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

Closing the Neurodiversity Employment Gap

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Neurodiversity consultant and coach Mark Charlesworth kicks off our series on neurodiversity by explaining what neurodiversity is and the steps we need to take in order to put an end to the neurodiversity employment gap.

 

What is Neurodiversity?

The term ‘neurodiversity’ was first coined in 1998 by Judy Singer in her contribution to an academic series on disability, human rights, and society. The phrase initially referred to those on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Condition is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how a person thinks, recites, recalls, processes, learns, and retains information differently to those not on the autistic spectrum.

‘Neurodiversity’ has since branched into becoming an umbrella term for other neurodevelopmental conditions that handle information differently in the ways described, such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia.

Whilst in its purest sense, ‘neurodiversity’ means a diversity of difficulties, styles, and strengths of thinking, recalling, learning, etc., the neurodiversity ‘movement’ focuses on those who handle information differently because of a neurodevelopmental condition.

The conditions have an impact on a person’s social interaction too, but there is no correlation between a person’s intelligence and whether or not they have a neurodevelopmental condition.

 

The Neurodiversity Employment Gap

Despite, in most cases, having good to high intelligence, there is an employment rate disparity between those with the neurodiverse conditions above and their peers. Less than 20% of neurodiverse adults aged 16 to 64 are employed. The next lowest rate of employment is those with epilepsy, at 37%.

Once you know about a condition and how it affects a person in a given situation, then you are in a stronger position to help the candidate and colleague thrive in the process and become a valued member of the team.

Despite legislation and a vast array of information available in the internet age, very well-meaning recruiters and employers are not sure how to close that employment gap, or sure where to turn for help.

Because of the employment rate gap and also being personally excluded from the job market, I, like many other neurodivergents, have turned to being self-employed to help educate employers and recruiters to ensure that we can progress with equal opportunity.

 

How Can We Close the Neurodiversity Employment Gap?

Ok, so if you want to change and close that gap, where can you start?

Firstly, you should understand the basics of neurodiversity, and therefore each condition, so that you have a good grounding to make progress.

Secondly, you should keep the message and understanding of neurodiversity simple. If you complicate matters, then the message becomes confused and less likely to be acted on. Each condition affects everybody differently, so the details are theoretical and hypothetical until you actually meet a candidate with a particular condition. The candidate can then explain the detail of their needs, which you can fine-tune as you progress together.

Thirdly, you should remember that each person has a multiple number of strengths they will bring as part of their condition. To identify what they are, you will need to encourage confidence and trust so that the candidate will open up about a very personal matter. Once you have built that trust, then, and only then, is the candidate likely to open up.

Fourthly, if a person does open up about their condition, you should bear in mind that those with neurodiverse conditions very often hide and underplay their needs.

And fifthly, if a person tells you about a condition they have, then they may also have a comorbid condition, but not always. This condition may or may not have a diagnosis, and they may not know how to tell you or want to share with you part or all of their neurodiversity that makes them special.

 

Keep an eye out for the next blog in this series in which Mark explains how to attract and recruit neurodiverse talent!

 

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 Keenan Beasley on Unsplash

Chamber campaigns for employment system changes for EU nationals

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North East England Chamber of Commerce has asked Government to urgently address problems created by the points based system for employing EU nationals since Brexit. 

The challenges facing businesses are several-fold including the cost of applying to recruit someone, the salary threshold of £25,600 being too high and the time it takes due to the complexity of the process. 

Niamh Corcoran said: “Six months from us leaving the EU we are hearing worrying anecdotal evidence from our members about substantial challenges in finding the right staff.  As the economy gradually reopens and North East businesses look towards growth, it is vital that they are able to recruit the talent they need.  Our region has emerging skills shortages in key sectors like tech, pharma and hospitality. 

“Whilst many firms are working hard to grow their businesses historically the higher than average regional employment rates for EU migrants in the North East highlights that there is strong demand for international labour which the existing local working age population cannot fulfil.” 

Chamber member Ward Hadaway’s Partner Roisin Patton agrees. She said: “We have a dedicated immigration team at Ward Hadaway LLP and requests for advice on the new points-based immigration system have increased significantly since its implementation in January 2021. 

