Neurodiversity at Work - by Amanda Kirby & Theo Smith

About the Book

Achieve the productivity, performance and financial benefits of a neurodiverse workforce by optimizing your HR policies and processes.

Book Synopsis

An organization's employees are its biggest competitive advantage. Performance gains can be achieved through cost saving, process improvement or technology adoption, but the biggest difference is made by people. This means that recruiting, engaging and retaining the very best talent has never been more important.

Crucially, these employees should be a diverse group of people with different approaches, skills and strengths in problem-solving and driving innovation. As well as focusing on gender, race, age and class, it is critical that businesses also develop a neurodiverse workforce if they are committed to outperforming the competition and achieving sustainable business growth.

Neurodiversity at Work is a practical guide that explains what neurodiversity is, why it's important and what the benefits are. It covers how to attract, recruit and engage neurodiverse talent and provides guidance on how to adapt HR policies, processes and workplaces to ensure that all employees, including the 2 in 10 employees in the UK who are neurodiverse, can reach their full potential.

Neurodiversity at Work is packed full of case studies from leading organizations like Microsoft who are already seeing the productivity, performance and financial benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace. Individuals in these companies are also experiencing benefits in their working environments. Also featured are interviews with prominent figures in the neurodiversity community and people who have successfully adapted their HR processes for neurodiversity, including members of the ND@IBM Program and the Head of People and Culture at Autotrader. With tips, advice, examples and 'how to' actions in every chapter, this is essential reading for every HR professional.

Review Quotes

"Neurodiversity at Work is a compelling look into how we can leverage neurodiversity strengths into our workplace. It is truly an inspiring must-read for all as it provides practical ways for inclusivity of neurodiversity to drive innovation and growth!"-- "Christine Ramsay, CDP (Certified Diversity Professional), Founder and CEO of Ignite Inclusion, LLC"

"A book that will enable you to think differently about people who.... think differently. An incredibly insightful read that perfectly brings together why organizations should value neurodiverse talent and how they can best provide an environment for that talent to shine. It takes you on an incredible journey from understanding why neurodiversity is important, all the way to the successes that organizations can hope for - stopping off on the way to deliver impactful, practical and real-life advice for anyone whose role it is to hire, develop or retain talent."-- "Alan Walker, Co-founder of Udder & ChatTalent. #HRTech Consulting and Advisory - the Udder way"

"I want to give huge credit to Amanda Kirby and Theo Smith who have brought their whole selves, personal and professional, to create an up-to-date guide on neurodiversity in the workplace. They provide a comprehensive review the current perspectives of the neurodiversity paradigm, good practice in the workplace and real-world examples of innovative programmes and strategies. There is no such thing as a 'Degree in Neurodiversity' for HR / D&I Professionals, but for anyone looking to expand their knowledge in this field, this book is as close as you are going to get to it!"-- "Aidan Healy, Chief Executive Officer, Lexxic"

"Neurodiversity is an important area of DE & I, that has only really come into our conscience over the last few years. We know this impacts a wide range of people either in the workforce or finding insurmountable challenges to get in it. I applaud both authors for their honesty in sharing their own lived experience of work, and for collecting so many stories to share. This is a real almanac for making difference. Reading over, let the hard work start."-- "Bill Boorman, Strategic Advisor, #Tru Founder, Rebel Rouser"

"Neurodiversity is one of the most important and untapped opportunities in business today. This book clearly explains the issue and honours the necessity to pay close attention to every employee's individual needs and leverage people's extra special capabilities in unique and powerful ways."-- "Josh Bersin, Principal and Founder, Deloitte Consulting LLP"

"The book is packed with great case studies, examples and important messaging to take away, plus incredible insights and explanations of the spiky profiles we all have (some more than others). In the authors' words: "True change requires commitment - sustained and anticipatory" - this book will help any reader on that journey - it's one of the most detailed texts I have encountered on the subject."-- "Jean Hewitt, Senior Inclusive Design Consultant, BuroHappold Engineering"

About the Author

Theo Smith is a VP of a HR tech start-up Zinc.Work, and previously, the Recruitment Manager at NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). Based in the UK, he was selected to be part of the Resourcing Leaders 100 (RL100), Europe's leading network of resourcing leaders. Prior to this he was the Resourcing Manager at TMP Worldwide UK, now part of PeopleScout. He is also the host of several podcasts including 'Neurodiversity - Eliminating Kryptonite & Enabling Superheroes'.

Professor Amanda Kirby is the Founder and CEO of Do-IT Solutions, a tech for good company specialising in neurodiversity screening tools. She has more than 25 years' experience working in the field of neurodiversity, publishing more than 100 research papers, and is internationally recognized for her work with 1000s of families and neurodivergent adults. She is also a medical doctor. Based in the UK, she advises Department of Work and Pensions on Neurodiversity as well as being an emeritus professor at the University of South Wales. She was one of the top 20 Linkedin voices in the UK in 2020.