Neurodiversity in the Workplace: a Fad or a Fact?

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Roma Kończak, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated: January 10, 2025

Reviewed by:

Paulina Krolikowska-Baum

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When estimates say that up to 20% of the world’s population may feature some type of neurodivergence, many questions arise, and some of them concern the work life. Can a neurodivergent person be a good employee? Should an employer know if their employees are neurodivergent? Can you do anything to support neurodiversity in the workplace? Let’s find out.

What Is Neurodiversity?

Let’s clarify a few terms first:

Neurodiversity is a term supporting the idea that each human brain is unique and that differences in how brains process information and how people interact in the world are normal. The word appeared for the first time in 1998 as a blend of ‘neurological’ and ‘diversity.’

In other words: there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ brain—each brain works a bit differently.

However, the neurodiversity framework assumes that certain people are neurotypical while others are neurodivergent:

Neurotypical people comprise most of the world's population and possess traits fitting into what society considers the norm. In neurotypical individuals, the core cognitive skills: verbal, visual, working memory, and processing speed, are developed equally well.
Neurodivergent people have brains that operate differently, resulting in traits perceived as outside the norm. Their core cognitive skills aren’t equally developed: for example, they may score high for working memory and processing speed but low for verbal and visual skills.

Is Neurodivergence a Disability?

Neurodivergence encompasses a variety of diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s, and others. Here’s what’s important to remember: neurodivergence is not a disability in itself. However, neurodivergent individuals may possess certain traits that cause severe difficulties in everyday life, and that’s why the ADA law applies to them, too.

If that’s confusing, here’s an example: I’m a neurodivergent person with an ADHD diagnosis. I struggle with focus and task prioritization, but I’ve never had major issues keeping work-related deadlines. I’m able to work a full-time job, and I don’t consider myself disabled.

However, data shows that employees with ADHD are 30% more likely to experience chronic unemployment and 60% more likely to get fired. The severity of ADHD-related symptoms is so bad for many people that they need disability protection.

What Is Neurodiversity in the Workplace, Exactly?

For a long time, neurodivergent individuals were considered undesirable at many workplaces due to certain characteristics, such as a dislike for face-to-face contact, low verbal communication skills, or motor and verbal tics. This bias didn’t prevent all neurodivergent individuals from getting jobs but rather forced the majority to mask, i.e., hide their traits to fit in with the norm and avoid discrimination.

Thankfully, years of developments in neuroscience and psychology have led to a better understanding of neurodivergence, shedding light on its positive sides. For example, research shows that individuals on the autism spectrum have a greater ability to process information than neurotypical adults.

Here are some of the common strengths and weaknesses of various neurodivergent forms:

	Strengths	Weaknesses
ADHD	Creative thinking Visual-spatial reasoning Hyperfocus Passion Courage	Time management Attention Self-regulation Teamwork Prone to injuries, absence, and mental health issues
Autism	Memory Various individual skills such as reading, drawing, music, computation Innovative thinking Detail observation	Time management Multitasking Interpersonal skills Communication Lack of flexibility
DCD	Verbal comprehension	Motor skills Processing speed Working memory
Dyslexia	Entrepreneurialism Creativity Cognitive control Visual reasoning Visual-spatial skills Storytelling	Literacy Organizational skills Workplace participation Social skills

The table above focuses just on four forms of neurodivergence, but it offers a clear message: while each neurodivergent individual has certain weaknesses, they also possess valuable work-related strengths. Supporting neurodiversity in the workplace can significantly decrease the severity of negative traits and boost the effectiveness of positive ones.

Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace Can Be Easy

Workplaces vary greatly. Designing an inclusive office space is much easier than a construction site or factory floor. However, even small adjustments matter. These accommodations may not only make the lives of neurodivergent workers easier, but they can also benefit everyone else.

Here’s what employers can do to support neurodiversity in the workplace:

1. Use Clear Communication

You may think that sending out a company newsletter twice a month ticks this box. But clear communication is something else: it’s sharing messages that use simple language and can be easily understood by everyone, no matter their cultural background, education level, or language proficiency. It’s using language free of unnecessary jargon, filler words, and metaphors.

For example, a manager may tell their employees: “Let’s get our ducks in a row so we can reach this North Star” and have them scratching their heads in wonder. A simple: “Let’s get all the parts of the projects organized so we can reach the goal on time” would be much more effective.

2. Offer Workplace Accommodations

Many company owners dread this tip, thinking it will cost them a lot of money. Yes, some of these solutions require investments in equipment and office space, but if they can help improve employee productivity and retention, that’s money well spent.

