Two sides of the coin: Double-sided commentary on neuroinclusive work

Introducing a new series about neurodivergent work that visits both the lens of the employee and the employer

Often, a deeper understanding comes when we take a moment to listen or research different perspectives. I am both a coach for neurodivergent workers and a neuroinclusion consultant for organizations. With this series, I hope to offer job navigators a perspective on the broader landscape of opportunities and organizational challenges, and to provide organizations with deeper insight into both the ‘what' and the ‘why' of neuroinclusion.

My goal in speaking to two positions in a single article is to support both neurodivergent employees and employers in better understanding one another – and the challenges we face – so we can collectively improve what we call work and the systems around it.

Let’s explore how to nurture neuroinclusive work of the future, a future that is better for everyone.

A little about me: I am a cisgender woman with a professional focus on both coaching and consulting through my company, Operate Well, LLC. I was diagnosed as Autistic or with ADHD late in life — an experience shared by many women, as these conditions are frequently missed in girls. These are parts of my identity I now understand and embrace.
One thing that shapes how I think and work: I've always loved seeing things from multiple angles. I believe that's why I tend to do things in pairs — I double-majored in undergrad, earned two master's degrees, and now blend coaching and consulting in my practice.

Through this lens, I plan to explore topics relevant to the conversation about neurodiversity in the workplace, including:

🪙 The best jobs :: the best candidates
🪙 Cultures of Inclusion
🪙 Interviews
🪙 Training
🪙 Receiving Feedback :: Giving Feedback
🪙 Tasks and Process
🪙 Supportive Structures
🪙 Working with Supervisors :: Supervising
🪙 Disclosure and Accommodations
🪙 Being a freelance contractor :: Hiring a neurodivergent contractor

I would love to hear from you about any topics I did not list above that you would be interested in.

As these posts will be written with two different audiences in mind, I encourage you to read both “sides of the coin” (both employee and employer advice) and to follow what’s interesting. You may find something just on the other side of the coin.

Coin A: Finding the best jobs :: Finding the best candidates

Whether you’re looking for a job or you're looking to hire, one thing we can all agree on is that not all people and jobs are meant for each other. Most neurodivergent job navigators and hiring teams go through a search for an ideal fit. So let’s dive in deeper.

Coin A Side 1: The neurodivergent job navigator

Whether you’re just starting out, currently employed, recently left a job, or starting over, you likely:

• Have some idea of the tasks you do and do not want to do
• Have some level of awareness about what you do and don’t want in an employer
• Have insight into what helps you to do your best work

Coin A Side 2: The hiring team

You’re the ones looking for “talent,” and what’s likely is you:

• Have some idea of the tasks you want the hiree to do
• Have some idea of the qualifications we would like for that person to have
• May or may not have considered plans on ways to best support and retain the hiree once they are hired

Reflection

Please take a moment to reflect on the “two sides of the coin” descriptions above and identify the similarities, tensions, and questions that arise.

Here’s what I see:

1. Clarity: Both the neurodivergent job navigator and the hiring team need clarity in order to be successful. Both must be clear about their values, needs, and what they have to offer so they can recognize a good match when it shows up.
2. The hiring process can be functional: Whether you are navigating work or hiring, the hiring process is a critical opportunity to gain more information on fit. Going through interviews, on either side of the experience, provides insight into both what you’re looking for and information about what is out there, especially when we take the time to reflect on the experience.
3. Common goals and interests: Whatever side of the interview you sit on, you are pursuing the common goal of employment, knowing that working together is essential. For the employee, employment is of personal interest; for the employer, it is of organizational interest. Further, common goals and interests likely include that the employee’s needs are met and therefore stays and that the employee and organization are successful in accomplishing certain outcomes.

In light of all this, I wish to surface some statistics found at https://mydisabilityjobs.com/statistics/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace/.

• “Only 34% of neurodivergent employees report feeling well supported at work, and one in three say they’re not satisfied with the support they currently receive.”
• “Unemployment for neurodivergent adults runs at least as high as 30-40%, which is three times the rate for people with disabilities, and eight times the rate for people without disabilities.”
• “In the United States, it is estimated that 85% of people on the autism spectrum are unemployed, compared to 4.2% of the overall population.”

That’s a lot of people who are unhired, unsupported, and underemployed. People with strengths and talents, many of whom could be working and want to be working. People who are ready to do the work, stay for a while, be key team members, lead, make breakthrough discoveries, and offer empathetic support.

When I see these stats, I see missed opportunities. Even though neurodivergent job seekers and hiring teams share common experiences, goals, and interests, something is being missed.

So, what’s causing this gap? Here’s what I suspect:

• Discrimination and lack of education: Given the history of discrimination and misunderstanding of Disabled and/or neurodivergent individuals, employers still collectively lack education on both the ethical and business imperatives for supporting neurodivergent workers.
• Organizations are just beginning to explore the how of neuroinclusion: With visibility on the topic increasing over the last ten years, accelerated by successful initiatives from well-known companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, and EY, other lesser-known companies are now exploring how to put neuroinclusion into practice.

I believe that this gap won’t close without our awareness, education, and the inclusion of the voices of those most affected and least heard.

So what’s a neurodivergent job seeker to do?
Here’s some general advice based on my own experience as a neurodivergent job seeker and my familiarity with the systems (organizations). I hope it helps:

1. Know yourself - your strengths, your needs, and your passions - and know that you are a work in progress, and that’s okay.
2. Filter out the companies that don’t meet your needs:

Flexible work environment? Inclusive culture? Understanding management?
-> If no, swipe left. Not every job is gonna be a place where you want to work, and not applying, not accepting, or leaving sends a message about the organization’s employment practices. That said, it’s true that not everyone has the financial sovereignty to decline or leave a job, which brings me to my next point:

3. Get creative in community. Community means that you’re not alone. When applying for jobs feels like an uphill battle, you may need new insights, inspiration, and ideas from others going. Have a career brainstorming session with some friends. See where others are working and liking it. Create a mini zine of your resume and share it at a local coffee shop. With creativity and community, we can find our way.

On that note, here’s a more cheerful stat: According to Forbes, a 2024 study said that, "45% of C-level executives and 55% of business owners self-identify as neurodivergent.”

Finding a job may be hard, but this statistic underscores the immense resilience, innovation, and leadership of neurodivergent workers. Even if we are struggling. Even if we are waiting for the hiring world to catch up, this statistic tells me that there are also countless neurodivergent workers who find a way, or make one.

Yes, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to build more inclusive employment practices. Yes, employers are missing out on talent.

But neurodivergent workers are naturally creative, resourceful, and resilient human beings who can also drive change - both through their leadership, their grit and determination, and their willingness ot advocate for their goals and needs - which are often, turns out, in the interest of employers as well. (More on that sometime soon).

Examining these two sides of the coin of neurodivergent hiring and employment, I want to restate:

• Neurodivergent workers and employers share many goals and strategies for employment.
• Employers are slowly moving in a more neuro-inclusive direction, but still have a lot of work to do.
• Neurodivergent employees must get creative and find support in community as we drive the change workplaces need – whether that’s by running their own business or simply by showing up to work knowing that our needs matter.

All the best,
Marissa Mosunich
www.operatewell.com
Instagram: @brave.zebra
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AI Disclosure: AI was used to provide structural feedback and mild phrasing suggestions for this post. All wording is otherwise original from the author.