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Neurodiversity - Are You Recruiting the Best Talent?

I read this amazing article in The Evening Standard's recruitment section recently about how some public sector employers (and a few in the private sector) actively recruit neurodiverse individuals.
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What appealed to me about the article was the fact that it highlighted some really forward-thinking organisations who truly endorsed and delivered on a completely inclusive and diverse workforce, and even more importantly, recognised and valued these strengths.

For me; GCHQ, as one such employer, celebrate the mantra of the song “This is Me” and all the positive meanings you can take from it. See my blog article “This is Me!” to hear the song, if you haven’t already heard it!

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As a potential employee, when writing your CV you should focus on your strengths and accomplishments; demonstrating how you can add value to your potential employer by giving examples of how you've added value in the past throughout your career.

People who have skills which mean they think differently, view things differently, and problem solve differently are often highly driven and creative. These are traits that I would say are definitely what a lot of organisations would want in their new recruits.

However, according to an in-depth report into neurodiversity published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, just 1 in 10 organisations stated that neurodiversity is considered in it's people management practices. Yet 1 in 10 of the UK population is neurodivergent in some way; whether that be dyslexia, an autistic spectrum condition, dyscalculia or dyspraxia.

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There appears to be a big development gap here, and also real opportunities that organisations are missing out on; a bit like giving line managers the skills to be able to support women who are going through the menopause (that's another blog!).

If you run your own business, are a line manager or leader, or a member of an HR team and/or involved in recruitment; what are you doing to ensure you're not missing out on the very brightest talents?

Realise like a lot of things affecting the world of work, you can act;

Aspire to take the lead in this arena; and

Do take the first step and read The CIPD/Uptimise guide to Neurodiversity at Work.

Blog Posts

  • “If you do what you’ve always done; you’ll get what you’ve always got”
    This old adage is so true whether applied to recruitment methods, meetings or retaining talent to name but a few areas.

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  • One of the positives of the pandemic is that there is no longer the monopoly on leadership due to position.
  • I have previously written about "Belonging - what does this mean to you?" (http://j-w-c.co.uk/blog-display/293). I want to now build on this and consider it from a team's perspective and what it means if you are a manager leading a team currently.
  • Earlier this year, I completed my Mental Health First Aider Training (MHFA) England, something I had wanted to do for a little while.
  • Recently, I was delivering the "First 90 Days in your New Role" for LHH. This is a workshop which generates great discussion around helping people who are still interviewing to find their next appropriate opportunity and to think about how they would answer this question at interview.
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