Creating cultures of neuroinclusion
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Diversity of thought and minds can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. According to Deloitte, “organisations that make an extra effort to recruit, retain, and nurture neurodivergent workers can gain a competitive edge from increased diversity in skills, ways of thinking, and approaches to problem-solving”. With an estimated 15-20% of adults being neurodivergent, businesses that fail to support neurodiverse individuals risk falling behind. It’s essential for businesses to support the neurodivergent community by making necessary accommodations for everyone, regardless of diagnosis.
We were delighted to have Becs Tridgell from Autism Unlimited join us for our most recent ‘Tune In’, session, where we tuned into the voices of the neurodivergent community, looking to learn practical steps and strategies to foster a neuroinclusive workplace culture that values and supports every employee.
Watch the video below for a full recap, and check out the session highlights and key insights below:
The benefits of a neuroinclusive workforce
Neurodivergent employees bring unique strengths that can transform workplaces. Skills like hyper-focus, creative thinking, innovative problem-solving, empathy, and detailed analysis are just a few examples of the value neurodivergent individuals can offer when supported effectively.
However, these strengths can only thrive when workplaces address the challenges neurodivergent employees face. By fostering a culture of neuroinclusion, organisations unlock not only individual potential but also greater collaboration, loyalty, and long-term success.
Common challenges faced by neurodivergent employees
Many neurodivergent employees encounter significant barriers in the workplace. Traditional recruitment processes, such as interviews that emphasise eye contact or sociability, often overlook the strengths of neurodivergent candidates.
Masking – where individuals consciously or unconsciously hide their neurodivergent traits to appear more “typical” – is another challenge. While masking can help individuals fit into workplaces that may not be inclusive, it often leads to exhaustion, burnout, and reduced engagement.
Sensory sensitivities, like difficulties with noise, lighting, or smells, can also make everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult. For example, an open-plan office might create challenges for someone with auditory sensitivities, reducing their ability to focus or perform at their best.
The power of effective communication
Communication is a cornerstone of neuroinclusion. By prioritising clarity, consistency, and compassion, organisations can create an environment where neurodivergent employees feel understood, supported, and empowered.
Clarity
Clear communication ensures that everyone, regardless of neurotype, can engage fully. This includes:
- Sending agendas in advance of meetings
- Chunking information into smaller, manageable parts
- Using visual aids to support verbal explanations
- Providing assistive technologies
Consistency
Consistency builds trust and reliability. Neurodivergent employees often thrive in environments where expectations and processes are supported and made clear. Examples include:
- Assigning a buddy to new employees for ongoing support
- Standardising accommodations, like offering quiet spaces or noise-cancelling headphones
- Implementing policies to create sensory-friendly environments, such as discouraging strong smells in open-plan offices
Compassion
Compassionate communication acknowledges individual needs and ensures everyone feels valued. Tailored adjustments might include:
- Allowing regular breaks for employees who need to manage energy levels
- Providing specific ergonomic tools, like supportive chairs or coloured overlays
- Offering flexibility in how tasks are completed, enabling employees to work in ways that suit their strengths
Practical steps to build a neuroinclusive workplace
Neuroinclusion requires thoughtful, tailored adjustments that enable everyone to thrive, not just the neurodivergent.
Some practical steps include:
- Rethinking job design: Tailor roles to individual strengths rather than expecting everyone to fit into rigid job descriptions.
- Creating dedicated quiet spaces: Offer areas where employees can decompress or work in silence.
- Normalising accommodations: Provide tools like noise-cancelling headphones, visual aids, or flexible schedules to support productivity.
- Improving recruitment processes: Redesign interviews to focus on practical skills rather than sociability or traditional cues like eye contact.
- Fostering a supportive culture: Encourage open dialogue about neurodiversity to reduce stigma and build trust, ensuring employees feel safe to share their needs.
While supporting neurodivergent employees is both a legal and moral obligation – it’s a strategic advantage too. Through education, adjustments, and open dialogue, we can create workplaces where every mind is valued, and every employee can thrive.
If you need support on your journey to building a more neuroinclusive working environment, we’re here to help. Whether it’s developing culture change programmes, creating communication campaigns that drive inclusion, or ensuring your communications are accessible to all, we can provide the expertise you need. Talk to us today to start making a meaningful difference in your workplace.
Webinar: Empowering workforces to be neuroinclusive
The five ingredients for creative bravery
By Sally Pritchett
CEO
Making creative work stand out takes more than just fresh ideas. It requires confidence, collaboration, and a clear sense of purpose. To produce creatively brave communications there are often many obstacles in the way.
Here’s how to bring creative bravery into your work and overcome the challenges that can hold it back:
How to build creative bravery
Lay a strong foundation
Start with clear objectives. Have open conversations about goals, challenges, and expectations to set the stage for creative ideas that deliver impact. Add thorough research into your audience and market to ensure the work is both bold and informed.
Stretch within the boundaries
Push your creative thinking beyond the obvious while staying true to the brand and the brief. Look for “stretch zones” – areas where you can innovate without compromising the integrity of the message.
Make collaboration a priority
The best creative work thrives on trust and collaboration. Regular check-ins, shared feedback, and a clear, open process ensure alignment and build confidence in the creative journey.
Be authentic and inclusive
Authentic, inclusive storytelling ensures everyone feels seen and valued. By understanding diverse perspectives and experiences, you can create campaigns that reflect your audience and connect on a personal level.
Overcoming common challenges to creative bravery
However, even with the best intentions, obstacles often hold back bold ideas.
Here’s how to tackle the most common ones:
- Not seeing the value: Quality trumps quantity. Show the impact of fewer, more focused creative assets to gain buy-in.
- Budget constraints: Allocate budget strategically to maximize results rather than spreading resources too thinly.
- Fear of being called out: Work with experts within diversity, accessibility and inclusion, and test ideas with real audiences to build confidence.
- Unclear objectives: Collaboratively define goals and briefs to keep everyone on the same page.
- Fear of failure: Mitigate this by grounding creative decisions in solid research and fostering a culture of trust.
The five ingredients for stand-out creative
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creativity, successful campaigns often include these key elements:
- A balance between bravery and risk.
- A strong foundation in insights and research.
- Identifying “stretch zones” for innovation.
- A collaborative culture built on trust.
- An understanding of inclusive communication
When all these ingredients come together, you create work that resonates – bold, thoughtful, and deeply connected to your audience.
Let’s create work that connects
Creative bravery isn’t about taking reckless risks; it’s about having the confidence to push boundaries with care, curiosity, and purpose. Ready to explore what’s possible? Let’s talk about how we can help you create communications that stand out and connect where it matters most.