Why companies should take advantage of neurodiversity

These days, most of us recognise the importance of a diverse and inclusive workplace concerning age, gender or ethnicity. But the idea of a neurodiverse workplace, where people who think differently would be welcome, is less common and new. However, companies now need to innovate all the time to remain competitive, and neurodiversity at the workplace might start being an advantage as companies realise that neurodiverse people could give them a real edge.

To be “wired differently” - a definition of neurodiversity

               A neuroatypical is someone whose brain functions differently from the majority of people. We usually say that neurodivergent individuals are “wired” differently from neurotypical individuals (Austin & Pisano, 2017). The word “neuroatypical” was firstly created to designate autistic people, but is now used more generally to refer to a cerebral atypia that can take a lot of various forms, such as autism, giftedness, attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD), or dyslexia and dyspraxia, etc. To sum up, neurodiversity covers a variety of neurocognitive operations, or in other words the diversity of brains and how they function.

People naturally out of the box thanks to a different way of thinking

                At a time where the companies’ competitiveness result mostly from innovation, some think that neurodiversity at the workplace could become a real benefit. For instance, the way gifted people think can be one of these advantages - they have a tree mind whereas most people have a sequential mind, and usually are very good at having a global vision of something, helping them to find potential problems to anticipate. Their different way of thinking allows them to find original and uncommon ideas. Similarly, autistics frequently have a different way of considering things. Research show that some atypia, including autism and dyslexia, can bestow unique skills in pattern recognition, memory, or mathematics (Austin & Pisano, 2017). Moreover, dyslexics are often highly inventive and creative, and those with ADHD deft at taking calculated risks and thinking innovatively. Various psychologists notice that these people naturally are out of the box, which is a real advantage if you need to differentiate your company on a market and renew your offer all the time to remain competitive.
Nowadays, there is a greater awareness of people who are neurodivergent which results from higher diagnostic rates over the past two decades, as well as the cultural influence of books and TV series that highlight the reality of neurodiversity. Besides, some celebrities have been openly discussing their neurodivergence, and often in positive terms. For instance, Sir Richard Branson, who founded the Virgn Group, has talked about dyslexia being a reason for his success, rather than a difficulty.

A necessary adaptation

According to a study carried out in February 2018 by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), at least ten percent of the population has a neurodivergent way of thinking that sets them apart from the neurotypical majority. However, only 10% of the companies in the UK say consideration of neurodiversity is included in their organisation’s people management practices. However, it can be necessary to adapt the workspace to neurodivergent people. For instance, they are frequently very sensitive to stimulus from their environment, and may need to be allowed to work differently, such as using headphones to prevent auditory overstimulation. In addition, their behavior can sometimes run counter to common notions of good communication skills such as being a team player, persuasiveness, the ability to network, the ability to conform standard practices without special accommodations, etc. (Austin & Pisano, 2017). Nevertheless, in many cases it’s manageable and the potential returns are great.


To conclude, diversity of thought is the key argument in favour of a neurodiverse workplace. Neurodivergent people can bring a variety of unique strengths to their work, from creativity to outstanding information processing. Because neurodivergent people are wired differently, they may bring new perspectives to a company.

Mathilde M.

References quoted in the article:

- Austin R. and Pisano G. (May-June 2017), “Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage”, retrieved from < https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage>

-Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (February 2018), “Neurodiversity at work”. Retrieved from: < https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/neurodiversity-at-work_2018_tcm18-37852.pdf >

-Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (February 2018), “1 in 10 HR professionals say their organisation is now focusing on neurodiversity at work”. Retrieved from:

< https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/media/press/150218-neurodiversity>