Neurodiversity has moved from the margins of inclusion work to the centre. Acas estimates that around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, which means autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, dyspraxic and other neurodivergent people are already in every organisation, whether or not anyone has said so. For HR teams, the question is usually where to start.
This guide sets out practical steps that do not need a big budget or a full overhaul. They fall into four areas: putting neurodiversity on the agenda, building support structures, removing everyday barriers, and measuring progress.
Put neurodiversity on the agenda
Include it in your inclusion conversations
If your diversity and inclusion work still focuses only on race, gender and sexuality, widen it. Use the language of neurodiversity in internal messaging, consider it in your diversity reporting, and check that policies on adjustments and recruitment reflect neurodivergent needs. It is a small change that tells people they are part of the conversation.
Run an awareness session
A lunch-and-learn or a short workshop is one of the simplest ways to build shared understanding. Cover what neurodiversity means, the strengths and barriers people commonly experience at work, and how colleagues can help. Our Neurodiversity 101 session is designed for exactly this, and the Acas guide to neurodiversity at work is a useful free primer.
Build it into onboarding
First impressions matter. Add a short section to induction materials that says you recognise different ways of thinking and working, explains how to ask for adjustments, and points to your network or champions. It makes support feel normal from day one.
Build support structures
Set up a neurodiversity employee network
A network gives neurodivergent staff a place to connect, share experiences and shape your approach from the inside. You only need a few committed people to start. Many neurodivergent people do not see themselves as disabled and may not join a disability network, so a dedicated group often reaches people who would otherwise stay invisible.
Support the network with time to meet during working hours, a small budget and a senior sponsor. Make the invitation open to people who are undiagnosed or going through assessment, and to parents and carers. Our Becoming an Effective Employee Resource Group workshop helps new networks get established.
Appoint neurodiversity champions
Champions can come from HR, inclusion or any other team. They do not need to be experts, just people who care, listen and push for improvement. They might attend training, act as a point of contact and propose changes to processes. Recognise the role formally, even if it only takes a few hours a month, so it has weight. Our neurodiversity champions training gives them a solid grounding.
Remove everyday barriers
Make adjustments easy to ask for
Many people will not ask for an adjustment unless they know what is available and how to get it. Make sure your process is easy to find, written in plain language and clear that people do not need to prove they qualify before asking. A short internal page with examples, such as noise-cancelling headphones, flexible deadlines or written instructions, helps. Our guide to reasonable adjustments and your legal responsibilities covers the legal side.
Think about the sensory environment
Noise, lighting and smells affect how well many neurodivergent people can concentrate. Quiet zones, softer lighting or desk lamps, fewer strong-smelling cleaning products and permission to use headphones or tinted screens can all help. Many of these changes help people with migraines or anxiety too.
Review your recruitment process
Wordy adverts and interviews that reward social confidence over skill screen out capable people before they start. Offer interview questions in advance, accept written answers or portfolios, cut jargon from adverts and invite every applicant to ask for adjustments. Our guide to writing inclusive job descriptions shows what to change.
Measure what is happening
Use anonymous pulse surveys
Not everyone will disclose, especially where it does not feel safe. Anonymous surveys can still surface barriers. Ask questions such as “Do you feel the working environment supports different ways of thinking or working?”, include free-text boxes, and track themes over time.
Track adjustments data
Without recording personal details, log how many adjustments are requested, what kinds are most common and how long they take to put in place. Patterns show where you can remove barriers for everyone, and they make the business case for system-level changes rather than one-off fixes.
Add neurodivergence to your diversity data
If you already collect diversity data, add an optional question, such as “Do you identify as neurodivergent (for example ADHD, autism or dyslexia)?” Keep it voluntary and anonymised. Even a small sample helps you track representation and engagement.
Start small and build
You do not need a big programme on day one. Pick two or three actions for this year, for example adding an adjustments line to every job advert, piloting manager training, and reviewing one policy such as sickness absence or probation. Set a date to review the impact.
Once you have momentum, build neurodiversity into your wider inclusion strategy with goals for training coverage, a place in leadership development and regular reporting on adjustments. Steady, visible progress does more to win over senior leaders than a grand launch.
How Enna can help
If you are not sure where your organisation stands, our neuroinclusion maturity assessment gives you a quick benchmark and shows which steps to take first. For a deeper look at policy, process and culture, our neuroinclusion audits and consultancy give HR teams an evidence-based plan.
We also train champions, network leads and managers, so the work does not sit with HR alone. Book a call to talk about where to begin.