 “We have a number of clients that have experienced difficulty as a result of the new system. One client has had particular difficulty in recruiting short-term labour from Europe where the specific skill set required for a significant UK construction contract did not exist in the UK. Timings for visa applications and the language requirement caused great difficulty and the inability to recruit quickly has had an impact on a major construction project in the UK.  

“Other clients in the leisure sector have reported the effects of the new system on their recruitment. In this sector many UK businesses rely on seasonal workers from Europe which for many roles will no longer be possible as they are not at the sufficient skills level. This has come at a time of increased demand for leisure sector roles due to the increase in UK holiday bookings this year.  

“Clients are also concerned about the sponsor obligations and strict compliance rules placed upon them when they sponsor an individual under the new system. This combined with the cost and complexity of recruitment under the points-based system is already acting as a deterrent to recruiting beyond the UK. In our view this is creating an underlying risk of discrimination claims for UK employers.”  

The Chamber letter asks Government specifically to link salary thresholds to regional, not national salaries, embed flexibility into sponsorship of EU workers to allow third parties such as recruitment agencies to do it and broaden shortage occupation list to include regional skills gaps. 

To allow for fluctuations in the labour marketing the Chamber also suggests flexibility in the scheme is introduced so companies can react to changing demands from the marketplace that require additional staff. 

Chamber statement on today’s employment stats

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“Employment figures published today are encouraging for the North East, with the labour market showing strong signs of recovery. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the region now has more workers in payrolled employment than it did in February 2020, before Covid-19 had hit.

“However, labour and skills shortages are beginning to emerge, with firms in sectors like hospitality and logistics struggling to recruit the staff they need. In addition, long-term unemployment is an increasingly concerning problem in the labour market, particularly for older and younger workers,

“As the July reopening gets underway, Government should continue to increase investment in adult education so those in unemployment can rapidly retrain and upskill and ensure that jobcentres have the resources they need so that those looking for new opportunities can be fully supported into work. Not only this, but with the impacts of the immigration system beginning to bite, Government will need to assess whether the system is flexible and accessible enough for businesses to recruit the talent they need to grow and, where necessary, make urgent changes.”

Why is hospitality facing staff shortages?

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After what has been a hugely difficult eighteen months, things seem to be looking up for the hospitality industry. Lockdown is continuing to ease; pubs are rammed for the Euros and there’s no end to the demand for restaurant and bar bookings. However, the easing of Covid-19 restrictions has created new challenges for the hospitality industry.

Despite unbridled demand offering the sector a much-needed boost, skills and staff shortages in the hospitality industry threaten to dampen the sector’s recovery. Research by Hospitality UK has found that the sector has a vacancy rate of 9% which implies a shortage of 188,000 hospitality staff across the UK. These shortages are mainly concentrated in waiting, bar, and chef roles, though they also are a problem within housekeeping and management roles.

The exact cause of the shortages is unknown, though they are likely a result of the double whammy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. Before the pandemic, 30% of hospitality workers in the UK came from Europe and up to 50% of chefs are thought to have been born outside the UK. However, the pandemic, the Brexit referendum, and the implementation of the new immigration system has led to an exodus of European migrants. It is estimated that 2.3 million non-UK workers have left the UK since late 2019. However, levels of EU to UK migration have been low since the Brexit vote in 2016, meaning a significant pool of talent that businesses in the hospitality sector traditionally drew upon has been in long-term decline for half a decade.

The new points-based immigration system, which was implemented in January this year, has placed significantly more stringent restrictions on migrants entering the UK and closed the borders to so-called low skilled migrants. With many roles in the hospitality industry deemed below the skill level required for entry and the new system placing an increased financial and administrative burden on both businesses and migrants, it is no wonder that research conducted by the jobs website Indeed has found that searches from EU-based jobseekers for roles in the hospitality sector were down by 41% from levels in 2019.

Undoubtedly the pandemic has also had an impact on the ability of hospitality businesses to retain existing staff. According to research conducted by CGA and CPL Learning, confidence in the sector and its ability to offer stable and secure employment has been shaken with 42% of staff surveyed reporting they are concerned about their long-term job security. With the sector closed for a significant proportion of the past eighteen months, many staff have felt obliged to find alternative employment to protect incomes and job security. Some employers have also reported that the pandemic, and the increased time staff had to spend with friends and family, prompted some to look for alternative employment which offers more sociable working hours.

