Motivations to Hire Neurodiverse Workers

The chapter emphasizes the imperative for organizations to comprehend the motivations behind hiring neurodiverse workers. Despite comprising almost one-fifth of the global population (Montvelisky, Council post: Neurodiversity as a strengthening point for your team and our society. Forbes. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/08/13/neurodiversity-as-a-strengthening-point-for-your-team-and-our-society/ , 2021), neurodivergent individuals remain largely unknown to the public, necessitating a closer examination of their integration into the workforce. Four primary motives are evaluated from the perspective of the organization and from the worker who is neurodivergent, and we maintain that organizations may be motivated by all four of the reasons to hire employees who are neurodiverse. We discuss (1) the legal motive, exploring compliance obligations stemming from federal, state, and organizational policies; (2) the business motive, often termed the “business case” or “bottom line,” and acknowledge its prevalence in research and practice; (3) the innovation motive, and focus on fostering creativity within organizations; and (4) the moral motive, and center on just and right actions. The chapter concludes by addressing barriers to hiring neurodiverse employees and advocates for a concerted effort to increase the employment of neurodivergent individuals, recognizing the multifaceted benefits they bring to the workplace.