces
Introduction: So what is the future for workplaces?
Inclusive environments and accessibility
Big new world is not all about big business
Jack of some trades and not master of all
Notes
16 Next Steps! Inclusion, equity and diversity = belonging
Introduction
Nancy Doyle
Atif Choudhury
Alan Kriss
Paul Sesay
What have we learned?
Notes
Appendix
What is ADHD?
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder or Condition?
What is dyslexia?
What is dyscalculia?
What is developmental coordination disorder?
What is developmental language disorder?
What are Tourette’s syndrome (TS) and Tic disorders?
Notes
Glossary
Index
