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It’s imperative that staffing teams, and the technologies they may use, recognize the uniqueness of people with diverse life experiences and perspectives, thus coming with ‘superpower’ benefits like great insights, new ideas, and valuable skills.
Key Takeaways
- One in five people could be considered neurodivergent. Sarah, diagnosed with ADHD at five, makes the business case bluntly: this is not a niche — it's a fifth of your workforce, and most DEI conversations leave them out.
- Hiring criteria systematically screen out neurodiverse talent. Recruiting skews toward outgoing communicators who think on their feet, yet neurodiverse employees over-index on pattern recognition, memory, creative skills, and detail orientation. The criteria, not the candidates, are misaligned.
- "User manuals" solve the disclosure problem. Her team fills out a short document answering how they like feedback, when they work best, how they want to be rewarded. It surfaces accommodation needs without forcing anyone to self-identify as neurodivergent.
- Return-to-office is a neurodiversity issue. Rigid in-office mandates compound the social-anxiety load many neurodivergent employees already carry. Hybrid and flexible hours aren't perks — they're accessibility.
- Show-don't-tell recruiting helps everyone. Replace on-the-spot interview questions with hands-on exercises or demonstrations. It reduces bias against neurodiverse candidates and surfaces real skill across the board.
- Accommodation is universal, not special. Sarah's reframe: everyone has preferences — extrovert vs. introvert, morning vs. night. Treating accommodations as a baseline for all employees removes the stigma and the separate-track feeling.
- AI is a genuine accessibility tool. She uses it to break through the start-stuck moments neurodivergent brains often hit — resume drafts, application answers, first passes — and then personalizes from there.
In Sarah's Words
On the hiring bias no one audits
One in five people actually could be considered neurodivergent. But when we're recruiting or thinking about promotions, there is inherent bias. We look for solid communication, people that are outgoing and bubbly, team players, people that think quick on their feet, emotional intelligence. For those of us that are neurodiverse, those things are a little bit harder.
A neurodiverse person has higher than average creative skills, pattern recognition, memory, mathematics. They bring a very unique, detail-oriented skill set — but in some cases may require us to think differently about what the workday looks like.
On practical inclusion
Be open to more flexible working hours. We all work best at different times — maybe you're more creative in the morning, maybe you work best at night. Going back into the office might be harder for folks that are neurodivergent. Split time, or a more remote setting, can be beneficial.
My team has a tool called user manuals. It asks: how do you like to receive feedback, when do you work best, how do you like to be communicated with, how do you like to feel rewarded. Some people are uncomfortable self-diagnosing, so this lets them share preferences without having to openly identify — if that's their choice.
On working neurodivergent, day-to-day
I joke with my boss that I either have incredibly productive days where I work for way too many hours without a break, or I don't get much done because my brain is processing a lot.
I have a reminder on my phone to work for 90-minute intervals and take a break to change my surroundings. Time-blocking helps me focus on one thing at a time so I don't get frustrated at the end of the day that I haven't checked anything off.
On culture change
Stop treating people who need a different accommodation as different or as something to be ashamed of. You don't have to be neurodivergent or have a disability to need an accommodation. Everyone works better at different times. The more we talk about preferences being okay, the better we will be.
About the Speaker
Sarah Danzl serves as Chief Marketing Officer, focused on the global marketing and go-to-market strategies for Skillable. Most recently, Sarah was Communications Officer and Vice President of Customer Marketing at Degreed. She has been actively involved in the learning space for 15 years, leading marketing and communications efforts in both corporate and startup capacities, especially thriving in high-growth SaaS environments. When Sarah is not developing new content, she can be found experimenting with new recipes, getting involved in a local nonprofit or walking her two pitbulls at the base of the Rockies in Boulder, CO.
Show Notes
03:40 What is neurodiversity, and why is it important in the workplace?
05:20 How can companies create inclusive environments for neurodiverse employees?
08:33 What challenges do neurodiverse employees commonly face which hamper their wellbeing, and how can these challenges be addressed?
11:15 How can employers promote awareness and understanding of neurodiversity among all employees?
12:40 What specific accommodations or adjustments can be made to support neurodiverse individuals in the workplace?
