Job crafting empowers employees to shape their roles to align with their strengths, interests, and needs. This approach supports neuro-inclusion by reducing workplace barriers for neurodivergent individuals.
By fostering flexibility and personalisation, organisations can create a more inclusive, innovative, and supportive work environment for all employees.
Authors: Charlotte Axon (Tailored Thinking) and Kate Faxen (Culture Cultivation)
Image of a brain against a blue and purple background
What is job crafting?
Job crafting encourages employees to shape their work to better fit their skills, interests, and motivations. By making small, intentional changes to tasks, relationships, and perceptions of work, employees can enhance their overall engagement, productivity and satisfaction.
At an organisational level, job crafting complements traditional job design, moving beyond a top-down, static structuring of roles to a more flexible and individualised approach. This approach emphasises the value of employee autonomy in crafting work that is a better fit to their strengths, interests, and preferences.
At the heart of job crafting is the recognition that humans are all different, and this is something to be embraced. Job crafting can therefore be a powerful tool for organisations to create more inclusive and supportive environments.
What do we mean by neuro-inclusion?
Everyone thinks differently based on how their brain works (their ‘neurotype’) mixed with the impact of their personal experiences. We call this natural phenomenon neurodiversity and refer to the majority of the population whose brains work similarly as neurotypical and those whose brains work differently from the norm as neurodivergent.
Legally, the term neurodivergent covers applied and clinical neurodevelopmental conditions such as dyslexia (and hyperlexia), autism, ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome, as well as neurological and health conditions such as epilepsy and brain injuries, and mental health conditions such as depression, OCD and anxiety.
It can be counterintuitive seeing these conditions sitting under the same umbrella term of neurodiversity, as neurodevelopmental conditions are thought of as brain differences that should be celebrated, whereas neurological and mental health conditions are often seen as medical conditions which we seek to cure.
This article focuses on neurodevelopmental conditions, though we recognise that a similar approach could also benefit those with mental health and neurological conditions.
Why is neuro-inclusion important?
The term neuro-inclusion is an amalgamation of the words inclusion, and neurodiversity, which was first coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998. It is used to describe the difference in mindset that is needed to adapt workplaces, their practices and cultures to reduce the barriers neurodivergent people face, allowing them to do their jobs more effectively.
As with many inequalities, the barriers tend to be deeply rooted inside the organisation's systems and processes. Most organisations, systems and structures have been designed with neurotypical people in mind, which can leave neurodivergent people facing significant challenges.
Processes such as recruitment, performance management, reward and recognition have historically been designed for (and therefore tend to favour), neurotypical employees. Traditional job descriptions and rigid expectations can be limiting or even exclusionary for neurodivergent people.
Whilst organisations are legally required to make reasonable adjustments to enable neurodivergent employees to work effectively, these tend to be considered on a case-by-case basis – considering the individual, their role, what adjustments are needed to allow them to work effectively, and the likely impact of those adjustments.
However, not everyone is able to access adjustments that would significantly improve their working experience. In a 2023 study, the top three most helpful adjustments for neurodivergent workers were flexible work schedules, remote work options, and private workspaces. Yet, only 47% of employees had direct access to someone to discuss adjustments with, and just 34% felt their support was tailored to their individual needs. [1]
How can job crafting foster neuro-inclusion?
There are many informal adjustments that can be made available to individuals which come at little or no cost to the organisation but can make a significant difference to employee perceptions of inclusion and belonging. E.g. allowing a level of flexible working, access to quiet spaces and autonomy over schedules.
What if we looked at tasks that are likely to drain neurodivergent people and could therefore be managed differently?
For example, ADHDers can be innovative risk takers, creative visual thinkers who work well under pressure, while autistic people might love the order and logic of data input and analysis and can be talented and observant pattern spotters with a keen eye for detail.
Ask yourself:
What tasks in our organisation might be more suited to neurodivergent people?
How can we play to people’s individual skill sets and energising strengths?
Are there any tasks which can be automated?
How do organisations benefit?
It’s a myth that people only craft for their own benefit. Employees can personalise their roles while still delivering organisational value. For example:
1) Engagement and productivity
Allowing employees to work flexible hours, manage exposure to sensory stimuli, or customise their workspace can all make a significant difference for neurodivergent individuals. In turn, these personalised approaches not only help employees feel more comfortable and competent in their roles, but they also lead to improved engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
2) Retention
By promoting a culture of personalisation, organisations demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion, which can improve employee retention.
When employees feel that their needs are being recognised and supported, they are more likely to stay with the organisation long-term and contribute at their highest potential.
3) Innovation
Neurodivergence often brings unique perspectives and approaches to tasks. Job crafting allows people to leverage these strengths more effectively. The result is a more dynamic and diverse workforce capable of tackling complex challenges from multiple angles.
Conclusion
Incorporating job crafting into organisational practices can significantly enhance neuro-inclusion by offering employees the flexibility to adapt their roles to their individual strengths and preferences.
Exploring job crafting in parallel with job design allows for a strategic and neuro-inclusive approach which benefits neurodivergent employees but also fosters a more inclusive, productive, and innovative organisational culture for everyone.
Creating an environment where employees can personalise their work is key to unlocking their full potential, and for neurodivergent individuals, job crafting can be a vital tool for success.
We would recommend starting by educating yourself and others on the topic of job crafting, and experimenting with a small change that would improve your work.
References
[1] McDowall, A., Doyle, N., & Kiseleva, M. (2023). Neurodiversity at work: demand, supply and a gap analysis.
