Building a Neurodiverse-Friendly Work Culture in Construction

Building a Neurodiverse-Friendly Work Culture in Construction

On 18 July 2023, I had a fantastic day at the Construction News and New Civil Engineer shortlist workshop "Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering", particulary as part of the panel discussing "Building a Neurodiverse Friendly Work Culture".

I met many inspiring women and enjoyed the presentations and discussions on how to inspire and support many more.

Here are my my take-aways from the panel:

• Recognise and celebrate the values and benefits that neurodivergent (ND) people bring, including creativity & innovation, non-linear thinking, complex problem solving, attention to detail, diligence, spacial awareness - read a more detailed list of benefits below
• Many of the challenges faced by ND people are invisible - don't assume everyone else is ok, just because you are not struggling with the working environment - find out more below
• Your workforce may already be full of ND workers - an estimated 4 out of 5 women with ADHD or Autisim are undiagnosed, and diagnosis takes a long time - so reasonable adjustments should be available to all not just those with a declared disability.  Neurodivergent people can have particular STEM aptitudes and interests.
• Neurodivegence does not impact intelligence, although neurodivergent people may think, learn, communicate or act in a unique way that is different from neurotypical people.
  
• Neurodivergent people, particularly women, are good at masking. When masking they may look like they are coping and that nothing is wrong, but they are in "flight of fight mode", which is exhausting and damaging to their mental and physical health and can lead to them being overwhelmed or experiencing melt down or burnout. Watch out for the signs and make taking time out in a "quiet" low-sensory space easy for them.
  
• Listen to what your colleagues and workforce are telling you. Do not judge, but be empathetic and kind.

Read on to find out:

• What is Neurodiversity?
• What are the values and benefits of a neurodiverse workforce?
• Is your workforce already neurodiverse?
• What are the challenges of being neurodiverse? 
• What Reasonable Adjustments can you make for a Neurodivergent person?

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a group term to describe a group of people including those with neurodivergent attributes. 

Neurodivergent people have differences in their brains which mean that they process information, experience and interact with the world around them in a unique way.

This can include autistic people, those with ADHD and those with specific learning or communication difficulties including dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, dyscalculia, dysgraphia.

Although neurodivergent people may think, learn, communicate or act in a unique way that is different from neurotypical people, neurodivergence does not impact intelligence.

What are the values and benefits of a neurodiverse workforce?

In addition to filling a skills gap in an industry where there is a skills shortage, neurodivergent people bring many unique benefits, including:

• Enhanced creativity and inventiveness 
• Ability to think outside the box, lateral thinking
• Non-linear thinking and ability to make connections between seemingly unconnected topics
• Pattern recognition, complex problem solving and unique ways of working
• Thinking several steps ahead and predicting problems and issues before they occur
• Hyperfocus, attention to detail and special interests
• Unique, innovative ideas
• Enhance spatial awareness
• Enhanced memory and information retention
• Black and white thinking or stickler for rules
• Ability to visualise in 3D or visualise complex concepts
• Analytical thinking
• Great under pressure and calm in a crisis
• Ability to optimise task processing and work out shortcuts and alternative ways of working
• High levels or physical and mental energy
• Aptitude and preference for physical / creative work and/or working outside the office
• Work well on their own - self-motivated
• Strong emotions, empathy, commitment, loyalty and passion
• Diligent
• Prepared to take risks
• Can be very organised and precise
• Good at compartmentalising

Note, not all neurodivergent people with have all these characteristics. For example, some may be extremely organised while others may find organisation challenging.

Is your workforce already neurodiverse?

If you work in construction, it is likely that your workforce already includes neurodiverse people. Some of the reasons for this are:

• Neurodivergent people can have particular science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) aptitudes and interests
• Neurodiversity is massively under-diagnosed, particularly in women, where 4 out of 5 autistic women are thought to be undiagnosed. 
• Neurodivergent people may be unwilling to put a label on themselves or talk openly about their needs. Many may have been dealing with the challenges without support for many years and, particularly if they come from a neurodiverse family, may only become aware of the reason for their challenges and differences later in life.
• Neurodivergent people may have specific learning difficulties which mean they struggle to succeed in school. The Construction Industry can provide an environment where they can thrive and their many skills and aptitudes are valued. 

What are the challenges of being neurodiverse?

The benefits of being neurodiverse come with many challenges for the individual. These may be invisible or more obvious disabilities and vary greatly from person to person. However, these challenges are often made worse by stressful situations.

The challenges can include:

• Sensory processing: Hypersensitivities to sound, light, colour, smell, taste, touch and texture. Problems filtering sensory inputs (e.g. background noise). Synethesia and cross-sensory perception - for instance, someone may see vivid colours when listening to music, different tastes when interacting with certain textures, etc. You can help by providing a low-sensory working environment.
  
