One of the UK’s leading HR and recruitment specialists, Gi Group, has launched a ‘first of its kind’ Neurodiversity campaign, designed to unlock the potential of its team and inspire the progress of people who are Neurodivergent within the workplace.
The campaign which is titled ‘This is Me’, plans to dispel misconceptions and bridge the gap between neurotypical and neurodivergent colleagues to create an environment of understanding, appreciation, and elevation.
To kickstart the campaign, Gi Group has created a ‘Neurodiversity at Work Guide’ for its employees, focusing specifically on people with Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dyslexia. Alongside information, tool kits and advice, the guide takes an in-depth look at neurodivergent team members by including lived experiences and personal stories.
To demonstrate its commitment, Gi Group has also become a member of Neurodiversity in Business, a new initiative recently launched at the Houses of Parliament to improve the employment and experience of the neurodiverse workforce.
An estimated one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent, yet only 33 per cent of businesses have Neurodiversity within their EDI strategy.
Gi Group’s Head of Learning and Development, Emma-Louise Taylor, explained how the campaign responded to employee demand:
When shaping our EDI strategy, we wanted to reflect what’s important to our teams, so giving them a voice was vital. After sending out an employee poll, neurodiversity was a key theme within the results, so we knew immediately we wanted to launch a specific campaign around it.
Emma-Louise Taylor, Gi Group’s Head of Learning and Development
The term neurodiversity is used to describe the differences in how people’s brains work. When it comes to the workplace, traditional practices are often designed with a neurotypical society in mind, which can make it difficult for neurodivergent individuals to thrive in the workplace.
It’s estimated that more than half of neurodivergent employees don’t feel that their organisation (52%) or team (54%) is open or supportive enough to discuss neurodiversity, research by the CIPD revealed[1].
Recruitment Consultant, Brenden Wheldon, shared his experience of autism within the workplace as part of the campaign, he said:
Since joining Gi Group I have always been able to speak honestly with my management and colleagues. My team are very aware of the tone they use when speaking to me and make it easier for me to understand the situation and my management have gone out of their way to adjust emails to clarify the meaning. I feel included and it has brought the best out of my work.
Brenden Wheldon, Recruitment Consultant
The guide also addresses what it’s like for parents with neurodiverse children and how a supportive workplace can have a big impact.
As the campaign develops, Gi Group plans to launch a role model initiative within the business and create mentor opportunities that focus on neurodiversity. The recruiter also plans on looking at candidate experience, and how best they can support those with neurodiversity entering a new workplace.
- [1]https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/half-of-neurodivergent-employees-don-t-feel-supported-at-work/
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
