A new report from the Association for Project Management (APM) suggests telecoms and tech employers may be overlooking a hidden talent pool – professionals with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia and autism – whose strengths could boost project success and innovation.
New research has shown that neurodivergent staff could help businesses become more successful if the right steps are taken to make workplaces more inclusive, with neurodevelopmental conditions bringing unique insights and talents to many companies.
The findings from the APM, the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, has identified that people with neurodevelopmental conditions could add specific skills if they were better supported to do so.
APM commissioned the report after it identified a lack of neurodiverse representation in the industry and aimed to understand the reasons behind it and what could be done to improve things.
The recently published ‘Promoting Neurodiversity Report’’ assesses how well the industry is integrating neurodivergent people, and what more needs to be done.
It states that neurodivergent individuals sometimes have strengths and abilities that can support project success, including better pattern recognition, risk management, adaptability, and more.
However, it also found that these individuals face barriers to employment, such as finding difficulties with the traditional interview process, or facing sensory overload in a busy office environment.
It concludes that more needs to be done to ensure neurodivergent individuals have as much chance to succeed as their neurotypical colleagues.
APM listed seven recommendations that companies can adopt that include promoting neurodiversity awareness and training; enhancing disclosure processes; implementing reasonable adjustments and flexible policies; reassessing recruitment and training practices; and fostering supportive networks
Businesses can also redesign workspaces and meeting environments, alongside focusing on strength-based task assignment.
Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM (pictured) said: “The seven recommendations in the report around recruitment, training, implementing reasonable adjustments, establishing peer support networks, and creating a genuinely inclusive culture should help the profession improve significantly.”