Depending on which neurodiversity condition you have, navigating the job hunt and the workplace can be challenging in a myriad of ways. This support hub contains advice from neurodivergent employers on how to overcome the variety of these challenges. We've partnered with leading law firm, Ashurst, to bring you top tips and advice for starting your career journey as a neurodiverse person.
Jump to advice on:
- The application process
- Navigating the workplace
- Advocating for yourself in the workplace
Advice for the application process
At what point in the application process should a candidate disclose that they are neurodiverse? What is the best approach for disclosing this information?
As soon as you feel comfortable. The quicker employers know, the quicker they can make any necessary adjustments. The best time is right at the beginning before you even submit your application so they can ensure all candidates have a good and fair candidate experience. Adjustments can be discussed at each stage of the process.
What should a candidate look out for in a job description as an indication that an employer is inclusive and has considerations in place for neurodiverse candidates?
Look out for:
- A statement on the job description asking candidates to get in touch if they need any further adjustments in the application process.
- Guidance at the bottom of applications/job descriptions that state where candidates can go if they have concerns over ethical or conduct concerns. Whilst every employers' main goal is to not have any ethical issues, having this means that they're holding themselves accountable and genuinely care about their culture.
- Words and phrases like ‘culturally diverse’, ‘encourage applications from underrepresented groups’, ‘equality’ and ‘adjustments’
Have other questions? We'll be running the second edition of our Neurodiverse Leaders event in Spring 2025 - keep an eye on our events page for details.
Advice for navigating the workplace
- Consider finding an employee network group to build community with – including communities that reflect all of your experience, e.g. culture or gender, not just your neurodiversity!
- Adopt a growth mindset – this is the belief that your skills and abilities can grow over time. Instead of being disheartened if things seem difficult, make time to remember that you are learning, and will be finding things easier soon. A great way to celebrate your growth is to keep an email folder – a 'me file' - in which you can file every time people thank you for what you are doing, or send you praise. It will fill up quicker than you might think, and is a good resource for when rejection sensitive dysphoria strikes, or you feel dysregulated.
- Effective working is not just about the specific tasks you will be asked to perform, but also the activities and moments in between, such as the sometimes unwritten rules around etiquette, socialising and networking. Many neurodivergent people are great observers of others' behaviour and you can use those skills to watch and learn how things are done. Consider asking for a buddy or mentor in your first few months, who can help introduce you to the unwritten parts of the workplace.
Advice for advocating for yourself in the workplace
- Communicate: neurodivergent people often have a lot of experience of operating outside their comfort zone, but that's not necessarily ideal. A better scenario is one where you can co-create conditions with your employer that allow you to be yourself at work. To do this, take some time as an individual to think – what do I need? What would make me more productive? What might be something that my manager or colleagues should know to work around? Perhaps there are accommodations that have worked at school or college that can help you start to piece this together. Then communicate these reflections with your manager and your team.
- Reflect: Understanding leads to confidence and advocacy. However, if you've never been in a situation before, you won't know how you will handle it beforehand. Setting up time to regularly reflect on challenges, and to add to your picture of what you know and need for yourself, is vital. Regular reviews on your own, with a coach, counsellor or mentor, and/or with your manager, can help you to explore how to keep progressing and how to better understand yourself, and to make tweaks and changes to others' understanding and support.