Performance management for neurodivergent employees

Understanding neurodiversity is crucial for managing neurodivergent employees and creating an environment where they can thrive. In this article, we provide performance management best practices that will allow you to better support neurodivergent employees.

Best practices for managing neurodivergent employees and supporting neurodiversity in the workplace

Over the past decade, employers have progressed from merely recognizing neurodiversity to actively embracing it. However, they are only beginning to tap into the vast potential of a neurodiverse workforce. With the right support in place, neurodivergent individuals, including individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bring transformative strengths to the workplace.

Understanding neurodiversity is crucial for managing neurodivergent employees and creating an environment where they can thrive, especially in performance management. This understanding comes through education and practical experience. Ideally, performance management should be consistent for both neurodivergent and neurotypical staff, but this is not yet widely practiced. As such, building a robust performance management program that supports all employees is important.

This article will explore performance management best practices that will allow you to support neurodivergent employees better.

Implementation approaches proactively managing neurodivergent employees

The following are some approaches to employing and managing neurodivergent employees:

  1. Inclusive hiring practices: Hiring practices should be intentionally designed to support assessment in various ways. Neurodivergent individuals may struggle with the typical interview process, so providing a supported interview can set everyone up for success. At CAI, we utilize a structured evaluation initiative that includes a Talent Discovery Session (TDS) and a Knowledge and Skills Assessment (KSA). The TDS replaces the traditional interview with a hands-on evaluation, allowing candidates the support and space to showcase their talents, knowledge, and strengths. The KSA mirrors the TDS by offering candidates a chance to actively demonstrate and apply their talents through a condensed, 1-day session involving individual and team-based exercises. Both opportunities produce a comprehensive vocational profile, highlighting success factors and emerging talent. This enables our recruitment team to identify individuals who bring unique strengths to data analysis and problem-solving.
  2. Outreach and recruitment: Develop a team of professionally trained outreach and recruiting staff dedicated to recruiting neurodivergent individuals. Consider offering manager-level employees the opportunity to complete certifications to gain awareness of recruiting and workplace expectations and understand key considerations for an inclusive work environment. Integrate training processes to prepare candidates for long-term success. Look for opportunities to build relationships with not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions that support neurodivergent job seekers, including state vocational rehabilitation offices and universities. Maintain regular communication with job coaches and host in-person events to discuss the program in-depth with students and parents, and conduct in-person interviews at these events. Additionally, platforms specifically designed for neurodivergent candidates should be used to enhance the recruitment process. Leveraging these practices can help you better understand each candidate’s goals and strengths, setting them up for success as they join your organization.
  3. Education: Obtain training for leaders across the organization about neurodiversity to foster understanding and support. This can include workshops, seminars, or e-learning modules (e.g. unconscious bias and neurodiversity awareness training). This helps create a supportive culture that allows neurodivergent individuals to feel comfortable asking questions, vocalizing ideas, and growing in their careers. With a work environment that clearly values and supports questions and different perspectives, you’re allowing everyone to work at their best.
  4. Personalized approaches: Adopt a “person-first” approach, tailoring training plans to everyone’s strengths and support needs. Focus on the strengths of neurodivergent employees and how these can be harnessed to benefit the team and organization and align structured goals and performance metrics accordingly. Consider offering job coaching and resources to support an individualized approach to common challenges. Understand that neurodivergent individuals may not adhere to traditional social norms, but that does not reflect their performance.
  5. Communication and feedback: Communicate clearly and regularly using direct language and specific illustrations. Steer clear of vagueness to prevent confusion and provide a clear understanding of performance and areas requiring enhancement. Solicit feedback from your employees, ask if they have additional support needs, and offer suggestions for growth areas.
  6. Regular manager check-ins: Implement regular check-ins to assist in ongoing mentorship, support, and guidance. Internal systems should allow easy communication on their preferred devices so associates can reach managers and leads with ease in alignment with active, flexible schedules.
  7. Reasonable accommodations: Consider modifying your workplace to minimize sensory overstimulation and create an inclusive physical environment. Examples include providing noise-reduction headphones (if applicable), creating quiet spaces, or allowing adaptable seating options. Where applicable, use assistive technologies that can help employees perform at their best. For formal accommodations, ensure policies and processes are documented and widely socialized/visible to all employees. By offering these accommodations, you’re removing barriers to success and empowering your teams to perform at their highest levels.
  8. Career mobility: All employees should have opportunities and resources for career development and advancement. The development of short-term and long-term goals as a collaborative approach is paramount, and so is promoting mentorship within your organization. This guidance and support can help neurodivergent employees navigate the social aspects of the workplace and hone self-advocacy skills.

Create a company culture supporting neurodiversity

Managing the performance of your teams and encouraging their growth and development can only occur when you’ve built a company culture that supports it. A change in culture can occur organically as you continue to embrace neuroinclusion, starting with the following:

  1. Focus groups: Offer opportunities and forums to collect feedback from neurodivergent employees to keep a pulse on what’s working and what’s not. Seek open feedback on areas of improvement and opportunities to develop your employees.
  2. Accessibility compliance: Commit to growing your accessibility footprint with cross-team collaboration. It’s important to bake accessibility into every solution put forth – from digital accessibility to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance in your facilities. Through education and implementation, you enable employees to be accessibility advocates and work at their best.
  3. Mentorship programs: Offer opportunities for formal mentorship programs where neurodivergent employees can receive support and guidance, as well as be mentors to others.
  4. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives: Implement an Employee Resource Group focused on support and advocacy for neurodivergent employees to help everyone feel valued and understood across the organization.

With these best practices in mind, you’ll empower your employees to deliver results while developing rewarding, long-lasting careers for the neurodiverse community and leading the way to an inclusive workforce environment.

Effective performance management starts with supporting neurodiversity and inclusion

Effective performance management and career development practices for neurodivergent individuals are essential for unlocking their full potential and fostering an inclusive workplace. By understanding and accommodating unique needs, providing tailored support, and creating equitable opportunities for growth, organizations can harness the transformative strengths that neurodivergent employees bring to the table. As we continue to evolve our practices, let’s commit to building environments where everyone can thrive and contribute their best, ensuring a diverse and dynamic future for our workforce.

CAI Neurodiverse Solutions helps private and public organizations build workplaces where innovation thrives on the unique strengths of every employee, including individuals with ASD. We specialize in autism employment and creating supportive environments that harness and transform their valuable skillsets into a competitive advantage for our clients. Our mission is to build innovative business solutions that deliver results while developing rewarding, long-lasting careers for the neurodiverse community and leading the way to an inclusive workforce environment.

Let's talk!

Interested in learning more about how we can help your organization build or expand your existing neurodiversity employment program? We'd love to talk.

All fields marked with * are required.

Please correct all errors below.
Please agree to our terms and conditions to continue.

For information about our collection and use of your personal information, our privacy and security practices and your data protection rights, please see our privacy policy and corresponding cookie policy.