Levelling Up Neuro-inclusion in the Tech Industry
The technology industry is one of the largest in the world, covering a wide range of professions such as e-commerce, internet software and services, financial technology, consumer electronics and telecommunications. Currently, the UK tech sector employs over 1.7 million people, and adds over £150 billion to the UK economy each year. These figures are only expected to grow, with a predicted 500,000+ jobs being made available by 2025.
As companies continue to undergo digital transformation and with technological advancements such as developments in AI happening at a rapid pace, there are more opportunities than ever appearing in the tech sector. This is further being fuelled by strong growth in roles and opportunities in cities outside of London, the fact that the UK is home to the most ‘tech unicorns’ (companies valued at over $1B) in Europe, and government support into cementing the UK as a tech powerhouse, including the creation of the Digital Skills Council, designed to identify digital skills shortages.
Despite these developments in technological innovation and opportunities, supply is still struggling to keep up with demand, contributing to a growing skills gap in the industry. The 2023 IT Skills Gap Report found that:
93% of organisations reported that there was a skills gap in the market
42% stating that this was due to the fast-paced nature of technological advancement such as in AI, data analytics, and cloud computing
Data from 2020 also showed that the EU faces a shortage of an estimated 800,000 IT workers, with an action plan now in place from early 2024 to address these issues by financing new projects on upskilling young people, setting up new skills partnerships and supporting apprenticeships and vocational training among other key targets.
How Neurodivergent Talent Can Support Technological Innovation
When looking at the core skills needed to address these gaps and advance the technology industry, 55% employers felt that problem solving, troubleshooting, analytical and critical thinking skills would be most valuable.
These are all strengths that many neurodivergent individuals possess and can bring to different working environments, alongside others including:
Innovation
Creativity
Hyperfocus
Logical thinking
Attention to detail
Pattern recognition
EY’s ‘The Value of Dyslexia’ report suggested that as a result of often having these skills, neurodivergent talent can help to future-proof businesses and solve complex organisational problems, which are essential in the fast-paced world of technology. Similarly, the Harvard Business Review described neurodiversity as a ‘competitive advantage’ that would be able to add significant value to areas within the technology industry, with many neurodivergent individuals often holding qualifications and interests in key areas such as engineering, statistics, computer science, mathematics, and physics.
Although neurodiversity can bring significant value to tech, some individuals face barriers around working in the industry. A 2023 ‘Neurodiversity in the Tech Sector,’ survey found that almost half of neurodivergent employees in tech felt that they were impacted by their neurodifference most of the time, but only 9% had requested an adjustment or support in their role.
Of those who didn’t ask, 32% were worried about how it would look or how they would be perceived. These figures highlight that there is still much work to be done in developing understanding of neurodiversity and creating neuro-inclusive environments where neurodivergent individuals feel supported and can thrive, subsequently bringing new skills, insights and perspectives to their workplaces and the wider sector.
What Can Tech Organisations Do to Foster Neuro-inclusion?
To make this change possible, organisations should look at how they can redesign existing work processes and practices to help support individuals and tap into the valuable skills that neurodivergent talent can bring to tech businesses, including:
Recruitment / Hiring practices
Workplace policies and procedures
Talent management strategies
Adjustment and accommodation processes
It is great to see that there are already strong examples of industry leaders recognising the value that neurodiversity can bring to businesses and implementing changes to help foster neuro-inclusion.
SAP became the first global tech company to develop a program to leverage the unique abilities of people with autism with the launch of their Autism at Work programme in 2013, which encompasses adjusting recruitment processes to including a technical skill demonstration, portfolio showcase format, and interview topics being shared in advance, among other accommodations.
Likewise the Microsoft Neurodiversity Hiring Programme was built on the belief that neurodivergent individuals strengthen a workforce with innovative thinking and creative solutions, with Microsoft stating that “diversity enriches our performance and products, the communities where we live and work, and the lives of our employees.” The programme aims to attract talented neurodivergent candidates and provide the training and support needed for career growth and success.
Another great example is Auticon, an international IT consultancy and social enterprise employing autistic individuals to work on client projects. Their objective is to provide long-term career and employment opportunities to autistic adults via job coaches, autism awareness training, workstation adjustments, and changes in communication. They have even completed their own impact study measuring the positive impact this has had on their employees.
How Can Lexxic Support Your Organisation?
If you want to find out more about how you can develop a neuro-inclusive culture where neurodivergent talent can flourish, Lexxic can support you on your journey through our Neurodiversity Smart framework which covers key areas of organisations from leadership and culture to talent management and communications.
Just some of the ways we can help you include:
A range of Neurodiversity Workshops and Webinars
Neurodiversity Audits designed to give you an in-depth review of how neuro-inclusive your workplace practices are in key business areas including recruitment, adjustments, talent management and environment.
Our Neurodiversity Smart Accreditation, helping you to fully understand where you are in your journey to becoming neuro-inclusive and where you can make improvements.
You can also download our dedicated guide on Empowering Neurodiversity in the Tech Industry to discover more of the benefits neurodiversity can bring to your business, and how you can level-up neuro-inclusion.
