“Exceptional management of a neurodivergent team member looks a lot like good management, full stop. It’s just done with a bit more curiosity, clarity and flexibility.”
Chris Bradshaw, L&D Business Partner and Neurodiversity Coach
Managing neurodivergent employees isn’t about learning a completely new skill set, it’s about reviewing and renewing your approach in the workplace to ensure everyone can thrive.
In this blog, we explore best practice for leading neurodivergent teams, including management habits, recruitment practices, creating psychological safety and evaluating neuroinclusivity. You can also read our first blog on understanding neurodiversity, why it’s important and putting accommodations in place.
Both articles are based on insights from a Damar Training webinar featuring neurodiversity experts Rachel Morgan-Trimmer (Neurodiversity Consultant and TedX Speaker), Chris Bradshaw (L&D Business Partner and Neurodiversity Coach) and Nadya Murray (SEND Co-ordinator at Damar Training).
Simple habits of effective managers
The strategies for leading and managing neurodivergent colleagues and teams aren’t new – strong leadership relies on many of the skills and practices required, including:
- Regular, structured check-ins: Have frequent, predictable one-on-ones where employees can raise concerns, ask questions and get feedback
- Specific and timely feedback: Avoid vague feedback – be concrete about what worked and what could be improved
- Clarity across projects: Be crystal clear about expectations, deadlines, priorities and success criteria
- Recognition of different communication styles: Some employees process information better in writing; others need to talk things through
- Flexibility: Rigid policies about when, where and how work gets done often create unnecessary barriers
- Proactive problem-solving: Don’t wait for employees to struggle – check in regularly about what’s working and what isn’t
- Celebrating strengths: Make sure you’re highlighting what neurodivergent employees do exceptionally well, not just what they need to work on.
Nadya Murray added context: “When a neurodivergent apprentice is spending a lot of energy masking or trying to fit into a system that doesn’t work for them, they’re taking away energy from the excellent work they could be putting into their workplace. An apprentice who feels understood and listened to really does perform differently.”
Finding hidden talent
One question often raised is around attracting neurodiverse talent in the first place. Traditional recruitment processes are designed to assess how well someone performs in artificial, high-pressure situations that bear little resemblance to actual job performance.
You’re expected to make eye contact, read social cues, think on your feet and navigate ambiguous questions – all while managing anxiety. For many neurodivergent candidates, this process screens out exceptional talent before they ever get a chance to demonstrate their actual capabilities.
Here’s how some organisations are reimagining recruitment to open and enhance their talent pipelines:
- Rethinking job descriptions: Focus on essential functions, avoid coded language like “culture fit”, be explicit about accommodations available, and list specific skills rather than vague requirements
- Diversifying assessment methods: Offer work samples or practical assessments, provide interview questions in advance, allow candidates to choose their interview format and use structured interviews with consistent questions
- Creating inclusive interview environments: Provide clear information about what to expect, offer breaks during lengthy processes, allow candidates to bring notes or use assistive technology and train interviewers to focus on substance over style
- Expanding your talent pipeline: Partner with neurodiverse employment organisations, recruit from specialised training programmes and attend neurodiversity job fairs. Particularly valuable are apprenticeship schemes, which offer neurodivergent talent structured pathways with formal qualifications, paid employment, and clear progression routes – exactly the kind of support that many neurodivergent individuals thrive with.
Creating psychological safety
Even after receiving a job offer or starting a new role, many neurodivergent employees never disclose or ‘water down’ their neurological differences at work. They mask, they struggle in silence, and eventually they burn out – all because they don’t feel safe revealing their neurodiversity.
Psychological safety – the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up – is the foundation of an inclusive workplace.
So how do you create it?
- Leadership must model vulnerability: When leaders share their own challenges or accommodations, it signals that it’s safe for others to do the same
- Train managers extensively: Your frontline managers are the gatekeepers of psychological safety – they need to understand neurodiversity, recognise their own biases and know how to have supportive conversations
- Normalise accommodations: When accommodations are seen as special treatment rather than standard practice, people won’t ask for them
- Create multiple channels for disclosure: Some people will feel comfortable talking to their manager directly; others might prefer HR, an employee resource group or an anonymous accommodation request system
- Celebrate neurodiversity publicly: Host awareness events, share success stories (with permission) and make it clear that neurodiversity is valued.
Measuring success
Too many organisations focus solely on hiring numbers without looking at more meaningful metrics when it comes to measuring success.
Employers should consider retention rates, performance metrics, engagement and belonging, disclosure rates, accommodation request fulfilment, manager confidence, business outcomes and qualitative feedback through regular conversations.
One organisation implemented quarterly “listening sessions” where neurodivergent employees could share feedback directly with leadership. The insights they gained were far more valuable than any quantitative metric.
When you’ve truly succeeded, the evidence isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in the energy of the organisation – the sense that people belong, that their contributions matter, that they can bring their whole selves to work.
As Rachel Morgan-Trimmer stated: “You can see it in things like productivity and turnover and retention, but it actually goes beyond that. You can sense it or feel it when you go in… there’s a liveliness to it, a vitality.”
Removing barriers for everyone’s benefit
Ultimately, creating an inclusive environment for neurodivergent employees isn’t about implementing a single initiative or ticking a box. It’s about building a culture where curiosity, clarity and flexibility are part of everyday management practice.
When leaders take the time to listen, communicate clearly and adapt where needed, they create the conditions for all employees to do their best work. The bonus: these practices don’t just benefit neurodivergent employees. They make organizations more resilient, creative, and human for everyone.