Fresh Tips for Building a Neuroinclusive Workplace

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(TLDR) Creating a neuroinclusive workplace is essential for fostering a diverse, innovative, and productive team. In this blog, we've put together a practical guide to help you make your organization more welcoming and supportive for neurodivergent individuals. From educating your team on neurodiversity to implementing personalized communication methods, enhancing performance tracking and celebrating regularly, there’s a tip for everyone and every budget to enhance neuroinclusion and boost your employer brand.

How Neuroinclusive Teams Drive Innovation at Work
Have you heard the news? Creating a neuroinclusive workplace is essential for fostering a diverse, innovative, and productive team. An estimated 20% of the global population exhibits some sort of neurodiversity. What does that mean? Neurodiversity is a concept that recognizes and respects the natural variations in brain function and the resulting behavioral traits. This concept considers Neurological variances including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and others as normal variations in the human genome. We take it a step further and promote the idea that these differences are indeed valuable traits that, when put to use correctly, can generate positive contributions to society.

So how can you integrate neuroinclusivity at work? Here’s a guide with practical steps from  twofold, a company that lives neuroinclusion every day, to help you make your organization more welcoming and supportive for neurodivergent individuals.

Eight Fresh Tips for Building a Neuroinclusive Workplace
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1. Start with Education and Awareness
Kick off your neuroinclusion journey by first making it a topic. A lot of companies don’t even know it should be included in their DEIB strategy. Neurodiversity is a key topic that can ultimately drive your business, so in addition to gender, LGBTQ+ or PoC, it makes good sense to educate your team. Internal and external employer branding is key here. Start campaigning internally to explain why this matters and why your workforce should be trained in this area. Remember, 15-20% of your workforce is neurodiverse, and because many of your clients are as well, start showcasing your knowledge externally as well.

• Actionable Step: Organize interactive workshops and webinars on neurodiversity. Use engaging activities and real-life stories to break down misconceptions and build empathy among employees.
• Employer Branding Tip: Create a dedicated section on your homepage to showcase your efforts. Even if it’s a small start, it shows your commitment. Highlight your dedication by sharing your plans and success stories with both talents and clients.

2. Design Neuroinclusive Workspaces
Create physical and virtual workspaces that cater to diverse needs. You don’t need to build a new HQ, just put on your neurodiverse glasses and check out areas for improvement. Small changes, like designating quiet zones or implementing flexible work arrangements, can make a big difference. Be flexible and ditch the one-size-fits-all approach.

• Actionable Step: Implement quiet zones, adjustable lighting, and noise-canceling options in your office. Provide flexibility for remote working and offer resources and tools for creating distraction-free home office setups.
• Employer Branding Tip: Create a toolkit to distribute internally and externally, explaining the purpose of quiet zones and the importance of inclusivity. Address potential discrimination fears by incorporating rules that make it okay to work in quieter areas or take time out as needed.

3. Personalize Communication Styles
Adapt communication methods to suit different preferences. Not everyone interprets messages the same way. Neurodivergent individuals may take things literally, so your metaphors might not be effective. Check in with individuals to see what they prefer - for example, small talk can be stressful for some, so get straight to the point.

• Actionable Step: Offer multiple ways to communicate, such as email, chat, video calls, and in-person meetings. Encourage team members to share their preferred communication style and respect these preferences.
• Employer Branding Tip: Adapt your internal communication strategy to a diverse audience. Create “TLDR” (too long; didn't read) summaries for those who prefer concise information and “read more” options for those who like detailed content. Offer different media formats for internal news and avoid assuming everyone gets your jokes.

4. Provide Tailored Support Systems
Offer support systems that cater to individual needs. Recognize that everyone is different and may require unique resources to thrive, so ditch the old-school one-size-fits-all approach. Make sure you support people where they need it: some need encouragement to set boundaries, others in managing their priorities. These are essentials of a modern workplace, neurodivergent or not, so don’t think of them as benefits.

• Actionable Step: Set up a mentorship program where neurodivergent employees can receive guidance and support from experienced colleagues. Provide access to mental health resources and counseling services, for example job coaches.
• Employer Branding Tip: Highlight your support systems in your recruitment materials and on your careers page. Show potential employees that you are committed to their wellbeing and success by sharing testimonials from current neurodivergent employees.

5. Encourage Strength-Based Team Building
Focus on individuals’ strengths to enhance team performance. Everyone has unique talents, and leveraging these can boost team dynamics and productivity. You don’t need to fly your team to Fiji to strengthen the bond, small activities and team trust go a long way, especially since 65% of neurodivergent employees still fear discrimination. Make it okay for them to be their true selves and bounce off each other’s strengths while planning a project.

• Actionable Step: Organize team-building activities that highlight and utilize the unique strengths of all team members. This can include problem-solving exercises, creative brainstorming sessions, or role-swapping activities. Promote individual working styles and normalize them so everyone on the team can thrive.
• Employer Branding Tip: Share stories of successful team-building activities on your social media channels. Highlight how focusing on strengths has led to innovative solutions and how working on their own strength-based style has improved team morale.

6. Flexible Goal Setting and Progress Tracking
Allow flexibility in how goals are set and progress is tracked. Recognize that different people may achieve their best work through different processes. Not everyone will start with a kick-off, have a detailed timeline, and pursue it diligently. An ADHD project manager might work more on-and-off on a task, while an autistic designer may start with extensive research. What counts is that both deliver in the end.

• Actionable Step: Implement a flexible performance review process where employees can set personal goals and choose how to demonstrate their progress. Use tools like personal development plans and regular check-ins to support continuous growth.
• Employer Branding Tip: Showcase your flexible goal-setting approach in your job postings and employee handbooks. Emphasize your commitment to personal and professional growth tailored to each individual's strengths and needs.

7. Promote Open Feedback and Dialogue
Create a culture where feedback is openly given and received. Regular, constructive feedback helps everyone improve and feel valued. If you dance on eggshells, you risk that your neurodivergent employees won’t understand feedback given between the lines. Clear and straightforward communication is key, with no ego involved. And remember, this is a two-way street. Be open to clear and honest feedback towards you as well.

• Actionable Step: Establish regular feedback loops through surveys, suggestion boxes, and town hall meetings. Encourage neurodivergent employees to voice their experiences and suggestions for improvement through various options, be it personal, written, or anonymous.
• Employer Branding Tip: Publicly share the changes and improvements made based on employee feedback through reports or learning papers. This transparency builds trust and shows that you value and act on your employees’ input.

8. Celebrate Neurodiversity Regularly
Last but not least, make celebrating neurodiversity a regular part of your workplace culture. Don’t wait for World Autism Day or some social media challenge to recognize and value the contributions of neurodivergent employees. Celebrate regularly, big and small, individually, in teams, or with the whole company. This shows that it’s genuine rather than ticking the DEIB strategy box once a year.

• Actionable Step: Host events like Neurodiversity Awareness Month with activities, guest speakers, and workshops. Share success stories and achievements of neurodivergent employees in company newsletters and social media throughout the year. Or just have a small Friday not-just-after-work event with your neurodiverse employees.
• Employer Branding Tip: Use these celebrations as opportunities to engage with the wider community. Partner with neurodiversity organizations and promote your events externally to show your ongoing commitment to inclusion.

What a journey! By following these fresh tips, you'll create a dynamic, inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. But remember, the journey towards neuroinclusion is ongoing, and every step forward counts. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get everything right by Day 2. Every small step counts, and your employees will recognize your effort. Your organization will benefit immensely from the creativity, innovation, and unique perspectives that neurodivergent individuals bring to the table. Start today and become an ally!