Opening the door to neurodivergent talent

Yesterday marked the start of Neurodiversity celebration week and when we reflect on progress for the inclusion of neurodivergent talent in the advertising and creative industry, although modern recruitment processes have shown some growth in awareness and inclusivity, the reality for neurodivergent individuals is that there are still organisations that struggle to move beyond the present benchmark.

Too often, the discourse around neurodivergence takes a statistical approach– but it is very rarely ever understood on a personal level. I am Akama Davies, Global Practice Lead at Xaxis and Co-founder of We Are Stripes. I'm pulling from my unique experience with dyslexia to help dissolve the tiptoeing around the issue concerning neurodiversity in the workplace.

From early stages of education, assessments have not favoured people diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette's syndrome, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and other forms of neurodiversity. Mainstream education's focus on accuracy in spelling and grammar, memory, and recall has marginalised these individuals right from the beginning, with minimal visibility being offered once their academic struggles become apparent. 

1 in 7 candidates in the workplace identifies as a neurodivergent. That is the case whether or not an employee discloses it. I understand the valid fear around disclosure first-hand; the reveal can pose a risk of employers' undesirability or have more of a tokenistic effect when moving forward. Outside of the UK's legal [equal opportunities] obligation, some companies begin to reassure applicants like me with evidence of appropriate systems set in place on their websites or offices. Yet unfortunately, avoiding such progressive methods is much more common.

Tackling the challenge between understanding neurodivergent minds and employability means that we must collectively rethink the nature of a successful applicant. For example, how can we facilitate a space that optimises strengths rather than perceived weaknesses?

I first became aware of my dyslexia during university, when a tutor had advised that I undergo an assessment. The newfound knowledge provided an explanation for my struggles with the translation of learning into written tasks as a young student and highlighted the unique set of skills that are incredibly valuable to my job role today.

Understanding my compensative dyslexia validated the feedback I would receive in school reports. Now, applying the awareness of my ability to distill complex information and compartmentalise in-depth briefs into action points has ultimately helped carve out my career path. In a high-demand occupation that oversees the innovation of products within the global tech market and the development of solutions for brands, I'm certain I wouldn't be as good at my job if I didn't have that ability.

Therefore, the focus should lean toward a process and criteria inclusive of different working, communication styles, and reasonable adjustments when selecting candidates. 

 Disparities in traditional recruitment systems become even more extreme when intersectionality is involved and amplifies negative experiences for ethnic minorities with neurodiverse conditions—something which is all too familiar to me – a capable man who is both Black and dyslexic.

Read the whole of the article on the We Are stripes LinkedIn page