How to Onboard and Retain Neurodivergent Talent
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Neurodiversity consultant and coach Mark Charlesworth writes the third post in our series on neurodiversity in which he explains how to attract and recruit neurodivergent talent. Read his first post, Closing the Neurodiversity Employment Gap and his second, How to Attract and Recruit Neurodivergent Talent here.
Onboarding a Successful Neurodivergent Candidate
The onboarding process is where the relationship begins. You’ve met a couple of times, but this is where you capitalise on the trust and confidence you have started so far. It’s easy to lose, and very difficult to get back.
Those with ADHD and those on the autistic spectrum need routine, so set out goals for the onboarding process and details of how this could be achieved.
The neurodiverse colleague will need to be shown around. They may forget who they’ve met and where they sit, so why not put up signage and print an easy-to-read orientation map so that the new colleague can be independent sooner rather than later? To help build up knowledge of new team members, you could use the game Guess Who to help identify each other.
People with ADHD, for example, may need items printed in front of them rather than on screen and will need regular breaks after 20 minutes. This break could be just standing up, walking around the table, and then starting again.
Repeat facts for emphasis and so that brain thinks the item is important and is more likely to be remembered. A refresher of the induction is recommended to help with this too, not forgetting too that there are numerous learning styles too.
It is essential that a workplace assessment is carried out to find out what adjustments are needed, but don’t leave this to guess work and ‘that’ll do’, because that could cause more harm than good. Ideally, a person who has the condition or conditions is ideally placed to carry out the assessment. They can help with disclosing the condition to the team and help them understand it, therefore avoiding potential friction.
Sadly, too many organisations leave this to chance or leave it too late and lose an employment tribunal. You wouldn’t let a plumber lead HR and you wouldn’t ask a recruitment specialist to look at the electrics, so why not get a specialist on the particular condition in question?
Retention of Neurodiverse Talent
Neurodivergent talent have a high level of intelligence and are very capable, but just need ongoing training and support. This may include a Line Manager checking in to keep up their interest on a project. If a person with ADHD thinks their Line Manager has lost interest, it is highly likely that they will too. Just a quick coffee together a couple of times per week will be enough, in most cases, to engage with each other and be open and honest, as long as you have built trust too.
Ensure that the neurodiverse person has a ‘project book’ (clear pocket display book) for each of their tasks or projects. This will give them a quick reference to each project should they need it and will mean they will have to rely much less on their working memory, which they may have difficulty with. Especially when having to trail through emails, and other documents, they will lose track when prepping for meetings.
The colleague must have a project book which has themselves as the priority. This will include training and promotion opportunities which they might put to the back of their mind and forget about whilst ploughing diligently through the tasks at hand.
Everybody has their own 100%, so when formulating the appraisal scores this should be factored in. For example, a person with dyspraxia walks slowly through the office so they don’t stumble, which means they lose e.g. 10% of their working hours over a year, they could only ever achieve 90% if you don’t adjust for their condition. Once you adjust, you realise that their 90% is in fact 100%, so should be entitled to the full reward that a great appraisal brings.
Reasonable adjustments should be discussed with everybody from the offset and with conversations you will learn from each other, and these will evolve as time progresses.
When asked on a form “do you need any reasonable adjustments”, this is in-fact the wrong question. Until they are in the role and able to experience where the interactions and difficulties are, they can’t fully know.
Not all adjustments are obvious but ensuring a workplace assessment is carried out, as well as training of colleagues to reduce friction and embarrassment, is key. This way, everybody can be part of the team, not just a productive way, but in a happy and inclusive way.
A while a neurotypical colleague who is overwhelmed with tasks will likely say they are so, a neurodiverse colleague is more likely to be a people pleaser. They may take on many different tasks and agree to unrealistic deadlines, which adds to their anxiety and leads to becoming overwhelmed. A colleague on the autistic spectrum will not realise they have become overwhelmed until they are, meaning they cannot make alterations in the build-up.
Be transparent and open and conversations will happen, trust will exist and retention improved, everybody achieving their own 100%.
To find out more about Mark’s services you can visit him on his website, call him on 07502 464481, or email him at [email protected]
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash