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Published in Winter 2024
Most of us want to build and work for organizations that value diversity and inclusion — places that celebrate our differences and enable us to achieve our best work because we feel empowered to bring our entire selves to work. One area gaining more recent traction is improving the workplace experience for neurodivergent individuals, who make up about 10-20% of the global population.
Building an Inclusive Workplace
Making sure that people have what they need to be successful at work should be considered good management, not an accommodation.
The reality? We all fall between some level of neurodivergent. As neurodivergent activist and speaker Ellie Middleton explains, “All of us have different brains that work in different ways, and neurodiversity refers to all of the unique and different ways in which people can exist, think, process, feel, and act. There are neurotypical people, whose functioning falls within societal standards and “‘norms,”’ and those whose functioning falls outside of those norms.” This includes individuals with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, and autism.
No two individuals are exactly alike — neurodivergent or not. The opportunity is to tap into the unique skills and talents every person brings to the workplace.
Let’s examine how virtual skills development can fit into a more equitable and accessible learning and development (L&D) strategy that sets neurodiverse employees up for success.
The Holistic Approach That Looks at the Individual
A holistic approach to onboarding, career development, upskilling and reskilling is needed to build a truly accepting and supportive workplace. That’s where various virtual skill development options can make a clear difference, providing a personal yet scalable way of getting everyone on the same page.
Ideally, everyone has a career plan and development options tailored to their unique needs, goals, aspirations and interests. For neurodiverse employees, a tailored plan is essential to their long-term success and engagement. If they have everything mapped out clearly to them from the start, including career opportunities, skills they need to build and associated learning resources, they can see the big picture and a path to success. Some neurodivergent individuals feel overwhelmed when only provided with piecemeal information.
Providing Clear Goals and Celebrating Successes
Clarity is critical, with success metrics communicated with specific expectations and timing. In a virtual learning plan, this level of detail can help employees keep track of their manager’s deadlines and goals. This is especially helpful when they are starting a new job.
Virtual skills training can also include tailored assessments that allow employees to showcase their skills without having to describe or “prove” them verbally. They can choose how to demonstrate their skills, for example, using a simulation, filming a video or completing an assignment. This gives validation to both managers and employees, with greater confidence that the individual can apply their skills to the job.
Many neurodivergent employees find it difficult to know if they are succeeding in a role and if their manager is satisfied with their performance. Candidly, this isn’t just an experience for neurodiverse people — many workers don’t get regular insights or guidance. So, alongside regular feedback sessions, providing skills training can demonstrate progression through badging, completed assessments, certificates and more. It can contribute to a sense of achievement and pride as they move higher up a skill’s mastery level.
Improving Access to Training
Of course, because virtual skills training is delivered anywhere with an internet connection, it gives individuals the freedom to choose where and how to engage with it. This allows someone to select the time, place and pace best suited to their needs, ultimately getting the best results from them.
Hands-on learning opportunities can further broaden access for people who prefer practical elements in their skill-building. In a way, that’s true for everyone since you cannot effectively master a skill without applying it — we wouldn’t let a learner driver get a full license without a practical test, nor allow a surgeon to operate without hours of hands-on training. Still, for those who struggle with writing or reading, offering virtual hands-on learning in the form of experiences and performance-based learning experiences can be precisely what they need to keep pace with changing business needs.
Building the Right Skills
No two people are the same, which means they require different types of support to be successful. The kind of skills that neurodivergent individuals might need to work on will differ, too. Of course, every employee has their strengths and areas for improvement. Yet, some neurodiverse candidates may feel they’ll benefit from dedicated communications and social skills training that will help them navigate workplace etiquette.
At SAP, for example, a “soft skills” module proved popular with neurodiverse candidates who had never worked in a professional environment. Such skills are not taught effectively through theoretical knowledge alone. Individuals will need opportunities to practice their skills in a safe environment, whether this is via an online peer learning group or a simulated experience. Indeed, some early research into the use of mixed and virtual reality is showing positive results for teaching communication and social interaction skills to children with autism.
Train Your Managers, Too
Providing training to employees is only half of the equation. Training managers to provide inclusive team environments is essential if you want your employees to thrive and remain. Managers leading by example is a crucial step — they must build a psychologically safe environment to support the growth of employees. Inclusivity training offers some basic skills, like how to create a culture of safety, celebrate individual differences and advocate for others. More specific neurodiverse training can include communicating clearly, setting detailed goals, providing constructive feedback and coaching. These skills will require a practical element to learn through a live, hands-on challenge or online assignment, for instance.
Small Changes, Big Impact
Making small changes to your existing workforce practices and learning strategy can make a world of difference to neurodiverse individuals. The solutions you put in place to cater to the unique needs of neurodivergent professionals can spill over to your entire culture, creating the kind of safe, inclusive workplace that suits people from all walks of life.