A recent study by Zurich UK showed that 47% of adults polled hid their medical conditions from prospective employers, and 51% of adults did not disclose their neurodiversity. Of 1000 neurodivergent people polled, nearly half also said that they have been discriminated against when seeking a new job.
Admittedly this is a survey of candidates’ perception rather than empirical evidence that employers have acted in a discriminatory manner, but it does reveal that being neurodivergent is stigmatised. When candidates have disclosed their condition, 31% said that that their job application had not been taken further, with 16% saying that a job offer has been withdrawn once their prospective employer knew of their condition. While 28% said that they were not successful for nebulous, opaque reasons such as not being the right fit for the team. Even when dealing with third parties such as recruiters and head-hunters, 25% of neurodivergent candidates said that they had been ghosted.
It is no wonder that neurodivergent candidates hide their condition, at least until they have been successful and even then many candidates do not reveal their neurodivergence until after they have started working and passed their probationary period. 21% of those surveyed said that they had been laughed at because of their neurodiversity, while a similar number said that they had had comments made about their abilities in interviews.
Neurodivergence should not be a red flag, a barrier to being recruited or an indicator that someone is not suitable for a role. The survey indicates that there is an underlying prejudice towards neurodivergent employees. There are some employers who will automatically close off their minds to hiring a neurodivergent employee because there is a perception that they will be difficult and need far more support. Neurodivergence should be embraced, and when it has been, employers have benefited from a more productive and diverse workforce, contributing positively to their work environment and business’ culture.
This blog was written by Anita Vadgama, Partner at didlaw.
