The world of work is becoming more informed on the topic of neurodiversity. Roger Cayless, group creative director at LEAP Create, explores the value neurodiverse talent can bring to the workplace.

In recent years, organisations have changed how they understand, talk about and act on diversity and inclusion. While there is still much work to be done, there is consensus that differing perspectives and experiences strengthen teams. 

This simple truth has prompted quite a shake-up in the communications and branding sectors. Once rife with visual tokenism and aimed at presenting an inclusive image, creative disciplines are moving towards meaningful engagement and a desire for an inclusive reality.

For neurodivergent people, this progress can feel like a mixed blessing. Employers are keen to harness their skills, but recruitment, training and branding are still primarily delivered through a neurotypical prism.

This became especially clear to us recently, working with a client committed to increasing diversity and championing the contributions of minority members. As part of our campaign, we interviewed neurodivergent employees who revealed their challenges in different workplaces.

We embarked on the campaign to authentically represent minority voices, expecting to collect inspiring examples to encourage applications from underrepresented groups. What we got was something far more complicated, nuanced and honest.

The interviewees outlined an extraordinary range of experiences and thought processes that remain largely invisible to their neurotypical colleagues. Memorably, one participant with ADHD referred to their "neurospicy brain", perfectly encapsulating its complexity and intensity. But he also described the ordeal of interviewing, trying to mask the tells of his neurodivergence, assuming that, based on experience, it would be poorly received. 

During our conversations, we learned about how neurodivergent individuals perceive the world. One person mentioned seeing patterns everywhere, a skill that can be both a gift and a challenge. It allows them to notice details others miss, leading to overwhelming sensory experiences. Another shared their experience of being hyper-aware of all the conversations happening in a room simultaneously, a processing ability that is useful, distracting and exhausting.

One of the most poignant insights came from a discussion about inner voices. Under intense cultural pressure to fit in, many neurodivergent people live with a constant inner commentary, unkindly critiquing and questioning their actions. One participant vividly described having eight such voices, accompanied by a humming of Pachelbel’s Canon in a chaotic collision of self-doubt and harmony. 

We also learnt about the importance of language when talking about neurodivergence, why the much-misused term neurodiversity is merely a biological fact about all of us collectively, why individuals can be neurodivergent or neurotypical but not neurodiverse, why neurodivergence and autism are not synonymous, and why taking special care to avoid conflations and incorrectly terming is a small but crucial step of allyship. 

Our interviews were some of the most rewarding for us, professionally and personally. They generated profound insights for our campaign and reaffirmed the vital importance of not just listening but really hearing to gain understanding. The participants' forthright honesty inspired us and our client to be a little braver in our approach. 

Our campaign still delivered role models to motivate minority group candidates. But instead of just showcasing achievements, we highlighted inner monologues – doubts, sabotage and self-criticism –voiced by the participants. These spoke to the real-life anxieties neurodivergent people face in navigating neurotypical expectations, with the client’s supportive response offering reassurance.

Real, authentic insights move us towards a more empathic understanding of other people’s experiences. They give campaigns grounding integrity and, we believe, a compelling appeal for savvy audiences. The ADHD Foundation applauded our client’s work, while the campaign enjoys extended social media life as relatable content.

Giving neurodivergent people a platform to express challenges and achievements validates their experiences. It helps others see their unique way of relating to the world as an asset, not an obstacle. It keeps organisations honest about bridging the gap between wanting neurodivergent talent and creating a culture where it can thrive and belong.