The investment industry could benefit from greater neuro-diversity, a new report from the Diversity Project has revealed.
The report, the first ever survey of neurodivergent individuals working in the investment and savings industry, found that teams with neurodivergent professionals in many roles can be 30% more productive than those without them.
The Diversity Project said that while the common misperception of neurodivergent people is that these disorders lead to difficulties, the report seeks to uncover some of the strengths they bring to employment. It is estimated that neurodivergent individuals, comprising those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and ADHD, make up around 15% of the UK population.
Although 70% of respondents said their employers were supportive, others expressed concern that employers may view it as a barrier to doing a good job.
The Diversity Project is calling on employers to be more supportive, understanding and open minded with neurodiverse colleagues, be flexible about what and how to provide reasonable adjustments and a suitable working environment and ensure that neurodivergent colleagues are treated fairly.
The group also said businesses should be willing to learn by capturing data on neurodiversity within their organisation.
Dr Ian Iceton, senior HR practitioner from the Diversity Project’s neurodiversity workstream, said: “While most employers will diligently collect information on the diversity of their workforce, this will almost always exclude anything meaningful relating to neurodiversity. I hope this report will be the first of many and urge the industry to do more to understand and tap into what to date has been a significantly untapped source of talent.
“Despite companies making significant strides in championing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, many organisations still lack a specific inclusion strategy for neurodiversity in the workplace – now is the time.”