• Social skills:  Social anxiety; difficulties initiating interactions, responding to the initiations of others or knowing when to talk in a group discussion; losing track of a discussion or forgetting what they were going to say; maintaining eye contact, sharing enjoyment, reading the non-verbal cues of others, and taking another person's perspective. You can help by listening in a non-judgemental way, and giving the other person time to talk.
• Executive function: May need assistance with remembering, planning and achieving goals. The fundamental skills related to executive function include proficiency in adaptable thinking, planning, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, and organization. Short deadlines and subtasks can be helpful, as well as “body doubling” (a practice in which a person works on and completes potentially difficult tasks alongside another person). Try changing your language - rather than saying "you need to be on time" try "would you like me to remind you about that?"  The person isn't being rude or inconsiderate, it is their executive function skills holding them back.
• Memory issues: Poor word recall (losing thread or forgetting technical terms and acronyms), bad spelling, difficulty remembering complex instructions, “blurting” (because they will forget what they want to say unless they say it now), forgetting appointments and deadlines, object impermanence (untidy or cluttered desk or a need for order), forgetting names or faces particularly out of context. May learn kinetically or need to vocalise, repeat or write about something in order to remember it.
• Communication issues: Includes dyslexia, unusual speech patterns, Tourette Syndrome, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, black & white thinking (don’t find puns funny or recognise sarcasm for example). May prefer typing to writing, or writing to talking, may find it difficult to expand an idea, show their working, or paraphrase. May have a preference for visual, verbal or written instructions. May have strategies to aid concentration and listening (doodling, typing, avoiding eye contact, fiddling or fidgeting). May appear to jump from topic to topic. You can help by learning about the person and listening to them.
• Eccentricities and uniqueness: Neurodivergent people may express themselves in a unique way through clothing, haircuts, tattoos or piercings. They may not respond in the way you expect and that response may not reflect how they are actually feeling. They may be inflexible or unable to tolerate certain situations. 
• Coordination issues: Dyspraxia can affect your co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car.
• Concentration and focus: All or nothing attentions (focus, or inattentiveness) is particularly common in ADHD. Includes hyperfocus (where the neurodiverse person may work intensely on a topic and may find interruptions challenging or stressful) or inattentiveness and problems focussing. May underperform in stressful situations.  Overall performance and productivity may be higher from a neurodivergent person than a neurotypical person, but this may be limited to their special interest or aptitude (i.e. the things they like doing) or they may need a constant supply of new challenges.
• Masking: Many neurodivergent people have been socially conditioned at home, school or work to conform to the norm, hiding their neurodiverse traits and characteristics in order to appear neurotypical or fit in. However, this is exhausting as the person is in a continual state of "fight or flight" mode. This is stressful and exhausting and can lead to the burnout, meltdown or outbursts of emotion. A company policy of acceptance and celebration of uniqueness means that the neurodivergent person can be themselves.
• Stimming: Repetitive or unusual movements or noises (pacing, humming, hand flapping) used to manage emotions and cope with overwhelming situations and stresses. Adults may be good at hiding or masking, however public stimming can also be a sign that the neurodiverse person is comfortable to be themselves. If you spot someone stimming take a step back and allow the person space to calm down. Never ridicule, mimic or tease someone about their stimming.
• Meltdowns: Becoming overwhelmed by too much input or by their emotions can lead to outbursts, shutdowns, withdrawal, fitting and dissociative behaviour. The neurodiverse person is not overreacting, but may experience environments and emotions more strongly than neurotypical people. They may also be more sensitive to criticism or have difficulties regulating emotional responses - for example rejection sensitivity disphoria (RSD). You can help by being non-judgemental, compassionate and kind, as well as spotting situations before they happen and providing support and assistance.
• Change averse & OCD-like behaviours: Some neurodivergent people may find it harder to adapt to change or may need things to always be done in a very specific way.
• Gender diversity: Evidence from the LGBTQIA+ community suggests that neurodiverse people, particularly those on the autism spectrum, are more likely to have diverse gender identity and sexual orientation.
  
• Caring and support responsibilities: Genetic links mean that neurodiverse workers may have above-average caring and support responsibilities for children, parents and siblings, while natural affinities for other neurodiverse people mean they may well be providing support to partners and friends.
• Comorbidities: Neurodiverse people are more likely to have one or more other chronic or long-term conditions including anxiety (thought to be over 90% in people with ADHD), depression and low self-esteem; migraines; chronic pain and fatigue conditions such as ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia; pre-menstrual tension, endometriosis and other hormonal conditions; functional neurological disorders (FND); PTSD
• Vulnerable: May have a heightened risk of violence, bullying or controlling behaviour. Also minor issues may accumulate to become overwhelming over a period of time.
• Job instability: Your business may have had a high turnover of neurodiverse people. This could be because the working environment didn't suit them, they experienced prejudice and judgement, or the employer was not willing to make reasonable adjustments or had unreasonable expectations. Valuing and understanding neurodivergent people means they are more likely to stay in a role and be a productive member of your team.
  
  You being a caring, listening, kind, non-judgemental employer, manager or colleague can make all the difference to a successful working experience for a neurodiverse person.

What Reasonable Adjustments can you make for a Neurodivergent person?

