It often happens that managers recruiting for their team discriminate against a candidate for reasons completely unrelated to their actual competencies.
How many times has a candidate spoken very fast or extremely slowly?
How many times has a candidate been unable to answer the manager’s question precisely, while speaking fluently when talking freely about their passions?
How many times has a candidate fidgeted excessively in their chair or sat unusually stiffly?
How many times has a candidate been unable to keep eye contact, or made very intense eye contact?
How many times has a candidate touched on many threads in their answer, or been unable to switch quickly to the thread the recruiter pointed to?
How many times has a candidate made particular movements or sounds unrelated to the conversation?
The behaviours above are just a narrow range of behaviours that are not commonly accepted in society.
You have certainly come across such a candidate. It is highly likely that they were rejected for exactly that reason. The behaviour they showed in the interview coloured the perception of their other competencies. What if we looked differently at the potential a neurodivergent employee can bring to a team? What if the manager overcame their own limitations and brought such a candidate into the team?
The team will undoubtedly benefit from the presence of different people:
Greater diversity of approaches to problems, fresh and innovative ideas
Possibly fewer errors, thanks to some neurodivergent people’s focus on detail
Greater innovation
Better risk identification
A more sensitive barometer of changing moods in the team
Better customer service thanks to a better understanding of customers’ needs
Openness and adaptability to change
Improved negotiation and conflict-resolution skills in the team
However, you also need to be aware that the presence of neurodivergent people will invite the manager to step up to a higher level of team management. It may bring difficulties the manager has not encountered before, such as:
The need to spend more time on communication
The need to train the team
Using more varied communication and means of communication
A stronger focus on active listening without judging
Care in communication, especially regarding mental shortcuts and patterns
Greater care for the team, team-building and mediating conflicts
More time for integration and building mutual understanding
Developing attitudes of understanding and acceptance of difference
The need to adapt the workstation and working conditions to people’s needs
Although at first glance there are more challenges than benefits, it is worth looking at the weight of the advantages. These are the qualities most sought after on the market today. Overcoming the challenges and difficulties will allow such teams to become unbeatable.
