Between 10 and 20% of the population is neurodivergent, a non-medical term that includes conditions such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, or ADHD. Integrating neurodiversity can bring benefits to companies such as increased productivity, innovation, and commitment thanks to the special skills of individuals with these conditions.
Best practices for integrating neurodiversity are an emerging trend in top organizations. In fact, 18% of companies have initiatives to ensure equity with neurodiverse employees by adapting the work environment, selection policies, and development opportunities.
Furthermore, 72% of the Human Resources managers interviewed by the Top Employers Institute believe that the importance of practices to enhance neurodiversity will increase by 2026.
Neurodivergent individuals have a different neurological development, and therefore perceive and process stimuli in their environment differently. Because of this, they may have more pronounced skills that are highly valuable in the current economic environment, such as creativity, problem-solving, concentration, perseverance, logic, innovation, or visual thinking.
To achieve the integration of neurodivergent individuals, companies can implement initiatives such as changing the format of selection interviews, working with organizations that operate in the field of neurodiversity, offering tailored career development, or providing specific training to those who work with them and to managers.
“The concept of neurodiversity stems from the idea that there is no single ‘correct’ way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not considered deficits. Teams that include neurodivergent members can achieve up to 30% higher productivity,” emphasizes Massimo Begelle, Regional Manager of Spain and Italy at the Top Employers Institute.
CaixaBank, EY, and Carrefour are leading companies with initiatives for the integration of individuals with neurodiversity.
CaixaBank: consultants with unique qualities
CaixaBank’s IT service quality and control area has been working with Specialisterne, a social organization dedicated to the inclusion of people with autism and other neurodivergences, since early 2023. Specialisterne consultants are responsible for validating the operation of CaixaBank services before launching them to the market and conducting testing.
The Specialisterne team carries out a set of tests on the most relevant applications of the entity, validating that the main operations of the entity are functioning correctly; they also test applications that are updated or have some changes. In total, they carry out more than 1,400 tests each month.
“Specialisterne consultants bring unique qualities to CaixaBank, such as concentration, perseverance, the ability to identify and report errors, and add value to the team,” highlights Juan Guadiño, Software Quality Assurance Manager at CaixaBank.
The Neurodiversity Center of Excellence at EY
EY Spain has the first Neurodiversity Center (NCoE) of the Firm in Europe, integrated into the Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Analytics – EY wavespace Madrid. The social innovation project seeks to normalize neurodiversity and enrich the talent of the Firm by offering jobs according to the qualifications and abilities of neurodivergent individuals: autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, OCD, etc. Professionals who experience, interact, and interpret the world in a different and unique way, but who stand out for their analytical ability, sense of innovation and creativity, and who integrate into teams under the same usual criteria and demands of the Firm.
“They are trained and motivated professionals, with skills that stand out for their diversity of perspectives and innovation and that create value, especially in technical profiles such as architects, engineers, or data visualizers, or software developers. Investing in diversity is also part of our Firm’s purpose,” comments José Luis Risco, Talent Partner at EY.
The EY initiative was created globally in 2013 and already has 13 centers and more than 250 professionals worldwide. In Spain, it receives support from the Adecco foundation for the recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes of these professionals.
“The Silent Hour” at Carrefour
“The Silent Hour” at Carrefour is an initiative born with the aim of promoting social inclusion and active participation of people with ASD and sensory hypersensitivity in day-to-day activities.
In addition to providing significant resources for the benefit of children with autism, Carrefour Spain, through its Foundation and with the support of Autism Spain and the Queen Sofia Foundation, implemented in 2021 new and important inclusion measures in everyday environments. We are talking about the well-known “Silent Hour” at Carrefour Spain, a time slot in which the company reduces light and sound intensity in all its integrated stores. An intervention that is currently carried out every day of the week from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
During this time slot, among other things, the background music is turned off, and except for emergency communications, public address messages are avoided. Additionally, the use of tools and the execution of tasks considered “sensitive” from a sensory point of view are minimized. All this with the aim of promoting the active participation of people with autism and sensory hypersensitivity in society and contributing to avoiding a potential disconnection from their social environment.
These measures have been accompanied by awareness actions about the needs of people with ASD and their families. Among others, involving both customers and employees in the social participation barriers that people with autism face every day. Along the same lines, thousands of Carrefour Spain employees have received specific information on this matter with the aim of moving towards a more inclusive society.
