Leadership and Neuroinclusion: Your top questions answered

The content and resources provided in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or legal advice. We hope this information can set you on a pathway to learning more about neurodiversity in the workplace. To ensure the highest quality content for our readers, all our articles are co-edited by Jane McColl, Senior People Manager at CareScribe. Happy reading!

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According to Deloitte, neuroinclusive organisations are twice as likely to exceed financial targets and three times more likely to outperform their competition.

But achieving true neuroinclusion starts at the top. So, how can organisations get leadership on board to integrate neurodiversity into their broader strategies?

In this edition, we’re answering the questions that matter most to you. Drawing insights from our recent Skill Sessions webinar, CareScribe experts tackle the challenges of influencing and gaining buy-in from the top by sharing actionable solutions.

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1. How can we bring parity between neurodiversity and other protected characteristics?

🚨 The problem

As one of the attendees in our webinar put it, neurodiversity often feels like the “poor cousin” of workplace inclusion. Inclusion strategies have been focused on well-established areas like race and gender so far, leaving neurodiversity overlooked. Unfortunately, this disparity has led to neuroinclusion receiving less attention and resources and often being treated as secondary.

✅ What to do

Dr Richard P. , Founder and Director of CareScribe, shares some practical tips to tackle this disparity:

• Leaders must walk the talk. Neurodiversity can feel daunting for leaders and managers, with fears of “getting it wrong” or using the wrong words and unintentionally offending someone. However, leaders should take the initiative to educate themselves and build awareness in order to create a safe environment for their neurodiverse teams. In a space with psychological safety, team members will feel comfortable asking questions and having open conversations about their challenges and needs.
• Leaders should play as role models by sharing their own experiences with neurodiversity — whether it’s dyslexia, ADHD, or any other neurodivergence. This can signal to the employees that it’s okay to be open about their conditions and challenges in the workplace. If leaders role model openness, others will follow.
• Leaders should integrate neurodiversity into broader strategies and shouldn’t treat neurodiversity as a standalone initiative. Instead, weave it into your broader inclusion strategies. By embedding neuroinclusion into everything you do, you show it’s just as important as other areas like race or gender.

2. How can we educate senior leaders or founders who show a lack of understanding toward neurodiversity?

🚨 The problem

Some senior leaders may lack a full understanding of neurodiversity or even harbour biases against prioritising it in workplace inclusion efforts. This lack of awareness can slow down the progress needed to create a truly inclusive workplace.

✅ What to do

Elle Chappell , People Director at CareScribe, shares some insightful tips to tackle this problem:

• Focus on education as neurodiversity is still a relatively new topic for many, especially when compared to other long-established protected characteristics, as we discussed above. Educating senior leaders is key to shifting perspectives and overcoming biases. It’s essential to create a foundation of knowledge so that leaders understand the importance of neurodiversity in the workplace.
• Present data-driven arguments and understand what leaders care about. Elle emphasises that when approaching senior leaders, it's crucial to speak their language. Present data that aligns with their goals — whether that’s improving company performance, staying competitive, or enhancing credibility. Tying neurodiversity to these priorities can make the case for inclusion more compelling. Be patient, though, she warns, it may take time, but consistently weaving neurodiversity into the broader business conversation will help demonstrate its value.

🪂 Deep dive

The barriers for senior leadership in embracing neuroinclusion

• Fear of getting it wrong. Many senior leaders hesitate to engage with neurodiversity due to concerns about using incorrect language or unintentionally offending someone on their team.
• Perception as a “nice-to-have”. Neuroinclusion is often seen as an ethical consideration rather than a critical part of a business strategy. This can result in it taking a back seat to other priorities, especially when compared to more tangible diversity efforts.
• Focus on short-term returns. In challenging economic times, leaders tend to prioritise initiatives with quick and measurable outcomes. Neuroinclusion requires long term commitment and offers less immediate ROI. These can be barriers to justifying the efforts and make it harder to get budget approval.
• Knowledge gap. A lack of understanding around neurodiversity in the workplace can prevent leaders from seeing its value. Without that foundational knowledge, it’s less likely resources and energy will be allocated to neuroinclusion efforts.

