Neurodiversity in the Workforce

The twenty-first century has brought a groundswell of multi-cultural diversity to the workforce. For the most part, society has judged that to be a positive thing and employers often seek to achieve it, but what about neurodiversity? Are we equally willing to embrace these differences?

What Exactly is 'Neurodiversity' Anyway?

The term was first coined by Harvey Blume in 1998 for an article he wrote in The Atlantic about geeks and nerds. The neuro- part of the word refers to how the brain is wired. People with neurological conditions like hyperactivity, attention deficit, and high-functioning autism all have brains wired a little differently than what is typical. It has nothing to do with intelligence. It is about how they process the information their brain receives. Neruodiversity accepts atypical wiring of the brain as beneficial.

Many examples exist where someone whose brain is wired a little differently has succeeded in life—the absent minded professor, the hyper-active used car salesman, and those who have channeled attention deficits into lively jobs where they thrive as journalists, restaurateurs, or soldiers. Asperger's Syndrome can be an asset when working with the predictability and logic of computer technology.

The Wave of Things to Come?

Blume says that neurodiversity is "not only timely but quite possibly irresistible." Employers who take a fresh and objective view of the hiring process recognize that many people with tons of talent and intellect aren't very good at selling themselves during the job interview. These are people whose neurological wiring is a little different than the conformist team players and the socially adept in-crowd. They are the individuals who solve problems outside the boxes and see things that others may miss.

It is not always easy to integrate someone who thinks or acts a "little funny" into a stable and staid working environment. Change merely for the sake of change is a rash decision. Employers should still be mindful of hiring people with good and honorable character, but a neurologically diverse roster of employees can give a business more flexibility, open up new prospects, and accommodate a wider range of challenges than a cookie-cutter crew.