An inclusive workplace isn’t a tick-box exercise. Done properly, it is one of the most practical ways to attract and keep good people, and neurodivergent employees, including people who are autistic, ADHD, dyslexic or dyspraxic, are a big part of that talent pool. Yet many workplaces still lack the systems and awareness to support them well.
The good news is that the changes that make the most difference are rarely complicated. Here are five practical steps employers can take, starting this month.
1. Offer flexible working
Traditional working patterns create barriers for many neurodivergent people. Rigid hours, a long commute and a noisy office all use up energy before the real work starts. Flexible options such as remote working, variable hours or access to quieter spaces can make a real difference to productivity and wellbeing.
Flexibility lets people work with their own patterns rather than against them, whether that means avoiding peak-time distractions, making the most of periods of deep focus or taking short breaks to recharge. It also signals trust, which matters as much as the arrangement itself.
2. Communicate clearly and set clear expectations
Vague instructions cause a lot of avoidable stress. Many neurodivergent people do their best work with clear, specific instructions and tasks broken into manageable steps. Put the important things in writing, say what “good” looks like, and give deadlines as dates rather than “soon”.
This matters for employment as well as wellbeing. According to the Office for National Statistics, only around one in five disabled people whose main impairment is autism were in work in 2020, compared with just over half of all disabled people. Many of the barriers behind that figure are about how workplaces communicate and recruit, and simple changes such as written task lists, step-by-step guides or visual planners can help. A working styles guide is an easy way for each person to share how they like to receive information.
3. Train everyone, not just managers
Inclusion is a team effort. Training helps colleagues understand how neurodivergent people think and work, clears up common misconceptions and makes it easier for people to talk openly about what they need. The CIPD’s research on neuroinclusion at work compares the experiences of neurodivergent and neurotypical employees and sets out principles for building a neuroinclusive organisation, and awareness across the whole workforce is central to it.
A short, whole-organisation session such as Neurodiversity 101 gives everyone a shared starting point, and our overview of neurodiversity in the workplace is a useful read alongside it.
4. Create low-sensory spaces
Many neurodivergent people are more sensitive to their physical environment. Loud noise, bright or flickering lights and constant interruptions can be overwhelming and make it far harder to concentrate.
Quiet zones, adjustable lighting and noise-cancelling headphones are cheap and effective. They help plenty of neurotypical colleagues too, which makes them an easy case to put to budget holders. We explain why every office needs a quiet area in a separate article.
5. Set up mentoring and peer support
A mentor gives neurodivergent employees a sounding board and someone who can speak up for them when needed. A structured programme helps people build relationships with experienced colleagues and understand the unwritten rules of the organisation.
Peer support matters as well. A well-run neurodiversity network or employee resource group gives people a place to share what works and gives the organisation honest feedback. Our workshop on becoming an effective employee resource group can help a new or stalled network get going.
Putting it together
Supporting neurodivergent employees is the right thing to do, and it pays off in productivity, retention and better decisions. None of these five steps needs a large budget. What they need is someone in the organisation who takes ownership and keeps going after the first round of changes.
How Enna can help
If you are not sure which of these steps to tackle first, our neuroinclusion maturity assessment shows where your organisation stands and where the gaps are. For individual employees, workplace needs assessments identify the specific adjustments that will help. Or book a call and we will talk through a plan that fits your organisation.
