21st February 2025

Inclusive Workplace: Are You Unintentionally Excluding Employees?

Many workplaces unintentionally exclude neurodivergent employees through fast-paced meetings, miscommunication, inaccessible social events, and poorly designed office spaces. Simple changes—such as structured agendas, clear communication, inclusive social activities, and adaptable workspaces—can foster a more inclusive culture. By addressing these barriers, businesses empower neurodiverse employees and create a more supportive environment.

This article was written by Rachel Morgan-Trimmer and published in People Management.

‘We are committed to diversity and inclusion and strive to be an inclusive employer. We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups.’

How many times have you seen something like that on a job advert? Especially under an ad that describes a standard hiring process with no consideration for those who might think, feel or behave differently.

It’s not that people don’t want to be inclusive. It’s just that they often don’t know where the barriers lie, nor how to remove them. The good news is, both educating yourself and building a more inclusive workplace are easy, and the outcomes can be amazing. Here are four ways you might be excluding people, and how you can fix them.

1. Fast-paced meetings

Many people thrive in a fast-paced working environment. But meetings that are too speedy can exclude employees who require more time to process information or who have neurodivergent communication styles. For example, if you have slides and don’t read them, a dyslexic might struggle to get all the information before you’ve moved on to the next. If people use a lot of jargon or skirt around the issues, it can be challenging for an autistic to pick up on what’s going on.

Addressing this doesn’t mean having longer meetings – those don’t suit people with ADHD for one thing. Take a leaf out of the autistic’s book and hold meetings with clear agendas (circulated beforehand) and structured participation so everyone gets to speak but no one speaks for too long. Then check in with everyone some time after the meeting to see if there are any more ideas that have popped up once people have had a chance to process the information.

2. Overlooking non-verbal cues

Some employees may rely more on non-verbal communication or have difficulty interpreting certain cues, which can lead to miscommunication and exclusion. Neurodivergents often get blamed for misunderstandings but any communication is a two-way street. When we have different communication styles, it’s up to all of us to try to meet others halfway, and go a little further if the other person has more challenges. Because our behaviours can be poorly understood and misinterpreted.

Clear, open communication is the way forward. Often, we’re afraid to state how we feel or ask direct questions, but it can clear up misunderstandings so quickly. A colleague called it an ‘adult-adult conversation’, where you both speak with compassion and maturity. Communicating like this can also help us confront our own prejudices and assumptions.

3. Office social events

If these events are primarily after work drinks or involve activities that not everyone can participate in, they can inadvertently exclude employees. Whether that’s people who don’t drink, can’t cope in crowded spaces or simply find small talk too exhausting, office social events can have the effect of driving people apart rather than bringing them together…

• CULTURE AND PURPOSE
• DEI
• Article