According to matesinmind.org “Neurodiversity celebration week (16th-20th March) aims to bring about worldwide neurodiversity acceptance, equality and inclusion in schools and workplaces” and I’m pleased to acknowledge that there’s so much that the HR sector is doing for this, particularly within technology systems.
Rethinking Recruitment Through Technology
Let’s start with recruitment. There’s sometimes debate about using AI to scan and filter out relevant CVs for job posts – an individual’s CV needs a human take on it, and as someone applying for a job it can feel disheartening that your career experience might be discounted by a bot before it’s even reached human eyes. But with an oversaturated job market, and often hundreds of applications for hiring managers to sift through, these tech filters can often be a game changer for the better if you’re sat on the hiring side.
Key when it comes to neurodiverse candidates, though, is that AI filtering systems often place greater importance on the skills and keywords someone has included in their CV, rather than the presentation of it. The design of a CV may still be appreciated once it reaches the hiring manager, but it is less likely to influence the initial screening stage. By the time a candidate reaches the interview stage, AI tools have often already collated a summary of the CV, making the process more straightforward in ensuring the focus is on an individual’s experience and suitability for the role.
AI recruitment tools can also be good news for those who find the interview process particularly daunting or challenging when it comes to ‘selling themselves’. Job interviews, which are often a social cue hit list, can become more structured and less vague when interviewers are working from summarised CVs. This allows them to ask more focused questions that explore the candidate’s experience in greater depth, rather than relying on broad or open-ended prompts.
Improving Accessibility Through Workplace Systems
Traditionally, when a neurodivergent candidate got the job, they may have been met with a number of challenges in their new role. Everything from accessibility issues in colour schemes and fonts may have been a challenge for some. Now though, technology is allowing for further accessibility in the workplace.
What’s been a monumental move for not just the neurodiverse workforce, but for workforce wellbeing across the board though, is the increasingly popular use of EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) surveys.
Listening to Employees Through EDI Surveys
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) surveys are becoming more popular for good reason. Used to foster inclusion, improve engagement and track progress, they allow the workforce to feedback on areas of business that matter for the people working for it.
The anonymity of the surveys being the magic ingredient of them because when individuals feel like their thoughts aren’t being judged by anyone, they’re more likely to be really honest, and honest feedback is where real change happens. Systemic barriers in the workplace can be spoken about and adjusted, and workplaces can begin to foster safer cultures, allowing for an empowered, productive workforce with real career and business growth.
Flexible Work and Learning Environments
Work environments are less rigid now and remote and hybrid work is the norm. Covid lockdowns meant that workplaces had to adapt quickly to this, and it was so good it stuck.
We work online now more often than not, and we can also learn online too, with training courses offering online and on-demand modules. This remote working world means we can be in control of our environment, sensory and social inputs, which is a powerful replacement for the one-size-fits-all version of the 9–5 office life from yesteryear and again hugely empowering for a neurodivergent workforce who can work to their best ability without the worry of environment triggers getting in the way of this.
Technology That Empowers Everyone
Empowerment is an important factor. Technology is allowing neurodivergent employees to feel more supported and empowered in the workplace, and these advancements are also helping to create happier and more effective workplaces overall.
What’s interesting, though, is that many of the technological features supporting neurodivergent employees today were not originally designed with neurodiversity in mind. They have emerged as part of broader improvements in HR technology but have already made a meaningful difference in how accessible and flexible workplaces can be. Imagine, then, the impact for a neurodiverse workforce if these considerations were more conscious and the technology even more intentionally tailored.
It’s technology we can all benefit from. While these advancements are particularly valuable for neurodivergent employees, they ultimately create workplaces that are more flexible, supportive and productive for everyone.
Founded in 2009, Silver Cloud is a leading, global HR and payroll technology consultancy based in the UK. For more information visit www.silvercloudhr.co.uk.
