pwr_february-2025 - 3

SPEAKING OF POWER
PSEG Program Unlocks
Neurodivergent Talent,
Transforms Business and Lives
Aaron Larson
W
hat does it mean to be neurodivergent?
The term basically
applies to people whose brains
work in an atypical fashion. It was coined
in the 1990s to counter stigma against
people with autism, ADHD (attentiondeficit/hyperactivity
disorder), and learning
differences such as dyslexia. Somewhat
surprisingly, 19% of Americans in
one recent survey said they personally
identify as neurodivergent.
Neurodivergent individuals can bring
unique strengths to the workplace.
Some neurodivergent workers are able
to focus deeply and pay great attention
to detail-they can often maintain
intense concentration on specific tasks
and notice subtle patterns or errors
that someone else might miss. Others
are creative problem-solvers or have
remarkable persistence and resilience,
having navigated many challenges over
the years, which may have forced them
to develop strong determination. Many
neurodivergent individuals also have
deep expertise in their specific areas of
interest, and they tend to be straightforward
in their communication, which can
help reduce misunderstandings and promote
clearer workplace dialogue.
Unfortunately, neurodivergent individuals
are often overlooked in the workplace
and in the hiring process. As a result, neurodivergent
individuals frequently experience
higher rates of unemployment and
underemployment compared to the general
population. Furthermore, those that
do make it into the workplace, sometimes
feel unsupported by their employers.
PSEG's Neurodiversity Works
Program
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.
(PSEG) is a diversified energy company
with about 12,500 employees and headquarters
in Newark, N.J. In 2021, when
the business world was dealing with
how to navigate labor shortages and
COVID, PSEG developed its " Neurodiversity
Works " program. The intention
was to provide access to employment for
February 2025 | POWER
neurodivergent individuals and create a
supportive working environment to help
them succeed.
" In full transparency, we knew other
companies were doing this, not necessarily
in the industry, and it really seemed like
something we wanted to get up and running
at PSEG, " Steven Fleischer, executive
director, HR - DEI (Human Resources - Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion), Talent Acquisition
& PSEG LI at PSEG, told POWER.
" We recognized it was an opportunity and
we were definitely missing out on an untapped
part of the talent market. "
PSEG hired its first employee through
the Neurodiversity Works program in
2022. The company will soon begin
recruiting to hire its sixth employee
through the program. " We wanted to
be thoughtful about how we did this, so
we've been bringing in two people a year
on average, " Fleischer explained.
A Life-Changing Opportunity
One of the longest-tenured employees
hired through the program is Voice of
the Customer Group Senior Business
Management Associate David Berlinsky.
Berlinsky graduated from Rowan
University with a Civil Engineering degree,
but had great difficulty landing a
job after finishing school.
Berlinsky learned of PSEG's program
through one of his college advisors and
agreed to conduct an online interview.
" After being so down, after being rejected
from so many things, I couldn't
believe it when I heard that I was accepted, "
said Berlinsky.
Berlinsky is a member of PSEG's data
analytics team. " I write the monthly reports
for major departments such as
customer care, " he explained. " It tends
to be getting the data from the partner
company, organizing it through Excel to
create graphs, then writing the analyzes
to go with it. " Berlinsky quickly realized he
had a knack for the work. " The first report
I worked on, it was organized in such a
bad way, the first words out of my mouth
were: 'No, I'm not doing it like this.' So, I
restructured the whole Excel file, " he said.
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Since then, Berlinsky has made further
improvements to many reports,
and processes as well. " I've partially automated
one of the reports that comes
in quarterly, which I'm very proud of, "
Berlinsky professed. He redesigned
other reports " because the neurodivergent
and ADHD in me could not be quiet
about it, " he said. " I eventually got recognition
for how the reports were set up, "
Berlinsky said. As a result, his template
has been used to standardize many of
PSEG's other reports.
In fact, Berlinsky has been so successful
in his position that he was recently
promoted and tasked with giving
oral presentations to leaders within the
organization covering the data and analysis
he compiles. And the job has been
life-changing for him. " This program was
literally the reason I was able to get myself
back up and actually be productive, "
Berlinsky said.
Challenges Lead to Growth and
Self-Confidence
Rosalia Benanti, PSEG's Voice of the
Customer manager, has supervised Berlinsky
for about five months. She suggested
that neurodivergent employees
can be challenged to do more than they
themselves might think is possible.
Berlinsky's immediate reaction to a request
for something out of the ordinary
is often negative. " The first words out
of his mouth are: 'No, I can't do it.' But
once he gets over that, he comes back
with such profound work that it's just astonishing, "
Benanti said. " And with that,
David has gained an enormous amount
of confidence. "
Success in the workplace comes from
having an inclusive environment that allows
all employees to leverage their individual
strengths while providing appropriate support
for challenges. PSEG's Neurodiversity
Works program offers proof that breaking
down barriers that often limit neurodiverse
individuals from being considered for employment
is worth the effort. ■
-Aaron Larson is POWER's
executive editor.
3
http://www.powermag.com
pwr_february-2025

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