Are you still relying on accommodations? Here is why 2025 is the year to make your business truly neuroinclusive.

Let’s start by saying, there will always be a need for accommodations. We are all human with different needs & with that comes the need to make accommodations. However, if you are still relying on accommodations rather than reassessing why, you may be falling into a large percentage of organisations that need to take a look into what isn’t working and why.

Around 15% of people in the UK are neurodivergent (and that is only expected to rise as awareness grows).  So whether you know it or not, you work with, have worked with, or will work with a neurodivergent person. After spending the last few years delivering our workplace training & consultancy we can safely say we have had a lot of conversations about employees or managers that have been described as ‘difficult’. But we think it is time to dive a bit deeper and really ask ourselves, why are these people deemed difficult?

We feel quite funny about describing anyone as ‘neurotypical’ as we dont truly believe there is a typical ‘person’. However there is a typical in the way that we are socialised, the way we are expected to act ‘professionally’ and the typical expectations that we are expected to adhere to.

I won’t bore you too long with my personal story, it is however relevant to this conversation so indulge me a few minutes… Before i knew i was neurodivergent, i managed to successfully carve myself out a design & strategy career, despite having to drop out of university because of not knowing i was adhd & autistic (this makes it very difficult to access the support you think you need).

I often found myself reaching a point several years into a role where i just couldn’t keep up with my peers & neither me or my employers understood why. I have had a varied experience when it comes to workplaces, some were way more lenient and supportive than others. But what it always came down to was a lack of awareness of what was really needed & a lack of awareness of neurodiversity in general. I have always struggled to say openly that i am good at what i do, but i have finally reached a place where i have the confidence to say, i am in fact very good at what i do. However, what i struggled with was always the culture & process, and more specifically the expectations around these things.

So let’s jump into what could make ‘traditional workplaces’ difficult for neurodivergent employees.

Before you even manage to land a role, the hiring process can be extremely challenging, with a plethora of vague job descriptions, excessive jargon, fixed interviewing styles & a minefield of inaccessible processes. It often feels like as neurodivergent person, these processes are designed to weed us out.

If we to get to interview stage (and this comes from our 150k community) the interview process is often so ‘riddled’ with ‘unclear questions’ & ‘outdated tactics’ that it often feels like the whole recruitment process requires neurodivergent people to mask to even stand a chance.

Then if you are successfully recruited, so many neurodivergent people are expected to integrate into a team where they don’t always feel comfortable unmasking (in our experience they tend to find another existing employee that feels the same) but you can start to see here how that isn’t great for culture right?

This is often where accommodations start to be asked for (and that’s even if someone feels comfortable to). If not then thats where we see employee retention dipping… usually citing that its not a good fit…

But what if we started forward thinking when it comes to neuroinclusivity?

One of the first talks we ever gave was for Plymouth College of Art, with the wonderful Tim where we had a eye opening discussion about universal design & how actually starting from the top down (if you are autistic you will already appreciate this kind of thinking) is actually key to creating an organisation and culture that works for everyone.

Accommodations can be costly, time intensive & create a sense of othering, which isn’t ideal for building an inclusive culture that works for everyone. Like we have said above, there will always be a need to accommodations, however we truly think generally speaking when it comes to neurodiversity, we could all be making changes that negate for alot of these time & energy intensive processes.

So what are the benefits of embracing neurodiversity in 2025?

• We dont all think the same, but that also means we dont all work the same, we require different environments, different ways of communicating, but the benefit? Innovative ways of thinking and problem-solving. If you aren’t considering different way of thinking you are missing out different solutions.

Diverse perspectives fuel innovation. Neurodiverse employees often approach problems differently, leading to creative solutions that might be overlooked by neurotypical colleagues. Inclusion of neurodiverse talent means companies can enhance problem-solving capabilities but also drive significant innovations. - https://n-attc.co.uk/neurodiversity-in-your-business-why-inclusion-makes-economic-sense/

• Let’s talk about employee retention, like we briefly mentioned above, accommodations have their place, but if you are relying on accommodations, chances are people have already been struggling alot before they even thought to reach out to ask for accommodations.

Companies benefit from cost savings because of the reduced turnover and lower recruitment expenses. A neuroinclusive workplace also often results in fewer sick days and higher overall productivity, further contributing to the bottom line. Beyond direct financial gains, being known as an inclusive employer enhances a company’s reputation, making it more attractive to top talent and positively influencing consumer perceptions. -

https://n-attc.co.uk/neurodiversity-in-your-business-why-inclusion-makes-economic-

• You likely already have neurodivergent employees. If you want your business & your employees to succeed, then why wouldnt you build an environment where you can support your employees to do just that? Plus a neuroinclusive workplace fosters a culture of acceptance, respect, and understanding, promoting employee well-being and engagement.

• If your hiring processes aren’t neuroinclusive then it’s likely you are missing a large amount of people. There are many ways that the hiring process is inaccessible & not inclusive. By learning how to make the process neuroinclusive you will not only attract a wider talent pool, but you will be opening up your business to new opportunities & ways of thinking that can benefit everyone.

As an overview, lets recap on the reasons why neuroinclusion needs to be part of your 2025 strategy:

• Enhanced creativity: Neurodiverse individuals offer unique viewpoints and problem-solving methods, leading to innovative ideas.

• Better problem-solving: They often excel in tasks needing attention to detail and pattern recognition, improving efficiency.

• Higher productivity: With proper support, neurodiverse employees can be very focused and productive, often exceeding goals.

• Better company culture: A neuroinclusive workplace promotes acceptance and respect, enhancing employee well-being.

• Positive brand image: Supporting neurodiversity shows a commitment to diversity and inclusion, attracting talent and customers.

• Lower turnover costs: Satisfied neurodiverse employees tend to stay longer, cutting recruitment expenses.

A neuroinclusive business benefits everyone by fostering innovation, productivity, and a more fulfilling workplace.

Get in touch ahead of next year for our consultancy, training or our brand new course launching January 2025.