Understanding ADHD in the workplace
We chat to neurodiversity coach Rosie Arthey ahead of ADHD Awareness Month
October is ADHD Awareness Month, so we met with neurodiversity coach and founder of Bright Cognition Rosie Arthey to discuss the importance of recognising, welcoming and celebrating neurodiversity in the workplace.
As well as explaining what ADHD is and how it can impact individuals in the workplace both positively and negatively, Rosie shares plenty of tips on how to better understand and accommodate neurodiverse team members at work. We also discuss how to celebrate ADHD Awareness Month and what HR teams can do to ensure a more inclusive workplace.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term, what is ADHD and how is it best described?
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There are three subtypes: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, or combined.
ADHD is best understood through the more recently coined ‘neurodiversity model’, which sees neurodiversity as an example of the infinite variation in human brains. This is contrary to the medical model, which emphasises deficits rather than simply differences that are a natural part of human cognitive variation. This means that the neurodiversity model encourages celebrating and supporting differences, rather than trying to ‘fix’ them.
The neurodiversity model can also help avoid stereotyping as it is important to realise that each person’s experience of ADHD is unique to them.
What are some of the common workplace challenges for employees with ADHD? And how can HR teams ensure that these are better understood and accommodated?
Common workplace challenges for ADHD employees can include maintaining focus, organisation, time management, meeting deadlines, procrastination, and inconsistent performance. But again, everyone is different so personalised support is key.
Research suggests that neurodivergent employees value feeling heard and respected over and above practical accommodations. Training HR staff and line managers in active listening can be a great way to foster mutual understanding and make it easier to implement effective support. HR staff and managers can also deepen their understanding of ADHD by reading up on it (find some suggestions below) or by organising more formal group training.
There are also some simple adjustments that can support the common challenges of ADHD:
Workplace Strategy Coaching:
Working with a coach can help neurodiverse individuals to better understand the challenges they experience and experiment with support strategies. Research has shown that working with a specialist neurodiversity coach results in a 47% improvement in productivity, reported by managers.
Clear Communication:
A lack of clarity around tasks and expectations can lead to challenges with maintaining focus, time management and meeting deadlines.
Remembering verbal instructions is a common ADHD challenge, so make sure to follow up conversations and agreed actions in writing. It is also best to keep written instructions brief and in bullet point format to avoid confusion.
Set clear deadlines – vague timelines like “whenever you can” might seem accommodating but can lead to poor focus and time management. Providing an understanding of how tasks fit within the bigger picture can also be helpful for clarity and motivation.
Regular check-ins (framed as supportive, not critical) are a good way to track progress, clarify priorities, and resolve any issues early on.
Provide Examples and Checklists:
ADHD employees often struggle to start tasks due to difficulty breaking them down, estimating how long they’ll take or unclear expectations of the output. Providing checklists or examples of similar task outputs can help clarify steps and make it easier to get started.
Assistive Technology and Productivity Tools:
Apps for mind-mapping, task breakdown, time management, and scheduling can significantly improve productivity.
Body Doubling:
A well-known support strategy for people with ADHD, body doubling means working alongside someone else when completing certain tasks. This helps with focus because the presence of another person creates a sense of accountability and structure. You can use online platforms like Flow Club to pair people up, or set up a body doubling system within your organisation.
Strength Focus:
Focusing on strengths, not weaknesses, creates a more positive workplace. Encourage both staff and employees to use and share their strengths and skills at work. Research shows that articulating our knowledge to others helps us to deepen our own learning. Giving genuine, specific praise can also help build confidence and empower employees to work at their best.
What are the top 3 things HR teams can implement to ensure inclusion?
A neuroinclusive workplace helps to create an environment where everyone can thrive. Here are three things that can help work towards a neuroinclusive workplace:
- Consider Your Recruitment Practices:
Many traditional recruitment practices are unintentionally discriminatory to neurodivergent employees, especially the application and interview processes. This Forbes article is worth a read as it suggests some alternative approaches.
I’ve also recommended a couple of books below that discuss how to incorporate neuroinclusive recruitment practices into your business.
- Consider Your Work Environment:
Common practices like hot-desking, clear desk policies, and paper-free offices may disadvantage neurodivergent employees. Offering alternatives, such as quiet spaces for focused work, reduces distractions and anxiety. Other ways to aid neurodivergent employees include allowing workers to adjust their work environment (e.g., noise-cancelling headphones, adjustable lighting) or providing flexible hours or remote work to accommodate different productivity needs.
- Support Line Managers:
Research has highlighted the importance of the line manager’s role in supporting and signposting neurodivergent employees.
Line managers are usually the first point of contact for ADHD employees seeking support but they often lack training on neurodiversity. Offering line managers tailored training and clear information about available resources and policies will help them to support their neurodivergent staff more effectively and empathetically.
Small companies sometimes avoid conversations around neurodivergence, believing that they don’t have the funds and/or resources to cater to the needs of neurodivergent people. What advice would you give these teams regarding easy and inexpensive ways to implement changes in the workplace for ADHD employees?
A simple and affordable first step in implementing changes is to deepen your understanding of neurodiversity and ADHD. Recent books like The Canary Code by Ludmila N. Praslova, PhD, and Neurodiversity at Work by Theo Smith and Amanda Kirkby provide well-researched insights. Additionally, the 2023 research paper Neurodiversity at Work proposes practical suggestions for improving neuroinclusion at work. It’s not too text-heavy, it’s easily digestible and can be downloaded here.
Look into the UK government’s Access to Work scheme. It offers grants for assistive technology, workplace adjustments, and neurodiversity training designed to support employees with disabilities or health (including neurodivergent) conditions. The smaller your organisation, the less you have to contribute financially.
GeniusFinder Pro is an online tool (created by one of the co-authors of Neurodiversity at Work) for assessing neurodivergent strengths and needs. For a low cost, it provides personalised strategies to support individuals and their workplace. Once completed, users can download and keep the report forever with no further fees.
And finally, don’t forget that a key finding in the Neurodiversity at Work research is that feeling heard and valued is more important to neurodiverse people than any adjustments. So taking time to listen to neurodivergent staff and show that you value their contributions to the organisation is the cheapest and most effective thing you can do!
Rosie Arthey works with businesses, teams and individuals providing neurodiversity coaching, training and consultancy. Her business Bright Cognition helps people to understand neurodiversity and its impact in order to increase productivity and reduce conflict and misunderstanding. To find out more, you can contact Rosie via email at rosie@brightcognition.co.uk
