International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) is a UN-observed, globally celebrated day, occurring annually on 3 December. The aim of this day is to increase public awareness, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities and celebrate their achievements and contributions. 

Disability is defined as any condition that restricts a person's mental, sensory, or mobility functions. It may be caused by accident, trauma, genetics, or disease and can be temporary or permanent, total or partial, lifelong or acquired, visible or invisible. The social model of disability emphasises that disability arises from the interaction between individuals and their environment, focusing on removing barriers and implementing adjustments to provide an equitable experience for people with disabilities. And in honour of IDPwD this year, across the Hays Group, we are raising awareness about neurodiversity and how we can remove barriers and ensure a more inclusive environment.

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term refers to the natural variations in human brain function and behaviour, encompassing conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Approximately 15-20 per cent of the population is neurodiverse, but despite this significant demographic, many neurodiverse individuals face high rates of underemployment and unemployment due to the barriers they face through recruitment processes or in the workplace.

Supporting clients with neuro-inclusive recruitment processes

In honour of IDPwD we spoke with Ginger Taylor, Client Engagement Manager, Hays Technology to discuss how businesses can effectively recruit and retain neurodiverse talent. Ginger has worked at Hays for nearly seven years, starting in Waste Management and Logistics before moving to recruit white-collar mining professionals. After three years in Perth, she joined the Hays Canberra Technology team, focusing on IT recruitment.

Ginger is a passionate advocate for the neurodiversity community. As a neurodiverse person herself, Ginger understands the challenges and struggles that being neurodiverse brings to one's personal and professional life. Ginger supports neurodiverse candidates and clients, facilitating inclusive hiring processes. She holds a BSc in Psychology, a Diploma in Counselling, and a Diploma in Leadership and Management, reflecting her love for learning and development.

Do you feel employers are becoming more aware of neurodiversity, and what do you think is driving that?

We know that employers understand the benefits of having a diverse workforce and are taking considered steps to attract neurodiverse talent as well as creating inclusive workplaces that enable neurodiverse colleagues to thrive. And, in line with this understanding, we are witnessing the emergence of neurodiversity-specific hiring programs across the private and public sector. These initiatives recognise a pool of talented individuals who can help address the current skills shortage.

For example, one of our clients has a dedicated program that hires entry-level individuals for roles in ICT and project management. These employees receive mentorship and support from the start of the program and continue to be supported even after its completion. This approach ensures that candidates feel included and supported throughout their journey. Remarkably, the program boasts a 100 per cent retention rate, with participants being some of the most dedicated and loyal employees.

We also know that there's a growing need for shared understanding and support, as seen in the rise of networking events, panel conversations, and clients seeking advice on supporting neurodiverse individuals through their hiring processes. But despite the passion and interest, there's still a broad lack of knowledge on how to implement these changes effectively.

Hiring and recruitment processes need to transition to become more neuro-inclusive – the goal is to remove barriers and biases in current recruitment processes that can be a barrier for neurodiverse candidates. While everyone has the right intentions, finding the most effective way forward is crucial.

How can we support employers to make their recruitment and hiring process more neuro-inclusive?

Job descriptions are often written with the aim to hire a specific person to do a job in a specific way. However, tasks can be completed, and deliverables achieved in various ways depending on the person. Hiring based on potential, passion, and interest, an understanding of an individual's transferable skills rather than purely hiring on specific skillset and experiences, will increase the variety of applicants and allows individuals to flourish.

Recommendations:

Criteria in Job Ads: Neurodiverse individuals often have a strong sense of right and wrong, and if they don't meet all the criteria, they might not apply. A long, extensive job description can limit the applicant pool, so focus on what is actually required for the role. It can also be helpful to include an explicit prompt for people to apply even if they don’t match all the criteria.
Job Descriptions: Look for candidates with passion and expertise, even if they don't meet 100 per cent of the job description criteria. Hiring someone who perfectly matches the job description might lead to boredom in six months. It's important to find someone who has the essentials, but still has space to learn and grow into the role.
Hiring Practices: Use a multi-pronged approach. This could include a CV and selection criteria, but also consider broader methods. Allow candidates to film, or record, themselves reading their application out loud, as some people communicate better verbally than in writing. Presenting a portfolio of prior work can also be effective.
Interview Process: Simple tips like filming, and then sharing a video of the building, lobby, and interview rooms can help reduce anxiety for neurodiverse candidates. Providing clear guidelines about the interview process, panel members, and types of questions that might be asked can alleviate stress and help candidates be more present during the interview.
Cultural Add: Challenge the concept of hiring based on cultural fit and instead hire based on cultural add. Studies show that having a mix of neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals can increase productivity by 30 per cent. Hiring based on cultural add enhances the overall capability of the team.
Behavioural Traits: Some neurodiverse candidates might exhibit behaviours such as avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, moving their hands rapidly, or speaking quickly and animatedly. These behaviours should not influence hiring decisions as these differences do not impact a candidates' ability to be able to perform the inherent requirements of a role.
Feedback: Be mindful of how feedback is delivered. Neurodiverse individuals can have rejection sensitivity, so providing updates and feedback thoughtfully is important. Avoiding feedback altogether can be detrimental, as feedback loops are key to their development.

How have we supported clients with their neurodiverse hiring strategies?

Recently one of our clients reached out to us following our national round tables for neurodiversity in cyber. Their aim was to increase their workforce in cyber by targeting underrepresented groups including neurodiverse individuals, women, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We discussed the challenges these cohorts face with traditional recruitment methods and how to attract and retain them in the workforce. We emphasised the importance of tailored attraction strategies that are neuro-inclusive, such as offering various interview formats and developing a more flexible selection criteria. This initial conversation led to further discussions about the inherent strengths and challenges of different neurodiverse categories.

We also supported another client at an expo event, where I was a panel member discussing the hiring of neurodiverse talent into government and the security space. We engaged with students at various stages of their degrees, providing guidance on integrating into the workforce and advocating for themselves. This interaction highlighted the ongoing need for support and the importance of this topic.

However, an inclusive attraction strategy must be matched by an equally inclusive hiring process and there is absolutely a need for an inclusive workspace that supports everyone's individual needs, recognising the uniqueness of each person within the broad term of neurodiversity.

How can hiring managers support neurodiverse talent?

It's important to remember that neurodiversity is a collective term for many neurological differences including ADHD, autism, and various learning disabilities, each with unique needs. For example, I am neurodiverse due to a learning disability, but learning disabilities vary widely – they are more about differences than deficits. I learn differently, but I'm no less capable.

As a manager of neurodivergent staff, it's about asking the right questions. The best approach is to connect with all employees, asking how they work best and how you can support them. People have different preferences for receiving feedback – some prefer face-to-face, others written, and some a combination of both.

Having a playbook or guidelines around the structures needed for success can be very helpful. For those with high sensory overload or sensitivity to stimuli, simple adjustments like providing headphones, a desk at the end of a row, or a stand-up desk can make a big difference.

Self-advocacy can be challenging for neurodiverse individuals due to the high amount of criticism they often receive from a young age. The best thing a hiring manager can do is ask, "What do you need to be successful, and how can I help you?" This approach supports both their strengths and weaknesses, leading to great outcomes.