Despite having the right qualifications and academic skills, Victoria Walls worried she might never get a job offer and even feared she was “living on the streets” because of her neurodiverse triggers, which she says were “turned on” repeatedly during the interview process.

Walls, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia and generalized anxiety disorder, says: “It was all so overwhelming for me. Performing well enough to get a job offer was so far down the list of things I was trying to process, I fell at every hurdle.”

However, simple adjustments, such as receiving interview questions in advance, were all it took to help her secure a job at the insurance firm in Zurich, where Walls is now a data scientist . “My priority when looking for a job was to find a team I could fit into and a culture that would support my growth,” she adds.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of neurological or developmental conditions and learning disabilities that affect the way a person’s brain processes information. Common types of neurodiversity include autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, ADHD, and Asperger’s syndrome.

Job applications and interviews can be particularly difficult for the estimated 10 million neurodivergent people in the UK.

Rachel Morgan-Trimmer, consultant and founder of neurodiversity training provider Firebird, says: “The recruitment process, and the workplace in general, is not adaptable. I see so many job ads that say “we’re an inclusive organization” at the end of a long and confusing job ad. Without a proactive approach to inclusion – and promoting this in the job advert – a neurodivergent person may feel they have to hide their condition.”

Lack of inclusion forces 51% of neurodiverse adults to do so hide their condition during the hiring process, according to a survey conducted by Zurich. Almost half of the 1,000 neurodifferent adults surveyed say they have been discriminated against when looking for a job and one in five have been laughed at by an employer.

This has led most neurodiverse people in the UK to believe that employers see neurodiversity as a ‘red flag’. “There is still a huge amount of prejudice and discrimination against neurodiversity,” adds Morgan-Trimmer.

Making the hiring process more inclusive

There are many things companies can do to make the application process more inclusive for neurodivergent people, according to Morgan-Trimmer. She suggests: shortening job postings, clarifying requirements, setting expectations and time requirements, offering breaks during interviews, and the option to use different communication formats, such as video or voice memos.

“Invite people to tell you if you missed something,” she adds. “That’s how you show that you care about inclusion and that you’ve tried to accommodate people without them having to make requests.”

Steve Collinson, head of HR at Zurich UK, says the current lack of inclusion of neurodiversity in the recruitment process, highlighted by the company’s survey, is “extremely worrying”. “Too many neurodiverse people don’t feel safe being themselves in the workplace, especially during the hiring stage,” he says.

This is partly due to a “mismatch” of expectations, adds Collinson: “It’s really important for both candidates and employers to have a clear idea of ​​a candidate’s skills and the core skills required for a role.”

Zurich offers neurodiverse candidates a number of adjustments when applying for a role. These include avoiding the use of ambiguous or subjective language, clarifying the format and steps of the process, and eliminating group interview assessments, which Collinson says can be particularly difficult for neurodivergent people.

Removing degree requirements for roles where they are not required has also helped, as has providing interview questions in advance. “It’s very powerful to share adaptations that have been given before,” says Collinson. “In the past, we have shared interview questions with neurodiverse candidates in advance. I don’t think it gives them a particular advantage, it just levels the playing field.”

A neurodivergent friendly workplace

Creating a supportive work environment is also important when attracting and retaining neurodiverse employees. Zurich, for example, offers neurodiversity training for all staff and sensory maps that describe temperature, noise and footfall levels in different areas of the office so people can find the most suitable place to work. Flexibility is also important each role is offered on a part-time basis.

“All of these things create an environment where people who are neurodivergent feel like they belong and don’t have to hide who they are,” says Collinson.

Last week, Zurich added free neurodiversity assessments to its health and wellness benefits. An estimated 2.5 million neurodivergent adults are undiagnosed for ADHD and autism charitable autism research organization Autism.

Explaining the added benefit, Collinson says, “Our colleagues tell us that once they understand each other better, they can express and talk about their needs better, and we can adapt to them.”

Workplace changes companies are making for neurodiverse staff also benefit a broader employee base. “Many of the managers I work with have found that being inclusive of neurodivergent people makes for a happier workplace,” says Morgan-Trimmer. “People communicate better, are more respectful of each other, and in general, employees enjoy being at work more.”

Collinson anticipates that the changes in Zurich will improve retention rates and levels of employee engagement. But beyond the business benefits, he believes that making the workplace more inclusive of neurodivergent people is simply the right thing to do.

He adds: “If you say you’re an organization that celebrates diversity, you have to mean it. Neurodiversity is as important an element of diversity as other characteristics.”