In this session attendees will learn how how to hire and accommodate neurodiverse talent while also redesigning the system to work better for both current and new employees.

1. CHAMPIONING DIFFERENT
ABILITIES AS OPPORTUNITIES:
UNDERSTANDING
NEURODIVERSITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
W/ JANINE NICOLE DENNIS, CHIEF
INNOVATIONS OFFICER, TALENT THINK
INNOVATIONS
JUNE 23, 2022 AT 12:30 PM PDT,
3:30 PM EDT, 8:30 PM GMT
Human Resources Today
Level Up Your Recruitment
Strategy Series
Rayvonne Carter
Webinar Coordinator,
Human Resources Today

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Lever's mission is to offer talent leaders powerful tools to source
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industry-leading reporting — all in one unified Talent
Relationship Management (TRM) platform.
Lever supports the hiring needs of over 3,000 companies around
the globe including the teams at Netflix, Atlassian, KPMG, and
McGraw-Hill Education. Lever is also fiercely committed to
building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
For more information, visit www.lever.co.

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4. CHAMPIONING DIFFERENT
ABILITIES AS OPPORTUNITIES:
UNDERSTANDING
NEURODIVERSITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
W/ JANINE NICOLE DENNIS, CHIEF
INNOVATIONS OFFICER, TALENT THINK
INNOVATIONS

5. "THE GOAL OF EMPLOYERS
GOING FORWARD SHOULD
BE TO KEEP PEOPLE
WHOLE."
Susan Bruyere, Ph.D Cornell University School of ILR

6. The Human Condition
Future of Work
• Emotional Intelligence
• Increase belonging and integration
• Increase connection to work and work
environment
• Increase empathy
• Increase pathways to happiness
• Support behavior change
• Reduce loneliness
• Reduce isolation
THE BIGGER PICTURE

7. People with disabilities
globally
Cornell School of ILR
1BILLION

8. In 2021, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF
PERSONS IDENTIFYING AS DISABLED was
10.1% COMPARED TO 3.9% FOR PERSONS
WITHOUT A DISABILITY.
Bureau of Labor Statistics

9. Definition: be afraid of (someone or
something) as likely to be
dangerous, painful, or threatening.
FEAR
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY

10. Synonyms:
handicap, disablement,
incapacity, impairment, infirmity,
defect, abnormality; condition,
disorder, affliction, disadvantage
DISABILITY

11. Definition: the idea that people
experience and interact with the world
around them in many different ways;
there is no one "right" way of thinking,
learning, and behaving, and differences
are not viewed as deficits.
NEURODIVERSITY
Harvard Health Publishing

12. EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR NEURODIVERSE
AND DISABLED PERSONS
LOW
EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT DEFINED AS
POOR LITERACY AND
NUMERACY
NOT IN
EMPLOYMENT,
EDUCATION, OR
TRAINING. (NEET)
SOCIOECONOMIC
DISADVANTAGE

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According to the May 2022 VantageCircle.com blog
“Interpersonal Skills In The Workplace: Importance and Ways to
Improve” there are nine interpersonal skills of importance in the
workplace. The degree to which an employer holds a
neurodiverse person to these standards can cause harm if their
specific challenges are not understood.
• Communication (verbal, non-verbal and public speaking)
• Conflict Management
• Empathy
• Leadership
• Listening
• Negotiation
• Positive Attitude
• Teamwork
• Body Language
The interpersonal
challenge
Neurodiversity at
Work

14. According to Title I of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a reasonable
accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work
environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.
It’s important to know that the accommodations you make for a prospective
employee are not meant to be “special treatment”, but to create a more
equitable workforce for everyone.
Learn more at eeoc.gov.

15. Small adjustments to how a neurodiverse or
differently-abled works can make a huge difference
for their sense of belonging and comfort. Examples
of ways you can create equity are:
• Offering options for those who may have sound
sensitivity
• Refraining from using sarcasm or implied
messages and instead using clear verbal and
written instructions
• Allow time for free movement or pivots of
attention to other tactile activities
• Redefine professionalism standards. What you
deem “rude”, or “insubordinate” will likely be
challenged
NEURODIVERSITY
BELONGING AND EQUITY

16. There is “person-first language” and
“identity-first language”.
An example of person-first language would be
to say, “person with ADHD” or “person with
Dyslexia”.
An example of identity-first language would be
to say, “autistic person”.
When in doubt about a person’s preference, do
not just assume, take the time to ask them
which is preferable.
LANGUAGE
MATTERS

17. REDEFINING THE
VALUE OF
DIFFERENT
ABILITIES AT WORK
To truly be an ally and of assistance in the differently
abled community, you will need to reimagine and redefine
how, when, and where work gets done. You will have to
create work experiences that play on your employees
strengths and provide resources and workarounds where
there are challenges.

18. 03
Connecting different abilities to a trade and connecting a
trade to an on-the-job experience.
• Shaping vocational training and or curriculum from high school
through college
• Partnering with non-profits and other organizations
well-versed in serving these communities to establish a
relationship and candidate pipeline
• Participating in events like National Disability Employment
Awareness Month (NDEAM) and CUNY Neurodiversity
Conference
• Removing barriers to employment by looking at everything from
your application process through hire
BRIDGING THE GAP

19. Making a difference for the neurodiverse and
overall disability community, starts with
making sure you are educated and ends with
genuine and actionable steps. Here are some
organizations you can utilize to get started:
• The Viscardi Center
• Family Residences and Essential Enterprises
(FREE)
• NeurodiversityNetwork.net
• National Disability Employment Awareness
Month
• Department of Labor
• Project REACH & ASD
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

20. THE GOAL OF DIVERSITY SHOULD NOT
BE CHARITY, BUT RATHER PARITY AND
IF YOU DO IT WELL ENOUGH PARITY
SHOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME
EQUITY.

21. Global Talent &
Executive Search Director
Janine Nicole
Dennis
/in/janinedennis/
talentthinkinnovations.com/
Webinar Coordinator,
Human Resources Today
Rayvonne Carter
/in/rayvonnecarter/
humanresources
today.com
Q&A