Hello, curious minds!
I hope you're all doing well out there. There's a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in the news right now, so I hope you're all taking the time to be kind to yourselves.
On Wednesday last week, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index Report 2025 in London. It was fantastic to see such leading voices put time, resources and effort into collating and publishing such important work that benefits us all.
I've put together my thoughts on the Report below, but if you want to read it in full you can do so here.
About the Neurodiversity Index Report
The City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index surveys employers and employees to find quantitative and qualitative trends around neurodiversity. Now in its third year, the Index provides fantastic data on the current state of neuroinclusivity across the UK workforce, and its insights give organisations a better understanding of how to establish best practices.
The data makes for fascinating reading. While there is some cause for optimism, it's clear that there's still much work to be done to champion and safeguard neurodiversity in the workplace.
The forewords by Kirstie Donnelly, CEO of City & Guilds, and Professor Amanda Kirby, CEO of Do-IT Solutions, both state the positive case for inclusive practices around neurodivergence. Kirby states, "Rather than viewing [spiky] profiles as limitations, forward-thinking employers are recognising them as strengths that bring value and competitive advantage."
I couldn't agree more. Through my coaching, I help my clients recognise that while society and organisations are frequently intolerant of their spiky profiles or perceived weaknesses, rather than try to conform to systems that don't work for them, they can instead leverage their strengths to their advantage.
Key Takeaways
The report has a wealth of data on how employers and employees feel about neurodiversity and its acceptance in the workplace. Some of the figures make for quite hard reading, though there are the green shoots of process appearing:
- A Shocking Statistic:
13% of UK employers have faced employment tribunals over neurodiversity-related issues. Ignoring neuroinclusion isn't just a regressive approach - it's now a legal risk! - Hiring Barriers Still Exist:
Only 34% of employers offer alternative application processes. Job descriptions are still full of jargon that deters neurodivergent candidates - just ask my Podcast co-host Matt, currently on the job hunt and tearing his hair out at the lack of information available. - Training is Unequal:
43% of senior leaders receive neurodiversity training, but training still focuses on ADHD & Autism, excluding Dyspraxia, DLD, and Dyscalculia. - Daily Struggles:
41% of employees experience workplace barriers DAILY, and 51% have taken time off because of this. - Support for Parents is Lacking:
46% of employees have a neurodivergent child, but 29% of companies provide ZERO support or adjustments for carers. - But Progress is Being Made:
44% of senior leaders discuss neurodiversity openly, while 38% of companies have neurodiversity mentioned in their EDI policy. - And There are Success Stories:
Capgemini Invent UK has embedded neuroinclusion from graduate hiring onwards, and Harbour Energy offers free neurodiversity assessments to all employees.
The data paints a picture of a society and workforce that's making steps towards neuroinclusivity, but with still much work to be done. The figures around hiring processes, certain neurological conditions still being excluded, and the lack of empathy for neurodivergent people or parents with neurodivergent children are still shocking.
With 25% of employers citing lack of knowledge and cost concerns as barriers to neuroinclusion, it's clear that more must be done at a structural level to ensure organisations are strongly encouraged to facilitate neurodiversity.
Listen to the discussion on the podcast:
For Apple Podcast Listeners:
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For Spotify Listeners:
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Franck's Five:
Before we go, our traditional five reflective questions to enable us all to curiously explore this week's theme:
1️⃣ Am I doing enough to facilitate neuroinclusion?
2️⃣ How might your current ways of working unintentionally exclude neurodivergent colleagues?
3️⃣ What strengths might neurodivergent individuals bring that you haven't fully recognised or leveraged yet?
4️⃣ What might someone with a spiky profile, i.e. very strong in certain areas and less adept in others, bring to your team or organisation in a way you haven't yet considered?
5️⃣ What does psychological safety mean to you – and how are you actively creating it for others?
Thank you for reading, and please do read the full report if you're interested as there are some fantastic insights in there for anyone to learn. Also, keep an eye out for the next Conscious Clarity podcast each Tuesday, which you can find in the links above!
Until next time; keep curious, keep exploring.
~ Franck
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