There are concerns that the sectoral instability caused by the pandemic has also reduced the number of young people or career switchers wanting to establish careers in the hospitality industry. Research shows that the pandemic has triggered a shift in perceptions about working in the sector. Although 59% of people still believe the sector offers good career prospects, this figure has fallen by a significant 15% since June 2020. Similarly, there has been a fall in the number of people who would recommend the sector to establish careers in to family and friends.

So how can people be encouraged to stay establish careers in the hospitality sector?

In the short term, with staff in short supply there will be increasing competition between businesses for talent. Undoubtedly many businesses will be reassessing their own remuneration packages and what benefits they offer staff in order to remain competitive. However, businesses have also highlighted that they are working hard to bolster staff wellbeing as we emerge from the pandemic in an effort to both support and retain employees. To tackle staff shortages and ease the shift back to work from furlough, Hall Garth Hotel in Darlington is offering enhanced employment packages, renewed training and supported transitions back into work for staff from the Job Retention Scheme.

Nevertheless, the sector is facing longer-term recruitment challenges and there is clearly work to be done to encourage new entrants to the workforce to establish a pipeline of talent which can sustain hospitality businesses in the future. Undeniably it will be more important than ever for businesses in the hospitality sector to engage with schools, colleges and universities in order to highlight the huge benefits which the sector can offer new entrants, which include a diverse range of roles, accessible entry routes and huge potential for upward progression in a growing economic sector. It will also be important for hospitality businesses struggling to find the experienced staff they may need to lay the groundwork now and offer training programmes or apprenticeships to young people to encourage them into the sector and to equip them with the skills the industry needs in the future.

Government also has an important role to play to help the hospitality sector recover from the pandemic and plug staff shortages. With unemployment high and set to rise as government support unwinds, the onus will be on jobcentres to highlight the opportunities within the hospitality sector to those who are out of work and searching for new opportunities.

However, perhaps what is the most pressing concern for employers in the hospitality sector is the impacts of restricted migration and the new points-based system. It is likely that changes will need to be made to ensure the sector can access the talent it needs. One way of doing so in the short to medium term is by expanding the number of roles on the Shortage Occupation List. In the long term, Government needs to assess the impacts of the system and could look to embed more flexibility within it to ensure that the workforce can respond to rapidly changing business needs.

Chamber comment on today’s employment statistics

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Jonathan Walker, director of policy, North East England Chamber of Commerce said: “This morning’s statistics provide further evidence of the continued disproportionate impact of Covid and the economic crisis on our region. We have the highest unemployment rate in the country and have also seen the largest fall in employment. 

“With our region currently in the top tier of Covid restrictions and  the risk of a disastrous no-deal Brexit on the horizon, the potential for further economic pain is very real. While we look to 2021 with some hope of an improvement in fortunes later in the year, we need to see real large-scale action by Government.  It must make good on its ‘levelling up’ promises to start to undo the damage done to the North East economy. 

“This starts by getting a trade deal with the EU, providing a pathway for our businesses out of Tier 3 and continuing to change Government thinking to support investment in our region.” 

Chamber launches campaign to build stronger North East

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North East England Chamber of Commerce, the region’s largest business organisation, has launched its latest Stronger North East campaign, an ambitious set of proposals to help create dynamic places, attract investment and create jobs, today (Monday 14 September 2020).

This launch also kickstarts a two-week programme of debates and events on the future of the North East economy.

Lesley Moody, Chamber President, (AES Digital) said: “Any recovery in our region must be built on four principles. We must leverage the renewed sense of community that we have seen during this crisis and never lose sight of the importance of fairness, both between and within regions. Our recovery must address long term goals such as sustainability and ensure that businesses are able to make the most of every opportunity available to them.

“These principles will underpin every Chamber campaign and will be the measures by which we judge the Government’s response. We cannot rely solely on others to build this recovery for us, we must do what we can for ourselves.

“If ‘levelling up’ regions such as ours was a priority before the pandemic, then its importance has increased tenfold now. The time has come for a serious national plan to close the economic gaps between regions.

