Different – Not Less. What it means to be Neurodiverse
With more people than ever being diagnosed as Neurodiverse, what does it mean for employers in Hire? To find out, we speak to two members of the Hire Industry who’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, take a look at the psychology of neurodiversity and discover how to get the best out of every team member.
ASK JARROD KERR, GENERAL MANAGER OF Kerr’s Hire in Geelong, about being neurodiverse and he’s quick to respond. “It’s my superpower because of what I can accomplish, but I am often exhausted at the end of the day.” At the age of 42, Jarrod was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) following the diagnosis of his then seven-year-old
daughter with ADHD & ASD.
“The way my daughter articulates how she’s feeling and how life can disrupt her learning and make her anxious, explains me too,” says Jarrod. “It’s recognition that our brains process things differently.”
For Jarrod, that means he needs regular dopamine hits. Fortunately, the hire industry provides it. “This is an industry where things are constantly changing or moving and there’s always something’s going on, so for me, there’s a constant hit of dopamine.” Yet he acknowledges it can be a double-edged sword when something goes wrong. “I can be tremendously disorganised,” he says. “I make myself so available to get those dopamine hits that people know they can interrupt me. That can be frustrating at times because I’m like a dog with a ball — they throw the ball and I chase after it, sometimes to the detriment of other tasks I need to do. It’s definitely one of the pitfalls of my ADHD — but it just means I’m different, not less. I’m also highly efficient in other ways, perhaps more so than others.”
Difference as a strength
Neurodiversity is a popular term used to describe differences in the way people’s brains work and extends to the way people act and behave. That can affect attention and the ability to self-regulate behaviour, thoughts and emotions leading to difficulties with learning, working and forming friendships and relationships. However, with many aspects of society (including education and employment) premised on a perception of ‘normal’, it can be exclusionary for those who don’t fit the mould of how they’re expected to think, act and behave.
Brooke Rubenstein is a clinical Masters student and provisional psychologist who’s worked closely with young neurodiverse people within a high school environment.
“Individuals with neurodiversity can struggle to adapt to change,” says Brooke. “Jumping from one task to another can be difficult because their brains don’t necessarily work in what’s perceived
to be a normal way. In a workplace, this can cause a disconnect, especially if their employer or supervisor is not aware and as a result, the individual is seen as disruptive.”
With neurodiversity now being more accepted by society, Brooke says that a diagnosis can be helpful, especially for adults. “It’s almost a light bulb moment where everything seems to make sense,” she says. “It explains why they struggled in school or to stay on top of tasks and if there’s something they love to do, they’ll hyperfixate on it and be brilliant.”
The key, says Brooke, is establishing open communication between managers and employees. “To get the best out of your people, they need to be able to bring their whole selves to work,” she says. “There’s no value for the workplace or the individual when people are hiding or masking their neurodiversity.”
“If workplaces understand that people are different, it helps open up communication to the point where individuals can feel comfortable in saying ‘I’m struggling with this task, or, these are the areas where I excel’ and that applies to everyone — neurodiverse or not.” That’s been Quinton Harvey‘s experience. He’s a yard hand for Onsite Rentals in Gladstone who was first diagnosed with ADHD at the age of seven. He says that as an adult, the diagnosis has given him clarity on why he thinks a certain way, allowing him to stay focused on his work.
Quinton Harvey: “This is me and I’m neurodiverse.”
He’s also been open about his ADHD with his managers at work. “I’ve gone to management a couple times to say I’m struggling because we’ve had a busy day, and I just need to take five to get my thoughts back together and they’ve been very understanding.” He also sees it as a two-way street. “From a manager or a supervisor’s perspective, it’s great when they’re able to see someone’s struggling and say it’s ok to take a break.” With more and more people being diagnosed, Quinton says employers should be prepared for job applicants, new and established
employees to have the courage to share, ‘this is me and I’m neurodiverse’. “It shouldn’t be looked at it as an impact to your business,” he says. “It’s a strength to have a different way of thinking in your team so be willing to go ‘ok, great, thanks for telling us, now let’s get to work’.”
Why difference is good
So how can employers best accommodate employees who are neurodiverse?
Sarah Farfalla from the HRIA’s training provider, Strategic Alignment Training (SAT), says it’s about recognising how people work together and accepting that difference can be a good thing.
“If you’re a supervisor or branch manager and realise you’ve got someone in your midst who thinks differently, it can be frustrating because they may not take instruction or communicate in what you might consider a ‘normal’ way,” says Sarah. “The easy option would be to say, ‘you’re not like me and you don’t belong’. But what if you could work out how to embrace their difference and get the best out of them, to the benefit of your team and your business?”
The first step is a commitment to being open-minded and have a willingness to embrace diversity.
“We all have different ways of working so it’s about aligning an individual’s skillset and preference to your business needs to ensure you both achieve the best possible outcomes.”
Sarah says one of the benefits of employing and working with neurodiverse people is that with their diagnosis, they’re able to bring more information about themselves to the workplace.
“Think about how challenging and difficult it can be to manage someone who’s ineffective,” she says. “It’s time consuming, it has ripple effects, and the impact can be both financial and emotional. So, to have access to a diagnosis can be absolute gold for individuals because they already know what makes them tick, what they prefer and how they operate. For managers, it’s like giving them an operating manual and saying, ‘this is how I operate — does it align with what you’re looking for?’”
One tool used by SAT to help teams become more effective is what’s known as a DiSC profile. It’s essentially a survey undertaken by individual team members with the results used to establish work and communication preferences.
“I’ve seen people do this for the first time and literally have ‘a-ha moments’,” says Sarah. “They suddenly realise why their colleagues might behave in a certain way and understand how they operate on a normal day. It also gives people more self-awareness and an understanding of how to work with their team to deliver the best possible outcomes, whether they’re neurodiverse or not.”
RIGHT Jarrod Kerr (far right) with his daughters, Harriet and Lila, his dad
As an employer, Jarrod Kerr agrees. “You’ve got to find out what your employees’ strengths are and put them in positions that allow them to shine.”
It’s one of the reasons why Jarrod’s now on a mission to raise awareness of neurodiversity in the industry and find ways of encouraging more neurodiverse people to consider a career in hire.
“With the next generation of workers coming through, there’s no longer any shame or embarrassment about being neurodiverse. They’re saying, ‘this is who I am and I’m not hiding it’.”
“It’s the reality of what’s happening in society and as employers, we have to adapt because we can’t afford to alienate good people who may be considering a career in hire. But I’d argue, why would we? In my experience, this industry offers great career opportunities for neurodiverse people.”
To learn more about conducting a DiSC session at your workplace, contact Strategic Alignment Training on info@sa-training.com.au
Special thanks to Jarrod Kerr for championing this topic and neurodiverse people in hire.