How can you speak leadership’s language? What do they care about?

Understanding what matters to your leadership team is key to gaining their support for neuroinclusion. Different leaders prioritise different outcomes, so tailoring your approach to their focus areas can make all the difference.

• For CTOs: innovation and performance are their top priorities. If you can frame neuroinclusion as a way to boost creativity, foster new ideas, and drive innovation, it’ll speak directly to what they care about.
• For CFOs: it’s all about the numbers and bottom line — things like profitability, margins, and ROI. For them, showing how neuroinclusion can reduce costs (like lower turnover and recruitment expenses) and improve productivity is key to getting their support.
• For CEOs: they are looking at the big picture: company performance, reputation, and competitive advantage. If you can show how neuroinclusion can make your company a leader in the space, enhance employee engagement, and improve overall performance, you’ll be speaking directly to their priorities.

Get your free ultimate guide to neurodiversity in the workplace

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3. How can organisations support neurodivergent individuals during the early stages of recruitment?

🚨 The problem

Let’s face it — the traditional recruitment process often doesn’t accommodate neurodivergent candidates. Things like CV writing, navigating application systems, and the lack of accommodations can create significant barriers for neurodivergent applicants. For many, the challenge isn’t in the interview itself, but in getting there.

✅ What to do

Here are two key points Jane McColl , Senior People Manager at CareScribe, highlights:

• Redesign application processes by offering alternatives to the traditional written CV, such as video submissions or asynchronous formats. This makes it easier for neurodivergent candidates who may find written applications challenging. Allowing them to express their skills and experience in a more comfortable way can level the playing field.
• Build adjustments into your processes by making it clear that accommodations are available from the start. Include a simple option for candidates to request support during the application process. This can be as straightforward as offering an email address or checkbox on the application form for candidates to indicate their need for adjustments.

🪂 Deep Dive

• Ensure all candidates receive the interview structure and questions ahead of time. In our Skill Sessions webinar with AXA UK , Nicki Kelly shared that one common mistake in inclusive hiring is assuming that providing accommodations, such as sharing interview questions in advance, offers an unfair advantage. In reality, this gives neurodivergent candidates, especially those with ADHD or autism, the time they need to process the information and prepare accordingly.
• During onboarding, encourage new employees to share how they work best. For example, at CareScribe , we share a document called ‘How I Work Best’ with our recently onboarded employees, which includes questions about communication styles, feedback preferences, and preferred meeting formats. This should be standard practice for everyone so that managers can adjust their leadership approach to fit individual needs.

• Educate managers on the value of understanding and accommodating neurodivergent traits, such as the need for breaks or varying levels of structure, instead of enforcing a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
• Small, no-cost changes make a big difference. For example, managers can use technology to assist with reminders, meeting invitations, and even captions during calls, making the workplace more accessible and less stressful for neurodivergent employees without significant financial investment.
• Ensure that managers are familiar with resources like the Access to Work scheme and other funding or tools that can support neurodivergent employees, such as dictation software, captioning tools, or noise-cancelling headphones.
• Encourage managers to approach neurodiversity with curiosity and openness. If they don’t know something, they should ask and seek to learn more about how they can support their team members.

You're invited!

Join our next Skill Sessions webinar to hear from experts as they share key learnings and success stories on embracing neurodiversity and creating inclusive workplaces. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights you can apply to your own organisation.

Book your ✨ free ✨ place now for our upcoming Skill Sessions webinar:

• Why ED&I is Everyone’s Business: Working Groups with Not On The High Street — February 6, 2025.

Our webinars are perfect for HR, EDI, and inclusion professionals and they are hosted online. You can check out all our upcoming and previous webinars here.

CareScribe is on a mission to make the world more accessible. We build assistive technology which levels the playing field for people with disabilities and enables users to be more independent in their studies and at work. Our small but mighty team builds software that thousands of people love: lightning-fast dictation software, TalkType, and our live-captioning and note-taking product, Caption.Ed. Explore how CareScribe can help you create a more inclusive workplace.