Firstly, in case you don’t know, let’s explain what we mean by neurodiversity. It means that there is a difference in an individual’s brain function and behavioural traits. It is regarded as a normal variation. It is estimated that 15-20% of people in Ireland are neurodivergent, which includes conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.

Alarmingly, Ireland has the lowest rate of employment for people with disabilities in Europe at just 32.6%.

Getting back to the traditional interview and traditional hiring practices. Why don’t they work for neurodivergent people?

The emphasis on social interaction and communication skills presents a challenge. Many neurodivergent individuals struggle in this area, often underselling their achievements, having difficulty with eye contact or succumbing to interview anxiety. These same people might have a love of data, they might enjoy routine tasks that others find boring, they might love the nitty gritty detail that others shy away from. Sound like a great employee? Unfortunately, they can’t get past an interview.

Also, fear is a huge factor. If a manager doesn’t know about neurodiversity, they might have misconceptions or worries about having someone who is neurodivergent on their team. What if an issue comes up that they don’t know how to address? Fear often results in exclusion.

To address these points Specialisterne Ireland was established in Ireland over ten years ago. We are a specialist recruitment agency that guides a manager through the interview process, showing them how to make small and simple accommodations to put a person at ease and allow them (and the interviewer) the opportunity to have a good interview experience. If a person is successful at an interview (they need to be a good fit) then we advise on what accommodations might help in the workplace.

What makes Specialisterne different is that we provide on-going support, so should an issue arise we work with the hiring manager and the neurodivergent hire to problem solve. Our goal is long term retention and this real-time problem-solving feeds into this.

Lastly, what are these accommodations we mentioned? Let’s look at some examples.

When we work with each individual neurodivergent person, we ask them: what helps them to work to the best of their ability? It might be that they just can’t hot desk as it provides too much uncertainty, and they need to know where to go each morning when they arrive. It might be that they need a manager to be very clear in their expectations.

So instead of saying ‘when you get the chance can you get me that report’ they need you to say, ‘I need that report on my desk by lunch time’. This is much clearer. The expectation is not vague but direct.

Every person will be different and that is why we get to know the neurodivergent graduate and importantly we also need to get to know the hiring manager and their firm. Then we can support and provide a positive experience for both.

In case you aren’t convinced yet: research from Accenture has shown that companies that champion neurodiversity and disability inclusion benefit from 28% increased revenue and 30% better profit.

Let us know if you would like to have a chat around how to get started. We are happy to set up a call and see what steps your team could take. It might be some awareness training, or it might be hiring a neurodiverse graduate. You might have an employee that has disclosed as neurodivergent, and you don’t know what to do next – we provide coaching for neurodivergent employees and for their manager.

We work with many colleges around Ireland providing support to their neurodivergent graduates and undergraduate students. This is the talent pool you can tap into.