Neuro-diversity and the workplace – positive or negative?

It is widely agreed that we need to improve diversity in the workplace and research shows that diverse workplaces are more motivated, more innovative, and more profitable. But, too often, diversity recruitment and inclusion initiatives ignore neurodiversity.

It’s estimated that 1-in-6 people have some sort of neuro-minority status, such as Aspergers, ADHD or Dyslexia. Yet unemployment rates for neuro-minority people are far higher than for others – up to 80 per cent.

Dr Nancy Doyle, CEO of Genius Within and Co-Director of the Centre for Neurodiversity at Work, Birkbeck College, University of London, and Neil Barnett, Director of Inclusive Hiring and Accessibility at Microsoft, discuss the reasons for this and why getting different ways of thinking into a workforce can create advantage.