How Can the Industry Encourage the Next Generation of Neurodiverse Talent?

As its Neurodiversity Celebration Week, UNLIMITED asks, what can digital industries do to encourage the next generation of neurodiverse talent?

Will Harvey, Senior Global Digital Innovation Manager at Diageo

Don’t Judge a book by its cover. Great talent can come in all shapes, forms and backgrounds. Working with your HR & Talent team to hunt in new pools outside the usual spaces outside our comfort zone, is where you will find those real rough diamonds to future proof your business. 

When roles do come up, don’t just copy paste the cookie cutter talent job spec, constantly evolve job descriptions and pay more attention to what talent does outside of the day job and the grades they got. 

Future talent needs to be multidisciplinary, and approach problems from completely new angles and need to be nurtured, feel heard and be understood.

And most of all let them be them, embrace the sometimes chaotic & challenger thinking they have, understand, and then focus it to give you that competitive advantage. 

Please excuse any typos. Being Dyslexic has its perks.

Alexandra Pontikis Kennedy, Marketing Director, EMEA at StackAdapt

We are committed to breaking down barriers so our business can thrive. By having varied perspectives in the ‘room’ from people with neurodiverse backgrounds means our business is fuelled with innovation. We are committed to a workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our employees, our customers, and our communities.

With this in mind, we are proud to have supported BIMA’s Digital Day which seeks to close the digital skills gap specifically with neurodiverse students. We aim to do more for inclusion in Tech, and reaching out to the neurodiverse community is a great place to start. DEI is a priority and is an essential part of our culture.

Digital industries can benefit hugely from inclusive programs such as BIMA’s Digital Day that seeks to close the digital skills gap. Inspiring and engaging with students is just the beginning.  

Chris Mellish, CEO TMW Unlimited, part of UNLIMITED and President of BIMA (British Interactive Media Association)

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a great opportunity to be positive, but true support requires engaging with and actively supporting the other side of the coin too.

At TMW Unlimited, we’re striving to create an environment where everybody is able to bring their full selves to work. At the heart of that, whether it relates to neurodiversity or any other aspect of life, is being flexible and compassionate to accommodate individual needs.

This means learning from our colleagues and creating a culture that allows people to feel comfortable to come forward and talk about their specific requirements in a way that facilitates positive change, not just additional layers of judgement or scrutiny.

Beyond that, we’ve signed up to 10,000 Able Interns, a programme which unlocks opportunities for disabled students and graduates – some of whom are neurodiverse.

Paul Davenport, Hospital and Home Tuition Service Manager Knowsley Council

It’s easy. Make some small simple changes. 

Firstly, learn more about neurodiversity. Many local authorities give free training on this. I know because I deliver it! 

Secondly, reach out to SEND schools and colleges. Give children the chance to learn about careers in digital. Offer work experience, support internships, take part in BIMA digital day and show what jobs are available in the industry. 

Thirdly, make little changes in the workplace. Simple task schedules, checklists, visuals and clearly stated outcomes might seem basic, but will make a massive difference to a neuro-diverse person. Remove open-ended interview questions that autistic people struggle with and instead give choices to choose from, or practical tasks. That way they can shine, and you can see a true reflection of their ability. 

Finally, talk to neurodiverse people. Neurodiversity means a difference in the way the brain thinks. If you are looking for ideas that no one has ever thought of, ask someone who thinks differently to everyone else! I saw 5 autistic students astound a digital media company by coming up with 50 original ideas in less than 10 minutes. And they weren’t even trying! Give it a go for yourself. You could find the next big thing.