{"id":19078,"date":"2024-03-11T16:38:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T06:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=19078"},"modified":"2024-03-11T16:38:04","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T06:38:04","slug":"unlocking-potential-embracing-neurodiversity-in-recruitment-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=19078","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking potential: Embracing neurodiversity in recruitment practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 15 per cent of the UK population may identify as neurodivergent. Jo Lawrence from the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC)<\/a> shares her thoughts about recruitment strategies for inclusion<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The presence of neurodiversity in the workplace is becoming more widely acknowledged, with increased discussion and higher diagnosis rates. An estimated 15 per cent \u2013 20 per cent of the UK population identify with a broad spectrum of cognitive variances like dyslexia, autism, or ADHD.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a minority, it\u2019s key that we, as recruiters and employers, stay informed with the latest information, thinking and terminology and it\u2019s very important that we have robust policies in place to support and safeguard neurodiverse individuals during recruitment and in the workplace,\u201d said Jo Lawrence, Business Development Director at The OPC and OPC Assessment. \u201cEnsuring a fair and accessible recruitment process has always been our mission at the OPC, whether neurotypical or neurodiverse.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeurodiverse individuals can feel isolated or vulnerable at work. They may fear appearing less capable or competitive in the job market and they sometimes struggle with tasks like concentration, memory, or time management. Yet, they can possess unique, beneficial talents like hyper-focus, technical proficiency, or creative problem-solving.<\/p>\n

Credit: Pexels<\/p>\n

\u201cAlarmingly, many leave jobs due to harassment or victimisation. So, as employers, we\u2019re missing out on valuable, diverse talent. We\u2019re also responsible, and should want to make \u2018reasonable adjustments\u2019 to support neurodiverse individuals. This is a tension we have to hold in a rule-bound and safety critical industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

With over 30 years\u2019 experience in the rail industry, primarily in human resources, Jo\u2019s expertise lies in the recruitment of safety critical roles, particularly specialising in UK train driver recruitment, but also offering her expertise to European and international rail businesses. Jo also serves as Compliance Officer on the Rail Assessment Centre Forum (RACF)<\/a>, passionately advocating for neurodiversity and equitable treatment of candidates, particularly in safety critical train driver recruitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore neurodivergent individuals are openly disclosing their conditions,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we support client recruitment projects, we emphasise open communication and sensitivity between recruiters, line managers, candidates, and the OPC. This is essential to understanding a candidate\u2019s needs. Any potential adjustments need to be deemed \u2018reasonable\u2019 based on the job profile, its demands, and whether it\u2019s safety critical or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Navigating recruitment processes as a neurodivergent candidate can be daunting, but reasonable adjustments can greatly ease anxiety, allowing candidates to showcase their abilities better.<\/p>\n

For example, a candidate may request an individual assessment setting, assistive technology, or extra time. However, supporting candidates extends beyond recruitment and into their journey within an organisation.<\/p>\n

Jo said: \u201cWe need to ensure that any reasonable adjustments made during recruitment and selection are applicable during training and follow through into the job \u2013 ensuring fairness for all as well as empowering neurodiverse candidates to succeed.<\/p>\n

Credit: iStock<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the OPC, we are proactively implementing supportive measures for neurodiverse candidates. OPC Assessment recently released neurodiversity guidance for clients around assessment testing. Additionally, we\u2019re creating an \u2018extra time\u2019 feature in Candela, our user-friendly online testing platform. We offer a wide range of practice tests for candidates and we\u2019re currently developing video guidance for train driver assessment days to help everyone attending.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurthermore, we\u2019ve recently developed some practical assessment tools, and visual content to assist candidates, particularly those with reading and writing difficulties. Keep an eye out later this year for a neurodiversity webinar that we\u2019ll be hosting too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo concluded: \u201cAs we continue to navigate this evolving landscape, the OPC remains committed to driving positive change and promoting inclusivity in the workplace whilst balancing the tensions we hold in a safety critical industry. With the right policies and practices in place, we can create a more equitable and supportive environment for all employees to thrive in.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you think the OPC can help with your organisation\u2019s neurodiversity recruitment needs, email admin@theopc.co.uk<\/a> or call +44 (0)1923 234646. For more information, visit https:\/\/www.theopc.co.uk\/<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 15 per cent of the UK population may identify as neurodivergent. Jo Lawrence from the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) shares her thoughts about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":19079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[7,11],"class_list":["post-19078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","tag-transport","tag-usa"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}