Employers see the positive side of ADHD and autism
When interviewing for a general manager job at the National Trust, four years ago, Tracey Churcher made a spur-of-the-moment decision to disclose that she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
She told interviewers at the UK heritage organisation that the way her brain is wired means she is good at varied, reactive work, but that she struggles with routine tasks and deploys coping mechanisms to stay on top. “I can do the war, but the peace can be challenging,” she explains.
Last year, several prominent British companies — including drugmaker AstraZeneca, engineering group Rolls-Royce and consumer goods group Unilever — formed Neurodiversity in Business, a network that aims to share good practice on recruiting and retaining a neurodiverse workforce. And, earlier this year, the UK government launched a review into improving the employment prospects of people with autism.
For Churcher, who is 54 years old, growing recognition of neurodiversity has made a big difference to her work life. During her 20s, before realising she had ADHD, she had struggled with managerial feedback at the pharmaceutical company where she worked. She now identifies her experience as rejection sensitive dysphoria — a strongly negative emotional reaction to perceived rejection or criticism that is often experienced by people with autism or ADHD.
She became aware that she had ADHD during her 30s, when her son received a diagnosis for the condition. Now, she is open with colleagues about it and has developed coping strategies for staying on top of the tasks she finds more difficult. She says her co-workers understand if she “goes off topic” but also appreciate her creativity, spontaneity and drive to get things done.
“The way my brain works has a name, but we’re all different,” she says. “Being honest in who we are in the workplace makes the workplace a more enjoyable place to be.”
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Denise Roland