Here are some common ideas for accommodations that can help neurodivergent employees feel more comfortable while working:

Let employees choose their desk location: some find artificial lighting too strong, and others may prefer a desk in a quiet corner. Have more desks available than employees to respect everyone’s preferences.
Provide noise-canceling headphones: they’re invaluable, especially in open-space layouts, production facilities, etc.
Arrange quiet hours in the office with no interruptions.
Allow work from home: if your employees work at computers for the majority of the time, there’s no real reason why they couldn’t do it remotely.
Let employees choose their work hours when possible.
Move away from large open-space and cubicle office layouts: they’re loud and very distracting.
Ask employees what could be done to help them work more efficiently: send out surveys or tell managers to collect feedback.
Make sure that all employees know that they can request accommodations and make the request process as easy as possible: don’t offer accommodations only for individuals with an official neurodivergent diagnosis.

3. Change Hiring Practices

Hiring processes too often rely on the applicant’s confidence instead of competence. A classic job interview can be discriminatory towards applicants with low-level communication skills—and because of that, companies may miss opportunities to hire talented people.

Let’s say your company needs to hire a researcher. What matters more: their subject knowledge and research skills or ability to answer job interview questions flawlessly?

Here’s what you can do to make hiring practices more inclusive:

Remove unnecessary requirements from job ads: for example, if the position doesn’t require direct verbal communication with customers, don’t ask for ‘excellent verbal communication skills.’
Use plain language devoid of jargon and metaphorical language in job postings.
Don’t use detailed online application forms that require candidates to copy-paste every line of their resume: they’re discriminatory toward individuals with motor skills impairments.
Apply objective criteria to evaluate candidates’ competence: ask subject-specific questions or use tests to check for professional knowledge rather than ask generalized questions such as “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Let the applicant choose the preferred interview method: there’s a variety of ways available, so let the applicant choose if they prefer an in-person, online, or phone interview.
Train the hiring managers to understand neurodivergence: it will help them to evaluate applicants’ competence without bias.

4. Provide Employee Training on Neurodiversity

Companies are made of people. You can introduce different kinds of policies, but if the employees don’t understand neurodiversity, they may stick to discriminatory practices instead of embracing inclusive ones.

Here’s what you can do:

Invite experts: there’s a plethora of organizations supporting neurodivergent people, as well as neurodiversity consultants who will happily organize training or a Q&A session to provide insight on the subject.
Train managers: providing training on neurodivergent needs and struggles will help managers understand individual problems that their workers may face, as well as offer ways to mitigate these issues.
Send out newsletters: if there’s already a company newsletter in place, use it to share some facts on neurodiversity as well as announce available workplace accommodations.
Educate all employees on disability etiquette: misconceptions about neurodivergence are prevalent. Employee training can help to improve understanding and reduce negative bias against neurodivergent people.

5. Don’t Make a Show Out of It

Sometimes good intentions may lead to benevolent discrimination. Let’s say you hired a person with Tourette’s. When you introduce them to the team, you may feel tempted to say something like: “Be nice to Judy, she has a very difficult life due to her disability!” It might be true—but it’s also patronizing. Good intentions can’t be an excuse for discrimination.

Here are some tips to follow:

Avoid positive discrimination in job ads: saying “We’re looking for autistic people for our engineering team” will, most likely, lead to negative outcomes for your business.
Never ask to disclose information on neurodivergence: don’t encourage anyone to publicly or privately admit they’re neurodivergent. If they want to share this information, they will do it when they feel comfortable.
Respect privacy: for example, when your employee said they won’t attend a team building party because they have social anxiety, don’t share this reason with others.
Don’t reinforce stereotypes: for example, don’t discuss with other workers whether a new employee has ADHD because they keep losing their key card.
Don’t suggest a diagnosis: while it’s true that many neurodivergent people aren’t officially diagnosed, telling someone to seek a diagnosis can lead to serious negative outcomes.

Summary

Yes, neurodiversity in the workplace is a complex topic. Here’s a summary of the main points I made in this article:

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in how human brains function, encompassing both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals.
Neurodivergence includes conditions like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and others. While not disabilities themselves, they can cause challenges that may require accommodations under the ADA.
Neurodivergent individuals possess both strengths (e.g., creative thinking, detail observation) and weaknesses (e.g., time management, social skills), contributing uniquely to workplace environments.
Supporting neurodiversity in the workplace involves clear communication, offering workplace accommodations, and revising hiring practices to ensure inclusivity.
Employee training on neurodiversity and promoting a culture of understanding can reduce bias and promote a more inclusive environment.
Employers should avoid singling out or patronizing neurodivergent employees, ensuring privacy and avoiding benevolent discrimination.

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