“This means fundamental changes to both national policies and funding allocations across the board to meet the specific objective of reducing regional inequality. Alongside this, further devolution of decision making is essential to give greater local control over how that money is spent.

”The pandemic has generated intense debate on town centres and their future. Stronger North East’s recommendations on this issue include sustainable support for independent start-ups in town centres and repurposing key spaces in them to ensure they are effectively used to stimulate economic growth. It also stresses the importance of Government and businesses working together closely to overcome current economic challenges.

Support for the culture, arts and hospitality sectors is also key and Government needs to recognise their important role in regeneration and improving the quality of life in the region.

To encourage debate the Chamber ‘fringe’ panel events will include Stronger North East’s themes of influence, connectivity, competitiveness, global trade, employment and skills. Speakers include regional MPs, council leaders, Matt Beeton, Port of Tyne, Chris Smith, Thirteen Group, Robert Thorburn, Openreach and Andrew Haigh, Newcastle Building Society.

Chamber of Skills:

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Today is the launch of National Skills days, part of the National Careers Week campaign, a chance for everyone to show they have skills – wherever they are. To get involved, show off your skills on social media with the hashtag #MySkills

Making sure we have the right skills is going to be key to restarting the economy as we begin to emerge from lockdown. The skills landscape will have changed – digital skills are going to have a great deal more emphasis placed on them in a socially distanced world, and we’re going to have to be innovative to balance safety and productivity.

It’s not always the hard skills that can help further your career though, and you’re not using all of your skills just to further your career. I’ve had a chat to some Chamber members and colleagues to find out two things: the skills they’ve honed to get ahead professionally, and the skills they’ve honed… down the pub.

Rachel Anderson, Assistant Director of Policy, Chamber of Commerce

Professional skills: “I think diplomacy. It’s the ability to recognise when to do things behind the scenes and when to make lots of noise and which is most likely to get the result you want.”

Personal skills: “A drunk bet on a Friday night in the pub. It was one of those conversations where you say, “wouldn’t it be fun to put a bit of a band together for giggles”. We already had a keyboard player, bass player, lead singer, a lead guitarist and, randomly, a mandolin player, but no drummer. More drinks were had, and I found myself volunteering to learn drums having absolutely no experience and only once having had a go in a shop. It was however something I’d always wanted to do. The day after, when I’d sorted my hangover out, I couldn’t back out so off I went to the music shop in Darlington and ordered a set. Learned to play from there and have played in two bands, haven’t played in anger for a long time now – family etc has got in the way but I still rattle around the kit occasionally.”

Sean Seddon, Reporter, The Chronicle (Reach PLC)

Professional skills: “The only thing I can think of his social skills. It’s a job that makes you very good at speaking to people from a vast array of backgrounds and that’s a very transferable skill.”

Personal skills: “I can play some instruments canny well. Does that count?”, and when further prompted as to how he got into music – “I don’t even know. I think I just realised I was never going to be good at football. I’d always liked singing when I was little I think. I’m self-taught which I rationalise as it being a very good hobby for an introvert. I have a very extroverted job and a very introverted hobby. I’ve only just realised this. There’s got to be something psychological going on there.”

Jack Deverson, MD, Evidence Based Education

Professional skills: “There are a few that I’ve definitely developed. One is getting over the imposter syndrome of running a business, leading people and holding my own with big names in the industry and region – so confidence, I suppose. That came from studying Chinese and being on the year abroad at uni I think. I was – and still am – an introvert but was cripplingly shy before being thrown out into a year in China. That definitely gave me a lot of confidence in myself and who I am.

Most importantly, though, on balance, is just organisation. On a personal level or a business level, really. I think being organised and planning out the days, weeks and months with clear goals in mind – working out what the most important things are and breaking them down to achieve them. That’s probably my biggest strength.”

Personal skills: “Music was one – so I already mentioned my co-founder and I also play in a band together. But the back story to that was taking a ukulele to my year abroad to learn to play it, then being roped into a provincial talent competition by my teacher (without my knowing what it was, really), and having to play and speak in Chinese in a theatre of about 900 people. I’d never played in front of more than one other person before then!

