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Neurodivergent people are more likely to be unemployed than any other disabled people. W e estimate 20% of people worldwide are neurodivergent and a massive 30-40% of those people are unemployed. For autistic people, the stats are even more depressing, with just 29% of autistic people in any kind of work. Very few workplaces offer neurodiversity training for HR, and we believe this kind of training is essential.

At Adjust, we’re passionate about getting neurodivergent people who want to work into the workplace. As well as helping businesses to keep them there. We support organisations through every step of their employment journey. Firstly through recruitment all the way through to any issues they may encounter at work.

To help update your hiring practices and retain more neurodivergent employees, we offer neurodiversity training for HR. Just reach out to Adjust today and we can figure out how we can support you. In the meantime, here’s our guide for HR professionals who want to support neurodivergent employees.

Inclusive job postings

If your workplace has already had neurodiversity training for HR, you should make this immediately clear in your job postings. You should explain in the listing that your workplace is neuroinclusive and what that means to you. Do you offer flexible hours? Alternative modes of communication? Quiet spaces? Say all of that, and make it clear that applicants are not only welcome but will be supported. The application process itself should be clear, simple, and flexible. Avoid rigid requirements like consistent previous employment. There are all kinds of reasons why a person might have been out of work, especially if they’re disabled. All that matters is that they’re looking for work now.

Structured yet flexible interviews 

If a neurodivergent person has applied and been offered an interview, they are likely very stressed about the process. Interviews are a key barrier for neurodivergent applicants. For example autistic applicants may be concerned about being judged on non-verbal communication . Applicants with ADHD may have been previously judged on seeming visibly distracted. Make it clear ahead of the interview that you are willing to accommodate someone’s needs. You can make pro-active adjustments like releasing interview questions in advance to all candidates,. As well as asking what adjustments a candidate needs. The interview should be exactly what you’ve told someone it’s going to be. Don’t spring unexpected tasks or questions on people, even if you think they’re fun!

Transparent hiring process

The hiring process can be long, drawn out, and very stressful–for anyone. If you haven’t yet had workplace neurodiversity training for HR, you might not realise how difficult it is to be unsure of the recruitment process. You should have set dates for interviews and when they’re going to hear back about decisions made. You can remove some of the stress and anxiety for neurodivergent candidates by making the hiring process clear and transparent. Particularly an autistic candidate who struggles with uncertainty. Actually this is best practice for all candidates regardless of neurodiversity.

Support throughout employment

So you’ve hired a neurodivergent person–lucky you! Your workplace is going to be more diverse, productive and creative as a result. Hopefully, your hiring processes were smooth and onboarding was a pleasant experience for them. However, their need for support doesn’t end the day they get their contract. Support from HR is essential to retain a neurodivergent staff member and stop them from burning out. If they have that, they may stay with you for many years to come. You should get neurodiversity training for HR that enables HR to work with neurodivergent employees to the best of their ability. This training gives HR an understanding of exactly what neurodivergent candidates need and how it can be implemented.

Handling issues in the workplace

Anyone could have a difficulty in the workplace at any time – not just neurodivergent people. There can be an extra level of distress or diminished self-esteem if a neurodivergent person is struggling in the workplace. It is important to be mindful of neurodiversity in all HR processes. You can maintain performance standards by putting in adjustments and neuroinclusive policies. The key things to remember are transparency, care and privacy.. You should be upfront about what you can offer and how the workplace plans to better serve them in future. 

To learn more about Neurodiversity why not contact us to start your Neurodiversity conversation today.