October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, so in this episode of Honest HR, host Monique Akanbi sits down with Jhillika Kumar, CEO and founder of Mentra—a neurodiversity employment network—to discuss how HR professionals can support neurodiversity in their workplaces. Jhillika offers insight into the value of hiring neurodiverse employees, as well as common misconceptions around neurodiversity in the workplace.
Episode Guest
-
Jhillika Kumar
CEO and Founder, Mentra
Jhillika is the CEO and founder at Mentra. A fellow neurodivergent, Forbes 30 under 30 Social Impact awardee, honorary degree recipient, and TEDx speaker for diversity and neuroinclusion. Her journey as the sister of a non-speaking autistic individual fueled her determination to build Mentra, empowering companies to harness the often-overlooked talents of the neurodiverse. As the keynote speaker for the 2019 Grace Hopper Celebration, Jhillika addressed a global audience, inspiring them to unite empathy and technology to bridge the "Disability Divide." She and her team at Mentra are building a neurodiversity hiring platform to unleash the cognitive potential of humanity.
Related Article
An estimated 15-20 percent of the world's population exhibits some form of neurodivergence, according to various studies, and despite strides being made in advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, some say that neurodiversity is overlooked.
Enjoy On Your Favorite App
More From SHRM
As part of SHRM's commitment to providing cutting-edge resources, get additional perspective and more insights in content curated from SHRM and around the web.
Employers must avoid discrimination based on citizenship or national origin when hiring or verifying work eligibility. Missteps can lead to legal penalties.
Discover how failure impacts the brain and how leaders can use neuroplasticity to reframe mistakes, reduce fear, and build a resilient workplace culture.
Referring a relative for a job at your company can be tricky. Make sure you know how to make a fair and transparent recommendation without showing favoritism.