Neurodiversity at Work by Kirby Amanda; Smith Theo; & Amanda Kirby

Author:Kirby, Amanda; Smith, Theo; & Amanda Kirby
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kogan Page, Limited
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

What’s the reality?

The reality is that there are often multiple ways to excel in a job. We need to be able to have better processes for ‘mapping’ the different ways one can excel in a job as this would greatly help to recruit neurodiverse candidates. A one-size dichotomous approach to hiring often excludes those with certain traits that might not even matter that much, or alternatively can be made up with other traits they actually excel in.

Another aspect of digital assessments that would help neurodiverse candidates is tools that can accurately showcase the degree of talent and ability someone has.

The first reason has to do with relativity. Remember Good Will Hunting? When Robin Williams and Stellan Skarsgård, the professor that won the Field’s medal, were in the bar and Stellan said, ‘There are maybe three or four people in the world that can actually see the difference between us, that know you are so much smarter than I am? That’s because if some people are so much smarter in a specific area than you are, you can’t tell the difference between someone who is four times as good at maths and someone who is six times as good. Both are so far out of your capacity that you don’t see the difference.’

When we consider the strengths and skills of those who are neurodiverse and the fact they may demonstrate very spiky profiles, if we are measuring all candidates on a scale of 1–10 on five cognitive skills but one candidate has the potential to go off the chart on two of those skills areas, the comparison has not been a fair one and the generalist will keep winning the day.

A second important point made is about inaccuracy in our estimation of our abilities. This may be over- or underestimated and can vary by gender, culture and experience.

Digital assessment technology may reduce bias in some ways but may introduce it in others. Digital poverty is a real thing and not all jobs require digital skills. Inclusion has to be considered at the time of design and not as an afterthought. Ultimately organizations need to be more open minded to looking at candidates’ strengths rather than their defined weaknesses.

When we consider the performance of a Formula One racing car, we don’t say, ‘Wow it uses a lot of petrol; is very expensive to repair; it doesn’t even have a roof or a SATNav/multimedia system.’ We say, ‘Wow, that’s super-lightweight, with incredible driver safety, and incredibly fast, perfectly built for what we need it to do.’

Context is everything, and if we build assessment the right way, laser focused on the key cognitive skills we require, then we give ourselves the best opportunity to build high-performing diverse teams with complementary skills and experiences.

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