Empowering Neurodiverse Youth in the Workforce!
With a strong push in recent years, and more neurodiverse people becoming aware of their differences and feeling open to sharing their experiences, we have noticed a shift in the employment landscape. Traditional ways of hiring are slowly being challenged, with more employers choosing to become more empowering for our youth. There is a growing emphasis on inclusivity and equality, and this shift matters.
Let me explain. Our neurodiverse rangatahi stand to benefit significantly from this change. Young people with neurological differences, such as Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and many more, are more likely to find success in roles they are passionate about, have special interests in, or something they are just naturally good at!
Why? Because the shift is moving toward skill- and strength-based hiring!
Employers are making the shift to focus on abilities and competencies rather than traditional qualifications, which have been unattainable for many neurodiverse youth for reasons including concentration, environment, lack of safe connections, and lack of accommodations that suit them. This approach is powerful and transformative. It has the potential to unlock the true potential of neurodiverse youth in the workforce.
This shift recognises that variations in brain functioning are normal and that they should be respected and valued as forms of diversity, rather than viewed as a negative. What do we know about neurodiverse youth in employment? They often bring unique strengths such as attention to detail, innovative problem-solving, and the ability to think outside the box.
These strengths are frequently overlooked in traditional hiring practices, which are now often highly computerised and often prioritise academic qualifications and standard testing. This approach completely misses what many young people have to offer. Looking at the bigger picture, it leaves our neurodiverse youth in a perpetuating cycle of unemployment and underemployment in the bottom-line roles with restricted growth and success, and minimum wage. Unfair, right? So now you can see why we push our employers to meet our youth, spend time with them, identify their strengths and how that aligns to their business and the outcomes they want, because often it outweighs the qualification in many sectors.
This is why we actively encourage employers to meet our youth, spend time with them, and truly get to know their strengths. When employers understand how those strengths align with their business and desired outcomes, they often see that they outweigh formal qualifications in many sectors.
For employers who aren’t yet using skill-based hiring, you might be wondering: why would you do this? How would it benefit your business? And parents, you may be wondering how to support your young person to develop a skill-based mindset and feel empowered to flourish in interviews by drawing on what they already know and feel confident in.
Let’s go deeper and explore the benefits.
Focus on abilities! Shift away from focusing on education and qualifications only, and actually focus on the skills the youth can bring! Allow the youth to come in and see you, have a go, bring back the work experience and trails, invest time to connect and allow them to lead in showing you their natural capabilities and find ways of highlighting their strengths in your working model.
Diverse perspectives! Allow young people to share their unique perspectives on how they understand your systems, your processes, and the way your organisation operates. Open communication gives space for creativity and enhances problem-solving. Through conversation, you’ll see their strengths and their way of thinking. Their questions often highlight areas of uncertainty or opportunities for growth. It may surprise you how much they already know, how invested and passionate they are about the area of work and how much dedication they put into their perspective or way of thinking.
Improved job satisfaction! When a neurodiverse youth is passionate and finds a job that aligns with their skills, interests, and has a safe and strong relationships that believe in them, they are more likely, actually highly likely to experience a high level of job satisfaction and success. This leads to higher output, greater specialisation in what they do, and a highly dedicated employee with few absences, etc.
Inclusive work environments! Employers and organisations that adopt skill-based hiring are opening up and creating safe and inclusive workplaces with little effort! They are hiring dedicated staff who they have connected with, the intention of the youth is clear and transparent, and the limitations and challenges are already understood. Teammates are supportive, and it fosters acceptance and collaboration!
Through empowering this model with rangatahi, including those who have fallen out of school, haven’t been able to gain school qualifications, or haven’t been able to complete tertiary study because systems weren’t designed to fit their way of thinking or living, we have seen real success. Accommodations are often labelled as “individual,” yet the need to thrive is universal.
Our youth are connecting with their communities. They are having meaningful opportunities to meet employers and demonstrate their strengths. Employers are seeing the wow factor instead of the limitations. Young people are gaining confidence, entering study later in life, securing jobs, sustaining employment, and building strong self-esteem. They know they have a purpose. They know they are wanted, heard, and seen. Their strengths are often the glue that holds teams together.