Imagine trying to cross a road, where the window for crossing safely is narrowed right down to split seconds and where you have limited sight. It's easy to see that that is quite the challenge and staying safe in that scenario is down to the roll of a dice. 

This is what it feels like to navigate the world as a person with a neurodivergent condition. Every day. With every interaction they have.

Neurodivergent conditions are plenty, from autism, ADHD, tourettes, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and foetal alcohol syndrome to name a few. They all manifest themselves differently and there are many people who are undiagnosed but have these conditions, making understanding how best to support people quite challenging for businesses.

But there are a few defining characteristics which may be helpful: Those with neurodivergent conditions struggle with sensory overload; many also suffer with a mental health condition and neurodivergency means communication can be that much harder, especially when you consider the sensory overload and mental health conditions they are also managing.

So how do you best support these people and onboard them well?

Communicate everything.

You may understand that an interview can be a pretty nerve racking event for anyone but for those with neurodivergent conditions it is even more difficult for them to really be at their best because of the environment and pressure.  Sensory overload is a common feature and where a process isn't explained there is so much happening in these individuals you can't see, they will most likely fail to demonstrate their skills at their best. So communicating about the process will go along way to reducing the amount of time that fight and flight mechanism is engaged and thus improving your chances of getting the best out of the process for everyone. 

Explain as much as you can about the recruitment process, including:

• Where it will be held
• Who will be involved with the interviews
• How long you expect the interview to take. 
• If you need candidates to take a test, don't spring it on them! Give everyone plenty of warning, ideally when you arrange the interview but failing that aim for an hour minimum.
• And avoid heaps of call back interviews. Two is ideal but if you have to do a third, make it for good reason. Any more and you're really showing that you're not that well organised!

Finally:

• Tell people how long you expect to make a decision and what will happen next. 

In the time between accepting the offer and joining your company, keep in touch. Tell them about what the first day will look and feel like and you'll have a happy engaged person joining you.

Remember neurodiverse conditions add so much to your organisation, and your customers and audiences. After all your audience is likely to have neurodivergent conditions too so having people who get it is really powerful for your whole reach.



If you need more support or you'd like training on how to recruit well and inclusively, get in touch at info@freshseed.co.uk