A recent study by Wiley Edge, an emerging talent and reskill training provider, reveals that approximately 31% of tech companies are self-confessed voids when it comes to neurodiversity in their workforce.
Furthermore, a worrying 13% of these organisations admit to being oblivious about methods for addressing this issue, thereby emphasising the existing neurodiversity support gap in the workplace.
The research, featured in Wiley Edge's Diversity in Tech Report, highlights the deep-seated lack of support for neurodivergent tech talent. This state of affairs persists despite the increasing acknowledgement of the unique abilities and viewpoints these individuals can bring to the workplace.
It's estimated that between 15% to 20% of the population fall into the neurodivergent category. This term is commonly used to classify individuals with conditions such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (DCD), Dyscalculia, Autism, and ADHD. Interestingly, there has been a significant upturn in adult diagnoses of conditions like ADHD in recent times. However, the real figure of neurodivergent employees remains elusive due to limited accessibility to testing and the reluctance of certain employees to disclose their conditions.
Companies that have taken the initiative to recruit and maintain talent from underrepresented groups, including neurodivergent individuals, have revised benefits packages (54%), propagated roles in various environments (51%), and introduced flexible working arrangements (28%) to cultivate an improved working environment.
Khadijah Pandor, Head of Partnerships, EMEA & NA, at Wiley Edge, observed that "recognition of the value that neurodivergent talent can bring to the tech workforce has rocketed in recent years. But some workplaces have been slow to adapt to this rising awareness and to better accommodate the varying needs of their workforce. This has led to a workplace neurodivergent support gap that needs to be bridged in order to make workplaces more inclusive and representative, and to convince more neurodivergent talent to consider a career in tech".
She further commented that to create representational IT solutions, businesses should diversify their employee base by including people from different backgrounds. In order to attract and retain talent, they must improve the working environment and add flexibility to their working practices. Such benefits introduced for neurodiverse candidates would also be beneficial for neurotypical people, proving that the needs of both are not mutually exclusive.
In addition to this, businesses can provide further support for neurodivergent individuals by revamping recruitment and screening methods, allowing candidates more time to complete tasks, providing additional training, senior leadership backing and advocacy, and mentoring.
Khadijah highlighted, "Worryingly, one in five (21%) organisations confirmed they had no intentions of increasing diversity within their workforce, and 3% claimed they had never considered the issue. This underscores that despite the growing recognition, a considerable distance still needs to be traversed to support neurodivergent talent and those from other underrepresented clusters in the tech industry. A workforce comprising people from varied backgrounds can result in a diverse spectrum of ideas and outcomes, and also yield commercial benefits".