Doncaster Recruiter's neurodiversity agenda paves the way for bold businesses

The campaign which is titled ‘This is Me’, plans to dispel misconceptions and bridge the gap between neurotypical and neurodivergent colleagues to create an environment of understanding, appreciation, and elevation.

To kickstart the campaign, Gi Group has created a ‘Neurodiversity at Work Guide’ for its employees, focusing specifically on people with Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dyslexia. Alongside information, tool kits and advice, the guide takes an in-depth look at neurodivergent team members by including lived experiences and personal stories.

To demonstrate its commitment, Gi Group has also become a member of Neurodiversity in Business, a new initiative recently launched at the Houses of Parliament to improve the employment and experience of the neurodiverse workforce.

An estimated one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent, yet only 33 per cent of businesses have Neurodiversity within their EDI strategy.

Gi Group’s Head of Learning and Development, Emma-Louise Taylor, explained how the campaign responded to employee demand: “When shaping our EDI strategy, we wanted to reflect what’s important to our teams, so giving them a voice was vital. After sending out an employee poll, neurodiversity was a key theme within the results, so we knew immediately we wanted to launch a specific campaign around it.”

The term neurodiversity is used to describe the differences in how people’s brains work. When it comes to the workplace, traditional practices are often designed with a neurotypical society in mind, which can make it difficult for neurodivergent individuals to thrive in the workplace.

It’s estimated that more than half of neurodivergent employees don’t feel that their organisation (52%) or team (54%) is open or supportive enough to discuss neurodiversity, research by the CIPD revealed[1].

As someone with ADHD, Emma feels incredibly passionate about the campaign, sharing her own personal experiences within the guide: “Neurodiverse individuals have unique skills and talents that they can bring into the workplace, but it’s how a company supports them which makes the difference in allowing them to flourish. Alongside adjusting working patterns, ways of working and the environment teams work within, we hope that by sharing personal experiences, we can help someone find a sense of identity and understanding.

“Since I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, I have never felt more myself. The support I have had from the Gi Group team has massively contributed to this as well, who unbeknown to themselves, have allowed me to feel at home and contributed to me flourishing both personally and professionally.”

Recruitment Consultant, Brenden Wheldon, shared his experience of autism within the workplace as part of the campaign, he said: “Since joining Gi Group I have always been able to speak honestly with my management and colleagues. My team are very aware of the tone they use when speaking to me and make it easier for me to understand the situation and my management have gone out of their way to adjust emails to clarify the meaning. I feel included and it has brought the best out of my work.”

Operations Manager, Andy Whittle, also shared his story, talking about how his ADHD has helped him excel in the workplace, he said: “Gi Group truly is a great company to work in as it is so passionate about neurodiversity and everyone is very open to talk about it, as they should be. My ADHD hasn’t hindered me in any way from getting to a senior position, in fact, I truly believe it has given me an upper hand at times.”

The guide also addresses what it’s like for parents with neurodiverse children and how a supportive workplace can have a big impact.

Senior Operations Director, Andy Carpenter, at Gi Group shared his personal experience: “As a parent of an autistic child, all I can hope for is that both industry and society peel back the labels and stigmas surrounding autism to understand more about the people themselves. I truly believe that this type of approach benefits these individuals, our teams, and our business as a whole, and I’m excited to see our neurodivergent journey evolve.”

As the campaign develops, Gi Group plans to launch a role model initiative within the business and create mentor opportunities that focus on neurodiversity. The recruiter also plans on looking at candidate experience, and how best they can support those with neurodiversity entering a new workplace.

Pete Taylor, Managing Director at Gi Group, added: “Having an inclusive culture at Gi Group is our key to success as a team. It’s embedded into all aspects of the business, from culture to strategy, to policies and ways of working. Everyone has the right to be working without fear of judgement, and our ‘This is Me’ campaign is our latest step in ensuring that everyone feels empowered to be the best versions of themselves.”

Gi Group UK is headquartered in Chesterfield in the Midlands. The business employs close to 500 people and in 2024 is proud to serve almost 1500 clients from 87 locations (26 branches and 61 sites). Gi Group UK is uniquely committed to the creation of social and economic value for both employers and candidates alike. Gi Group Holding in the UK places one person in work every 90 seconds.

For more information about Gi Group in the UK, please visit: uk.gigroup.com.

· [1]https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/half-of-neurodivergent-employees-don-t-feel-supported-at-work/