Global job site, Indeed and Sports Index launched a neurodiversity “toolkit” to help companies become more inclusive in hiring.
Neurodiversity refers to the wide range of differences in individuals’ brain function and behavioural traits, and includes autism, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
A best practice approach is that this type of diversity be as recognised and respected as other differences in the workplace – such as any other such as gender, race or sexual orientation – to ensure an inclusive and optimal work environment.
The toolkit includes explanations of neurodiversity, provides practical advice for hiring managers and HR teams, as well as a sample job description. It also notes that employers who accommodate neurodiverse employees in the hiring process will reap the rewards of higher productivity, more creativity and better retention rates.
It shows that some neurological conditions can enhance the employee’s performance in certain areas: for example many people with dyslexia have been found to possess enhanced global visual-spatial abilities, which may be advantageous in jobs requiring three-dimensional thinking such as molecular biology, engineering, and computer graphics. The toolkit makes practical recommendations about how companies can change their hiring practices to make them more inclusive.
Speaking this week, Founding Director of Sports Index, Nicholas Dutton said, “We were delighted to partner with Indeed in producing today’s Neurodiversity Toolkit for Hiring Managers. Since our establishment in 1992, we have become a hub for academia, industry and specialist groups to collaborate in advancing insights, research and practical tools to build cultures of inclusion. The toolkit is a significant step in the right direction.”
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