Tapping into Neurodivergent Talent

Neurodivergent talent isn’t just “included”—it’s often the engine driving an organization’s next great leap.

Are you identifying and unlocking all the potential from your employees—or is game-changing talent still flying under the radar?

According to an internal report from SAP in 2016, discussing their program designed to employ neurodiverse individuals, a neurodivergent employee in quality-control wrote a computer script in one night that ran every feature of the program to check for bugs. The result was testing that took weeks was done overnight, thus, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for the company.

After struggling with word-heavy instructions, a neurodivergent employee sketched an easy, picture-only setup guide for the company’s app. The result was fewer new app users gave up during sign up (source reported 32%- 9%) and more positive reviews for the app. This report was published in a case study from the global tech company, EY, in 2018.

According to a 2020 CIPD case study, a neurodivergent warehouse engineer using 3-D software, rearranged shelves and widened aisles so pickers could move smoothly — a solution influenced by his own need for clear spatial routes. The result was products packed 27% faster and a drop of work related injuries.

Want to unlock that same problem-solving skill set across your team? Try assessing your work environment to include the following:
Clear, asynchronous communication channels
Sensory-friendly workspaces or noise-cancelling options
Performance metrics that value results, not clock time

When leaders create environments where neurodivergent strengths can shine, incremental progress turns into breakthrough innovation.

Your move: What’s one practice you’re using—or plan to try—to help every employee’s potential come to the surface? Drop your ideas below so we can all learn together.

Libby Allman, BCBA, Behavior Analyst and Coach