As society struggles to atone for transgressions related to slavery and employs strategies to dismantle structural inequities and systemic racism, it is not surprising that efforts may inadvertently focus on the most visible diversity variables, such as race, gender, and ethnicity. However, the full spectrum of human differences must be considered in society's aspiration to create a space where everyone can experience belonging, thrive, and achieve their full potential. In my work as a consultant, working with organizations to leverage the total capacity of exceptional talents found in diverse teams, neurodiversity is often left out of the conversation, despite data suggesting that 15% to 20% of society is neurodivergent.1,2
WHAT IS NEURODIVERSITY
Driven by genetic and environmental factors, neurodiversity is variation in the human experience of the world. The term acknowledges the variability of perceptive and cognitive abilities that marks the human singularity of each person.3 Neurodivergent conditions, including dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, are highly represented, for example, in STEM fields.4 The term "neurodiversity" was coined in the '90s and first used by Judy Singer, an Australian Sociologist, in a chapter of her thesis "Why Can't You Be Normal for Once in Your Life."5 Singer, an autistic self-advocate, asserted that neurodiversity represents a new category among minority groups such as class, gender, and race given that the essential characteristic of autism is "being neurologically different."6,7 The literature now uses terms such as neurodiversity, neuroatypical, neurodivergent, neuro minority, and neurodivergence interchangeably. Scholars posit that the representation of neurodivergent individuals in society is on the rise and is critical to the human species' survival, just like biodiversity is to the planet.1,7
VALUING NEURODIVERSITY
We are all different, and being different is okay. Differences are not deficiencies. Given that the human brain has 86 billion neurons, in addition to genetic variables and environmental conditions, humans are bound to be unequivocally unique.7 With more than 20% of neurodivergent individuals in society, organizations should more closely consider the possibility of a similar representation in their workforce. Involving these individuals in the workforce is social justice and a strategic imperative. Contemporary organizations can leverage the unique talents of neurodivergent individuals, rendering their shortcomings irrelevant. Scholars suggest that while neurodivergent individuals may experience more difficulty adapting to traditional work settings, they possess unique strengths that can improve productivity, quality, innovation, and engagement.8,9 Indeed, moving beyond seeing neurotypical as the "normal" or the "standard" employee and valuing the unique talents of a neurodiverse workforce can create new possibilities that solve problems and drive innovations and higher performance. Yielding the benefits of a neurodivergent workforce requires resource allocation targeted to create an inclusive environment that accommodates the unique needs of neurodivergent workers.
INCLUSIVITY FOR THE NEURODIVERGENT EMPLOYEE
Austin and Pisano9 underscored the benefits of creating an inclusive workplace that leverages the talents of neurodiverse members of society. They assert that while the management of neurodiverse workers may be more complex, the payoff is considerably higher. They identified 7 organizational elements to facilitate productivity gains, quality improvements, acceleration of innovative capabilities, and enhanced engagement due to employing a neurodiverse workforce. The 7 elements are:
1. Collaborate with social experts. Team up with public and private sector organizations with experience in working with neurodiverse individuals to increase awareness and knowledge of reconfigurations that might be needed in the workplace.
2. Create a nonstereotyped recruitment process. Rethink recruitment and utilize a nonstereotyped inclusive process to avoid knocking out potential innovators and quality applicants because they do not fit the mold. Use a process that allows for recruiting neurodiverse talents.
3. Educate and empower organizational leaders. Educate leaders, managers, and workers to be sensitive and accommodating to the unique needs of neurodivergent colleagues.
4. Design a customized supervision ecosystem. Neurodiverse workers will benefit from receiving support in their work and social environment. A helpful strategy is to create a double-loop support, one for the workplace (buddies) and the other for personal life (job and life skill coaching).
5. Outline specification for growth. Like everyone else, neurodiverse individuals want to grow with the organization. Organizations should design career management methods adaptable to individuals, which must differ from addressing merely unsatisfactory performance. The key is to place individuals in a context that maximizes their growth and contributions.
6. Scale the program. After initiating a successful program of neurodiversity inclusion in any organizational unit, the leadership should work to expand the program to other areas.
7. Mainstream the program. Integrating processes and procedures for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining neurodiverse employees into the organizational fabric promotes mainstreaming, where these individuals may not necessarily be viewed as "weird, oddballs" but rather as essential components of the organization's success and bottom line.
CONCLUSION
Neurodivergent individuals are increasing in society, and without concrete efforts to leverage their talents, society will not reap the opportunity to benefit from their contributions. Neurodivergent individuals have made transformative contributions to society. For example, Albert Einstein, a physicist, and Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, had dyslexia; Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Shakespeare had attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders tend to be punctual, resolute, and loyal employees, easily adaptable, more likely to achieve higher scores in mathematical computation, and exhibit exceptional musical intelligence. Neurodiverse individuals experience the world differently, and their social skills and relationship development differ from what society views as standard attributes of a potentially good employee. Characteristics such as people skills, English fluency, practical communication skills, extroverted disposition, good eye contact, emotional intelligence, and networking and persuasion skills are sought-after characteristics targeted by human resource personnel in the hiring process, which systematically eliminates neurodivergent members of society. Social justice and a strategic business case exist for organizations to source and intentionally recruit and retain the neurodivergent workforce. The bottom line is that we are all differently abled, and everyone has something valuable to contribute!
The neurodiverse population remains an untapped talent pool. If we work to increase their representation in the workforce, everyone will significantly benefit, and we can create new models of inclusive prosperity. It is worth asking: Are you leveraging your organization's neurodiversity? Are you ready to leverage the unique talents of neurodiverse members of your workplace and see their differences as positive challenges? Diversity is one true thing we all have in common; let's celebrate it every day and remember, A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats!
REFERENCES