February 23, 2026
As we step further into 2026, we’re seeing HR Directors and Chief People Officers navigating some of the most complex workforce challenges in years. Talent shortages, rising expectations around workplace culture, regulatory pressures, and a rapidly changing skills landscape are reshaping what people and culture strategies need to deliver.
There’s a theme that continues to surface across every organisation we work with: setting neurodiversity as a core strategic priority, rather than a standalone initiative or an EDI focus. Neurodiversity is about how people work, the culture in which they work, and business success.
This shift is driven by data, risk, performance, and the evolving nature of work itself. And importantly, it doesn’t require organisations to start again. It requires them to build on their existing initiatives and translate awareness into meaningful, confident, everyday practice.
Here’s why neurodiversity must sit at the heart of a future‑ready people strategy.
The regulatory environment around workplace adjustments has shifted dramatically. In 2025, 13% of businesses faced a neurodiversity‑related employment tribunal...that’s a 79% increase from 2024.
The demand for support is constantly rising, and the definition of “reasonable” is becoming more scrutinised. This isn’t because organisations don’t care. We see time and time again that most risk doesn’t stem from refusal. It stems from confusion, low confidence, and a lack of consistent processes:
Today’s managers lead teams with a wide range of communication styles, sensory needs, processing profiles, and working preferences. Yet many leaders tell us they feel underprepared.
The data reflects this:
This is a gap in traditional management training. As workplaces evolve, the competencies managers need evolve with them. Building confidence around neurodiversity gives leaders the tools to reduce conflict, improve performance, and support their teams fairly and consistently.
In a market where competition for skills continues to intensify, organisations cannot afford to overlook the value neurodivergent thinkers bring. Many possess strengths that are deeply aligned with the needs of modern business, such as creativity, hyperfocus, systems thinking, direct communication, innovative problem-solving, and the ability to spot patterns and anomalies others miss.
Sure, anyone could potentially learn these as a skill, but for neurodivergent people? That’s a trait which is ingrained in how your mind works.
And yet, some recruitment structures and processes may unintentionally filter out much of this talent. By designing workplaces that support a wider range of thinking styles, organisations widen their talent pool and gain access to strengths that aren’t always found through conventional recruitment pathways.
One of the most compelling (and often misunderstood) truths about neurodiversity is its link to performance. With the right support, neurodivergent employees can be up to 30% more productive.
Often, the support required isn’t expensive or complex:
When people can work in ways that align with their strengths rather than compensate for their challenges, their output improves.
A neurodiversity strategy is, fundamentally, a performance strategy. Just as important as strengths-based management is, it’s also important that neurodivergent employees understand their traits and how they impact them at work.
Most organisations have already made progress on neurodiversity awareness. They’ve run a Lunch & Learn, celebrated key dates, and built employee networks.
What they tell us they need now is something different: the “how”...
81% of workers say they would leave an employer that lacks commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Employees increasingly choose workplaces that reflect their values. They want cultures where differences are accommodated and celebrated. When organisations demonstrate genuine commitment - not just through policies but through everyday behaviour - the impact on retention is significant.
Neurodiversity gives People leaders a powerful advantage in shaping their company and its future. It creates:
As we move through 2026, it’s time to move from awareness into behavioural change, to understand how your people work and how to best support them.
