Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2024 - 17

UPSKILLING
L&D'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING
WORKPLACE NEURODIVERSITY
BY SARAH DANZL
Most of us want to build and work for
organizations that value diversity and
inclusion - places that celebrate our
differences and enable us to achieve
our best work because we feel
empowered to bring our entire selves
to work. One area gaining more recent
traction is improving the workplace
experience for neurodivergent individuals,
who make up about 10-20% of the
global population.
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE
WORKPLACE
Making sure that people have what they
need to be successful at work should
be considered good management, not
an accommodation.
The reality? We all fall between
some level of neurodivergent. As
neurodivergent activist and speaker
Ellie Middleton explains, " All of us have
different brains that work in different
ways, and neurodiversity refers to all
of the unique and different ways in
which people can exist, think, process,
feel, and act. There are neurotypical
people, whose functioning falls within
societal standards and " 'norms, " '
and those whose functioning falls
outside of those norms. " This includes
individuals with dyslexia, dyscalculia,
ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, and
autism.
No two individuals are exactly
alike - neurodivergent or not. The
opportunity is to tap into the unique
skills and talents every person brings
to the workplace.
Let's examine how virtual skills
development can fit into a more
equitable and accessible learning
and development (L&D) strategy that
sets
for success.
THE HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT
LOOKS AT THE INDIVIDUAL
A holistic approach to onboarding,
career development, upskilling and
reskilling is needed to build a truly
accepting and supportive workplace.
That's where various virtual skill
development options can make a clear
difference, providing a personal yet
scalable way of getting everyone on
the same page.
neurodiverse employees up
employees, a tailored plan is essential
to their long-term success and
engagement. If they have everything
mapped out clearly to them from the
start, including career opportunities,
skills they need to build and associated
learning resources, they can see the
big picture and a path to success.
Some neurodivergent individuals feel
overwhelmed when only provided with
piecemeal information.
PROVIDING CLEAR GOALS AND
CELEBRATING SUCCESSES
Clarity is critical, with success
metrics communicated with specific
expectations and timing. In a virtual
learning plan, this level of detail can
help employees keep track of their
manager's deadlines and goals. This
is especially helpful when they are
starting a new job.
CLARITY IS
CRITICAL, WITH
SUCCESS METRICS
COMMUNICATED
WITH SPECIFIC
EXPECTATIONS
AND TIMINGS.
Virtual skills training can also include
tailored assessments that allow
employees to showcase their skills
without having to describe or " prove "
them verbally. They can choose how to
demonstrate their skills, for example,
using a simulation, filming a video
or completing an assignment. This
gives validation to both managers and
employees, with greater confidence
that the individual can apply their skills
to the job.
Ideally, everyone has a career plan
and development options tailored to
their unique needs, goals, aspirations
and interests. For neurodiverse
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2024 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
Many neurodivergent employees find it
difficult to know if they are succeeding
in a role and if their manager is satisfied
with their performance. Candidly, this
isn't just an experience for neurodiverse
17

https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2020/03/07/the-power-of-purpose-the-business-case-for-purpose-all-the-data-you-were-looking-for-pt-2/?sh=6e2ea0aa3cf7 https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2020/03/07/the-power-of-purpose-the-business-case-for-purpose-all-the-data-you-were-looking-for-pt-2/?sh=6e2ea0aa3cf7 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/neurodiversity-employers-workers-jobs/ https://time.com/charter/6309300/what-workplaces-misunderstand-about-neurodiversity/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2024