Recruitment is one of the biggest challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses today. Finding the right person for the job is never easy, and with skills shortages in many sectors, competition for talent is fierce. One area that is often overlooked, however, is the value of recruiting neurodivergent candidates.
Neurodiversity recognises that people think, learn and process information in different ways. Conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia are often seen as barriers to employment. Yet when businesses take steps to be more inclusive, they unlock a wealth of skills and perspectives that can transform teams. For SMEs, this isn’t just a matter of social responsibility – it’s a smart recruitment strategy.
What Do We Mean by Neurodiversity?
The term “neurodiversity” covers the natural differences in how people’s brains work. Some individuals are neurotypical, while others are neurodivergent – meaning they might have autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s or another neurological difference.
Too often, these differences have been treated as deficits. But in reality, neurodivergent people bring unique strengths. Someone with autism may have exceptional attention to detail, while someone with ADHD may excel in creative thinking and problem-solving. By broadening recruitment to include these candidates, SMEs can access talent that others may overlook.
The Current Employment Picture
Despite the benefits, employment rates for neurodivergent people remain worryingly low. According to the Office for National Statistics, just 21.7% of autistic adults are in employment, compared to around 80% of the general population. That’s a huge pool of talent going untapped.
Encouragingly, more employers are beginning to take notice. A growing number of job adverts now reference neurodiversity, showing that awareness is increasing. For smaller businesses, this is an opportunity: by adopting inclusive recruitment practices early, you can stand out as an employer of choice and access skills your competitors may be missing.
Why Inclusive Hiring Benefits SMEs
There’s a strong business case for embracing neurodiversity in recruitment. Neurodivergent employees often bring fresh perspectives that spark innovation. Their different ways of thinking can help teams avoid “groupthink” and approach challenges in creative new ways.
In practical terms, many neurodivergent individuals thrive in roles requiring focus, accuracy and problem-solving. They can be highly motivated and loyal employees when placed in the right role with the right support. This translates into higher productivity and better retention – two things every SME values.
Inclusive hiring also demonstrates to customers, clients and staff that your business is forward-thinking and fair. In an era when diversity and inclusion are increasingly important to company reputation, this can be a real advantage.
Barriers in Traditional Recruitment
Despite these benefits, many neurodivergent candidates are excluded at the very first hurdle. Traditional recruitment methods often create unnecessary barriers.
Job adverts may use vague or overly complex language that deters applicants. Online application portals can be difficult to navigate. And standard interview formats – particularly those that focus on social skills or require quick-fire responses – may not give neurodivergent candidates the chance to show their true abilities.
This means businesses may be missing out on great employees simply because the process wasn’t designed with them in mind.
Practical Steps to Inclusive Recruitment
Becoming more inclusive doesn’t require an overhaul of your entire recruitment system. Small, thoughtful adjustments can make a big difference. For example:
- Review your job adverts to make sure they’re written in clear, simple language. Focus on essential skills rather than long lists of “nice-to-haves”.
- Offer alternatives to traditional interviews, such as work trials, skills assessments or allowing candidates extra time to prepare.
- Train your hiring managers to understand neurodiversity and recognise how unconscious bias might affect decision-making.
- Make adjustments in assessments – for example, providing questions in advance, or allowing candidates to submit written responses rather than relying solely on verbal communication.
These steps not only support neurodivergent applicants but also make the process clearer and fairer for all candidates.
Legal and Social Responsibilities
Being inclusive isn’t just good practice – it’s also aligned with your legal duties as an employer. Under the Equality Act 2010, many neurodivergent conditions count as disabilities, which means businesses are required to make “reasonable adjustments” during recruitment and employment.
But beyond compliance, embracing neurodiversity reflects positively on your business values. It shows that you’re serious about equal opportunities, which can improve your reputation with clients and help you attract the next generation of employees who increasingly want to work for inclusive organisations.
A Few Final Thoughts
Inclusive recruitment isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about removing unnecessary barriers so that people with the right skills have a fair chance to succeed. By embracing neurodiversity, SMEs can widen their talent pool, strengthen their teams, and show that they value people for what they bring – not how they fit into a rigid process.
The statistics speak for themselves: there are thousands of capable, motivated neurodivergent individuals who want to work but aren’t being given the opportunity. With a few simple changes, your business could benefit from their talent – while also doing the right thing.
If you’d like help making your recruitment process more inclusive, contact The HR Dept today. Together, we can review your current hiring processes, identify hidden barriers and help you design job adverts and interview formats that are welcoming to neurodivergent candidates. We also provide training for managers so they feel confident in making fair and inclusive decisions.
Whether you need a one-off review or ongoing support, our services are flexible. Our consulting packages and tailored recruitment support mean you can build a process that’s compliant, fair, and designed to attract the best talent – regardless of how their brains work.
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