Gi Group, has launched a ‘first of its kind’ Neurodiversity campaign, designed to unlock the potential of its team and inspire the progress of people who are Neurodivergent within the workplace. 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.
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.”
