Neurodivergent employees are a growing part of the workforce. These employees have nervous systems that function differently from what society often treats as typical. As more people identify as neurodivergent, organizations need to expand how they think about support and accommodation to support retention.
The increase in the number of neurodivergent individuals in the workforce stems in part from a shift in data collection, with previous estimates of the neurodiverse population superseded by studies that focus on a broader definition of neurodivergent. These studies demonstrate that a growing sector of the workforce — Millennials and Gen Z — increasingly identify as neurodivergent. Various estimates suggest more than half of these generational cohorts identify as neurodivergent. In a soft labor market with declining immigration, organizations cannot afford to overlook a talent pool that continues to grow.
To attract and retain talent, employers need to move beyond thinking only in terms of supporting either neurotypical or neurodivergent employees. The better goal is neuroinclusion: creating a workplace where people across neurotypes can do their best work. For HR leaders, that means building leadership development programs that prepare managers to support different working styles, communication needs, and sensory preferences.
Neuroinclusion and Leadership
“Neurodivergent” or “neurotypical” are not diagnoses or medical terms. “Neuro doesn’t mean ‘brain,’ it refers to the nervous system, which includes the brain,” explained Pasha Marlowe, chief executive officer of Neurobelonging, a consulting and coaching agency. “What we’re talking about is not only cognitive diversity or diversity of thinking, it’s diversity of the way people function.”
A common misconception is that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder solely account for neurodivergence. In reality, there are many ways a person may diverge from what is considered neurotypical. An employee who is undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from prior military service might process information or stimuli differently. An employee diagnosed with anxiety from hormone imbalances might need feedback delivered differently than neurotypical employees.
Managers who understand this range of human functioning can better support the people on their teams. Yet many organizations still lack formal programs to support neuroinclusive hiring and retention. According to SHRM research, 87% of HR professionals say their organizations do not have a specific program to support neurodivergent hiring, nor do they plan to create one. Similarly, 84% report no current or planned retention programs for neurodivergent employees.
Managers already play a central role in employee retention. Strengthening how they build teams, communicate, and manage performance is a practical next step for organizations that want to improve neuroinclusion.
Skills for Managers to Develop
While HR supports neurodivergent employees through documenting any relevant diagnoses or accommodations, managers are on the front lines for engagement and retention. Managers don’t need a doctor’s note to do this, either.
“Oftentimes, managers feel they need to somehow understand the ins and outs of every mental health challenge, form of neurodivergence, or disability,” Marlowe said. Instead, Marlowe encourages managers to avoid stepping into the shoes of an HR professional, where formality and compliance reign, and instead focus on what they can control to better support employees. This might include holding needs-based conversations, building intelligence around how individuals relate to each other on the team, and strengthening flexibility as a leader.
Needs-Based Communication
When working with a neurodivergent employee, managers may feel like they either need to understand any related diagnoses or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, want to avoid delving too deeply into personal matters. For employees, many may not feel comfortable disclosing diagnoses to leaders. In fact, only about 2 in 5 employee respondents say they feel comfortable discussing their mental health in the workplace, according to SHRM’s 2024 mental health survey.
Marlowe emphasizes that managers don’t need to have conversations around diagnoses, but rather about any needs for performing well in the workplace. “If you’re having a needs-based conversation, there’s no diagnosis or disclosure necessary,” she said. Instead, managers should ask about needs related to access, support, and sensory needs, as well as preferences.
Approaching conversations through the lens of performance needs takes the pressure off both sides to wade through disclosures and puts the focus back on what makes individuals, and thereby the whole team, work better.
Relational Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is an oft-cited skill expected of managers. While identifying their own emotions and the emotions of those around them is critical, there’s one skill that can help managers fine-tune team performance: co-regulation. This is a relational intelligence skill that involves recognizing and responding to the emotional and nervous system states of team members. "If there are people who are dysregulated on the team, how can we calm them, ground them, and center them, rather than feeding into the anxiety?" Marlowe said.
Leaders who can support co-regulation focus on de-escalating rather than reacting. Marlowe emphasizes leaders should model co-regulation by modeling grounding, agency, and trusting one’s own intuition. If a team member is feeling dysregulated, encourage them to take a break, walk outside, or even engage in breath work. Respect agency by trusting team members to accomplish tasks in the given timeframe. Practice trusting your own intuition to make decisions rather than vacillating between options.
“All of these skills are a result of not just emotional intelligence, but the art of relational intelligence,” Marlowe said.
Flexibility in Leadership
The skills and techniques that support relational intelligence are part of an even more impactful characteristic of neuroinclusive leaders: flexibility in leadership. "Any effective manager or leader has to know how to manage, lead, empower, and support different functioning styles and different ways of moving through the world,” Marlowe said. “That’s just good leadership."
Managers already adapt their leadership style to accommodate multiple generations, various levels of education, diverse work experiences, and more. Accommodating diverse functioning styles and preferences is part of this flexibility. Building this muscle takes experience and practice, along with intentional understanding of the impact society and culture haveon all individuals.
The ROI of Neuroinclusive Leadership
As HR executives consider improvements to leadership development, neuroinclusion is a focus that can provide benefits to both managers and employees, supporting overall retention. “In my experience, retention improves when organizations encourage neuroinclusive leadership,” Marlowe said. “If someone is neurodivergent and they find a place that is actually neuroinclusive, they’re staying.”
When all neurotypes are considered, managers are equipped to engage and keep the most creative thinkers, problem solvers, and systemic thinkers. “They are the people who can meet the moment of uncertainty,” Marlowe said.
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