And, again as I mentioned, slacklining. I picked this up before China but made loads of friends over there just by people coming up and wanting to have a go. I don’t have as much time to do it at the moment, but it’s like a strange form of meditation, as you can’t be thinking about anything other than balance – as soon as you do, you fall. I don’t think there was as good a story to this one, but it was my co-founder, again, who gave me the slackline as a birthday present before I went away for the year. He has a lot to answer for!!”

Arlen Pettitt, Knowledge Development Manager, Chamber of Commerce

Professional skills: “Most helpful in my career – it’s a soft skill, but being confident talking to people. It’s not something that came naturally to me, but it’s something that I worked on through my 20s so that I could walk in a room and comfortably contribute to a meeting, network or present to an audience. No real secret, just doing it enough that you build confidence.”

Personal skills: “Random skills – I play guitar, which is boring because half the population do, but I did teach myself in my teens. And I’ve used that same self-contained trial and error approach to learning on a whole range of things since…academic study, poaching eggs, baking bread, wrapping burritos, putting up shelves.”

Get your code on

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In this blog post, Amber Burney looks at ways you can improve your digital skills at home to benefit both yourself and your business.

There’s always been someone there in the office who’s a little more tech savvy than everyone else, who everyone likes to use as their on-hand IT technician. Maybe you *could* learn to do that thing they keep doing for you, but you’ve got so much more work to do it doesn’t feel like much of a priority. I guess it can wait. I’m bound to pick it up eventually. I’ll just get this project finished before requesting that training.

Queue COVID-19.

Not only are you now trying to work during a stressful, world-altering event, but you’re doing it at home, with your pets, your children, your partners, the ever-looming fridge door which you’ve opened for no reason at all for the 17th time by 10am…

And you’re on your own in the world of utilising your technology.

So, what can you do to improve your digital skills? From understanding the innerworkings of your software to excelling at use of social media platforms, here are some ways you can level-up your digital abilities to help both you and your business.

Social Media and Digital Marketing

Gone are the days when social media was keeping up with friends and family, now it’s used in applying for jobs, entire marketing strategies are based around it and it’s the perfect way to keep in touch with your audience and provide amazing customer service.

Whether you want to sharpen your social media skills for personal or business use, there’s a huge benefit. It’s a highly sought-after skill for employers, like all digital skills, and with so many platforms available it’s easy to engage with all of your audiences or find the right one for you.

There’s a plethora of information online for learning more about each of the platforms and further information on digital marketing, with some good starting points below.

  • BT Digital Skills for Tomorrow courses on Promoting your Business
  • Mediaworks digital marketing webinars and online content
  • Digital Drive Durham webinars (Linkedin, Twitter, Hootsuite, WordPress, Facebook)

Coding and Cyber Security

Even if you aren’t planning on coding the next Microsoft Word or hit phone app, coding is a perfect way to understand digital processes from the ground up and will help you with all of your other digital skills.

The same goes for cyber security – you may not be an IT professional but cyber crime can affect anyone and everyone, and we can all do our bit to protect ourselves and our businesses. Unfortunately, due to the current crisis, we’re seeing a higher number of cyber attacks on businesses and individuals, including email scams to unsuspecting and worried users.

Microsoft and Adobe software skills

The Microsoft Office package is so well used across the world that it might not even have crossed your mind when you think about improving your digital skills, but Microsoft are constantly updating their software and adding new packages, all which work together seamlessly. Understanding the basics of all of the software (Word, Excel, Outlook etc) and how they can all work together can see your work efficiency skyrocket, tasks more easily organised and communications not getting lost or missed.

Microsoft excel may feel like something you can use without issue, but how much of what it can do are you actually using? Do you know your own limitations of the software you probably use almost every day?

The same goes for Adobe creative packages; mastering the art of Photoshop or Illustrator to create your own online graphics for your business, Dreamweaver to throw some ideas together for designing your own website… the creative possibilities are endless with Adobe.

  • Adobe has a load of support available on their website on how to use the functions of all of their software, for example Photoshop here.
  • Microsoft have a digital literacy course available on their website, giving good overviews of all of their software programs.

In the age of the internet, we’re spoiled for choice with tutorials, webinars, ebooks and a million other ways of learning new skills. With some of these starting points you might find your online jam and take something further, or at the very least learn how to easily use all of the technology available to you for work. The digital future talked about is here, and these skills are for today.