What Employers Still Get Wrong About Hiring Neurodivergent Talent

Forbes

2 days ago

Miriam Groom, CEO and Founder of Mindful Career, an award-winning career counseling firm.
In today's workforce, companies are investing heavily in DEI strategies. However, in my work as a career counselor, I've found that neurodivergent professionals remain chronically misunderstood and under-supported. People with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, OCD and other forms of neurodivergence are still being placed in roles that suppress, rather than leverage, their strengths. Many mask their differences, burn out silently or exit companies that claim to be inclusive.
But here's the truth: In many cases, the problem isn't the person. It's the process.
Common Issues Around Hiring Neurodivergent Talent
In most cases, hiring practices still favor neurotypical traits: verbal fluency, multitasking under pressure, comfort in social ambiguity, etc. These traits are not neutral—they're cognitive biases in disguise. A 2024 study by Pearn Kandola found that 48% of neurodivergent job seekers viewed hiring practices as unfair to neurodivergent candidates. Standard interviews often penalize those with alternative communication styles or sensory processing differences, while vague job descriptions often fail to clarify what success in the role actually looks like.
Offering accommodations—such as flex hours, noise-cancelling headphones or work-from-home options—without matching individuals to jobs that align with their core behavioral traits and cognitive strengths is like giving someone a life vest and then pushing them into white water rapids. This is where many companies fail: They're inclusive in theory but structurally misaligned in practice.
Neurodivergent masking—the act of suppressing natural behaviors to appear 'normal'—has been linked to chronic anxiety, reduced job satisfaction and loss of trust in the workplace. Research indicates that employees who mask frequently experience burnout and disengagement, which can lead to leaving their jobs.
What this means for business is that even if you manage to hire top neurodivergent talent, they may not stay—unless you build systems around how they naturally operate.
Behavioral Profiling And Strengths-Based Career Design
One tool that can help with building these systems is behavioral profiling. This methodology is more than just personality quizzes; when rooted in psychological science, it uses validated assessments—like the Big Five, Holland Codes, cognitive processing theory and emotional regulation styles—to uncover how someone thinks, decides, learns and thrives.
Rather than asking, 'Is this person qualified?' behavioral profiling asks questions like:
• How does this person process information?
• Do they excel in deep work or high-stimulation environments?
• Is their strength in strategy, systems, empathy or invention?
• What sensory, emotional or communication patterns support their best performance?
In my experience, this methodology works best when applied in a structured way. It starts by assessing the candidate's cognitive fit across roles. Next, behavioral interviews and assessments can be used to identify core strengths and natural preferences in order to find or design a role where the candidate's unique wiring becomes their greatest asset, not their liability. I've found this process to be especially powerful for ADHD and autistic professionals who may underperform in traditional metrics but excel in nonlinear thinking, hyperfocus, pattern recognition or systems design when placed in the right role.
Real-World Applications In Business
Major companies like SAP and JPMorgan have begun integrating similar principles into hiring and team design. SAP's Autism at Work program reports a 90% retention rate, and JPMorgan Chase found that "new employees on the autism spectrum can be 90% to 140% more productive than employees who had been there five-to-ten years." These aren't exceptions—they're proof that when job design meets neurodivergent cognition, the results can be extraordinary.
But many companies are still missing an important step: using behavioral and psychological data up front, before roles are filled.
Finding The Right Fit In Neuroinclusive Workplaces
True neuroinclusion isn't just about hiring people who are different; it's about building systems that recognize and utilize those differences as strengths. Here are a few ways to get started:
• Redesign job descriptions to reflect task structure, processing demands and communication expectations.
• Replace vague interviews with structured, task-based assessments.
• Train managers to interpret behavior through a lens of cognitive difference—not as performance flaws.
• Map roles to processing strengths, not just hard skills.
By investing in this level of alignment, you can not only improve retention and engagement but also unlock innovation, resilience and long-term loyalty. The key to accessing the full potential of the neurodivergent workforce is not trying to 'fix' people; instead, focus on fixing how your jobs are matched, designed and measured.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?