“I don’t know if our company is ready for a neurodiverse hire.”

We don’t hear this being said out loud but often when we meet a company, we can see they just aren’t ready to take a big jump into neurodiverse hiring.  It is a big step.  They have great intentions, but they don’t want to get it wrong, and this fear puts them off getting started.

Everyone wants to ensure this will be a positive experience for those involved, so if the fear factor is real, there are a few steps a company can take to get prepared.

First off partner up.  We have 10 years of neurodiverse hiring experience and we have seen it all. In our opinion, a great way to start is to provide some training, this might be a company-wide D&I information session or a meeting with hiring managers or the Senior Leadership Team.  Regardless of who the audience is, having a conversation or a training session around neurodiversity is a great way to get things moving.  For many people, they might have no first-hand experience of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or dyspraxia.  Understanding how someone can present as different and how that difference can be used to benefit your team is an important conversation.  So, ask us about our training options and give yourself and your colleagues an opportunity to ask open and honest questions.

Another great way to dip your toes into neurodiverse hiring is to take part in our mentorship program.  We created a short and bespoke program that takes into account that this might be a manager’s first time interacting with a neurodiverse graduate. It is a short program of just 6 or 8 weeks but under the guise of mentoring, there is a wonderful opportunity to build a conversation and relationship with a person who is qualified and able to do the same job but would have some challenges.  It makes the abstract topic of diversity a more personal and real experience. We have had amazing feedback from managers, it’s a terrific learning experience.

For more information on our training program or our Mentorship program, click here.