Neurodiverse Teams Are a Competitive Advantage - This Is How You Can Empower Them

Neurodiverse employees can be an incredible asset to any enterprise - given the chance. But  many companies have the impression that neurodivergence impairs an individual’s ability to thrive in a traditional workplace, causing many candidates to go overlooked.

‍

This is a common misconception that needs to end.

‍

Bringing together a neurodiverse team in your enterprise could be one of the best decisions you make if sustainable productivity is the goal. With a few accommodations, you can harness the competitive advantage that neurodiversity can bring and empower employees in your company to deliver their best work.

‍

Understanding Neurodiversity in the Workplace

‍

Let’s start with a definition:

‍

Neurodiversity refers to individuals born with neurological differences due to a variant of the human genome.

‍

Neurodiversity can manifest in various ways, such as the following:

‍

•  Autism Spectrum
•  ADHD
•  Dyspraxia
•  Dyslexia
•  HSPs (highly sensitive people)

‍

If you know anything about these neurological differences, you’ll know that they can impact an individual’s ability to operate in accordance with societal and workplace expectations. 

‍

For example, for those with dyslexia, reading correspondence such as emails or reports can be challenging. For those with ADHD, maintaining attention on one task for a long period of time can be difficult. 

‍

Just by understanding that neurodiverse employees might think - and perhaps behave - slightly differently to their neurotypical counterparts,  can go a long way toward effectively integrating them into your workforce.

‍

The Unique Value of Neurodiverse Teams

‍

It’s an unfortunate reality that many traditional HR profiles have a stigma around neurodivergence. They choose to believe that hiring neurodivergent employees is more effort than it's worth, and as such, fail to see the unique value they can bring to the workplace.

‍

The truth is that neurodiverse employees think, work, and collaborate in different ways that can breed innovation and drive any company forwards.

‍

Think about it: some of the most well-revered individuals with once-in-a-lifetime talent are/were neurodivergent.

‍

• Albert Einstein
• Henry Ford
• Richard Branson
• Bill Gates
• Elon Musk

‍

Just to name a few…

‍

The Elon Musks’ and Bill Gates’ of the world may find it challenging to navigate social situations at times or deal with various stimuli but they are pioneers in their fields, without whom we’d be much worse off.

‍

The biggest question is, how do you accommodate and empower neurodiverse teams to make the most of their unique talents?

‍

How to Empower Neurodiverse Teams with an Employee Tracking Tool

‍

Before we get into the best ways to empower neurodiverse teams, there’s a caveat to the advice we’re about to give: every individual you come across will be different. 

‍

As a result, before you start implementing the three top tips you’re about to read, the best thing you can do is sit down and listen to your own neurodiverse teams and employees and discover how to accommodate their specific needs.

‍

Furthermore, find out how you can use an employee tracking tool to support and empower neurodiverse teams. 

‍

Cater to Sensitivities

‍

Generally speaking, one of the biggest challenges you face when creating a more inclusive work environment is the sensitivity that many neurodivergent people have to certain stimuli. It could be any number of stimuli, but the most common are the following:

‍

•  Sounds
•  Smells
•  Sights

‍

Sensory overload is a common issue among neurodivergent employees, since the standard office workplace can offer up a number of sensory stimuli. There’s the phones that occasionally ring and distant murmurings of coworkers chatting in a cubicle, all kinds of foreign smells, and distracting fluorescent lighting or visual clutter everywhere you look.

‍

While to neurotypical employees these stimuli all form part of the typical office experience, to a neurodivergent employee they can make the office feel like a waking hell. Since they’re affected more severely by certain stimuli, neurodivergent employees often work best when they have their own space.

‍

How can an employee tracking tool help?

‍

If you use activity monitor software it’s easy enough to identify when employees are having a hard time trying to focus at work. Employee laptop monitoring software lets you view data on an employee timeline signaling periods of more and less work-related activity.

‍

You can also use the time data you collect in one-on-one feedback sessions to ensure every employee has the accommodations they need to succeed. Whether this be changes in the work environment or tools they could use to navigate common work-related obstacles or distractions.

‍

PRO TIP: A great accommodation for neurodiverse employees who struggle to focus with ambient sounds is a product like Loop earplugs which dampen noise and make it easier to focus.

‍

Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

‍

Arguably the best way to cater to your neurodiverse teams is to offer flexible work arrangements. If the office is a sensory nightmare, then why not let your neurodivergent employees work from home?

‍

When employees can control their own environment, it’s much easier to predict distracting stimuli and take action to prevent them from becoming an issue. 

‍

In an office, nobody can predict what sounds, sights, or smells there’ll be and that level of unpredictability can be unnerving to neurodivergent employees.

‍

How can an employee tracking tool help? 

‍

Insightful is the best productivity monitor for remote screen monitoring, as it lets you keep tabs on employee productivity levels wherever they do their work. 

‍

Productivity monitoring tools can afford you peace of mind when allowing teams to work remotely. They remove the element of doubt as to what apps employees are using, and whether or not they’re spending their work hours productively.

‍

Insightful lets you label various activities as ‘productive’, ‘neutral’, or ‘unproductive’, so you can accurately measure time spent and stay informed about your remote employees.

‍

Provide Autonomy

‍

Just as many neurodivergent employees would prefer to work from home as they can control their environment, it can be just as important for them to control their work schedule.

‍

While of course this isn’t always a viable option, giving neurodiverse teams more autonomy is an excellent way to encourage them to work on their own terms. A lot of the time, only neurodivergent employees know what’s best for them when it comes to productivity, so placing trust in them to manage their own workload can prove beneficial.

‍

How can an employee tracking tool help?

‍

Employee internet monitoring platforms like Insightful provide valuable employee performance metrics you can use to make sure your trust in employees isn’t being misplaced.

‍

You can also use it to transfer power over to your employees and give them the gift of effective self performance appraisal. Giving employees admin rights in the software can provide them with access to their own time data, which can clue them in on where their time is going.  

‍

Conclusion

‍

Another caveat is that it’s challenging to know the impact of the changes you make unless you can monitor computer activity. 

If you’re planning on making internal changes to accommodate a neurodiverse team, you can use an employee tracking tool like Insightful to measure their impact. A time tracker can give you valuable time data, which can then be used to assess individual and team performance.

‍