In order to make your workplace more inclusive for neurodivergent people you can:

• Value all of your workforce: Neurodiverse specialists are invaluable for the construction industry, this includes a wide range of people from architects and designers, legal teams, health and safety inspectors, quality and quantity surveyors, site and contract managers, to the subcontractors, trades people and plant operators.
• Educate yourself and others – there is a lot of information on social media
• Actively promote the positives and benefits of neurodivergence: See the list above 
  
• Be aware of the challenges: See the list above 
  
• There is a spectrum of aptitudes and challenges - be aware that these characteristics and traits vary from person to person – make sure you choose the correct person for the role.
• Remember this is often an invisible condition - masking can disguise the condition but is exhausting.
• Abandon preconceptions and judgements of how people should talk, dress, express themselves (tattoos, etc), write (dyslexia), work (alone or in groups), social awkwardness, lack of eye contact, etc. Don’t define people by neurotypical norms.
• Provide praise not criticism – Neurodiverse people know their failings and weaknesses and often have low self-esteem and suffer from anxiety. Rather than ridiculing or criticising perceived faults, accept them and make allowances or provide assistance.
• Be patient, kind and tolerant - don’t judge people by your own challenges and standards. Listen to what they tell you and believe them.
• Make applying for a role easier and less stressful - for example:
  • Make it clear that you value a neurodiverse workplace and the skills and benefits they will bring to the team, and are willing to make reasonable adjustments for them.
  • Provide detailed instructions on how to get there, and allow plenty of time
  • They may be late (due to problems with judging time) – don’t write them off because of this.
  • Arrange a pre-interview visit - this could be the same day as the main interview or on a separate occasion. This enables them to work out how to get to site, and familiarise themselves with the people and environment in advance, helping to maximise their success and minimise anxiety and other challenges.
  • Minimise the number of people in the interview room - neurodivergent people may find it easier to talk one-to-one in a relaxed environment than when faced with a panel of interviewers or a group discussion.
  • Listen and be kind - oversharing, talking too much or not enough, interrupting, ticks, and social anxiety are all worsened by stress.
  • Don't judge on appearances or your own preconceptions - your views on what is appropriate, acceptable or suitable may differ from that of a neurodiverse person. If something is unacceptable for health and safety or other valid reasons, then patiently make your expectations clear for the future while explaining that you understand that they were not aware of this.
  • Find out what their challenges are so that you can have adjustments in place before they start work.
  • There may be massive disparities between written and verbal communication, ability to read or write, speak or listen or motor skills and physical abilities - don't judge someone's ability to do a job on the basis of another separate challenge. 
• Make reasonable adjustments open to all workers - many neurodiverse people will not have an official diagnosis. These could include:
  • Using clear, straightforward, non-ambiguous language.
  • Listen to or interpret what the person is trying to communicate rather than judging them on how (well) they communicate.
  • Splitting large tasks up into smaller chunk.
  • Adapt to the individuals needs.
  • Have multiple short deadlines and set deadlines earlier, or remove deadlines if they cause unnecessary stress.
  • Vary the support offered depending of task - body doubling when required or space to work without interaction or interruption.
    
  • Provide predictability and structure (what will happen, when will it happen, etc).
    
  • Provide a low-sensory workspace - a quiet, dark, uncluttered or smell-free environment (from home or in quiet office) - a visually and audibly quiet space - this could be a quiet office room, site cabin, or sound-proofed cubical, with little clutter and not too much colour.
  • Provide a dedicated desk rather than a “hot desk”.
  • Discourage all workers from wearing strong smell scents or eating strong smelling foods near their colleagues.
  • Make noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs available to all workers.
  • Don’t eat next to other people.
  • Don’t be offended when they don’t like what you are doing – it’s not personal or a choice.
  • Allow workers to wear sunglasses indoors without comment.
  • Have a flexible uniform policy – some materials or items of clothing may be uncomfortable or distressing for the neurodiverse person to wear.
  • Provide a comfortable work environment – and understand that what this is may vary from person to person.
  • Allow flexible working hours and working from home – for example, people with may ADHD struggle with early mornings, work best at certain times of the day or week, be badly affected by hormonal changes, periods, etc, or struggle with timekeeping.
  • Keep the dialogue open - ask your workforce, employees and colleagues what they struggle with and listen and believe them.
  • Don’t make last-minute changes to meetings, deadlines, etc - or if this is unavoidable, be understanding of the challenges or distress this causes.
  • Make meeting attendance at non-critical meetings optional or online, and send reminders (or call colleagues) before meetings.
  • Don’t judge lateness, non-attendance, bad spelling or grammar, silly mistakes, untidiness or non-conformance as not caring or being ignorant.
    
  • Help neurodivergent people avoid burnout - overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair. Those experiencing ADHD burnout may find it even more challenging than usual to initiate and complete tasks, maintain focus and attention, and regulate their emotions.
    

SC4 Carpenters Ltd values its diverse team including neurodiverse employees and subcontractors withing our company as well as those people we work with. We aim to treat everyone equitably and fairly, and we recognise that the neurodivergent people we work with bring us many benefits.