When employees feel valued and included, they stay and grow within your organization. Looking at your retention and promotion practices through a neuroinclusive lens can cut turnover, boost engagement, and improve performance. By focusing on retention and engagement, you create an environment where employees can thrive and contribute their best work. This helps ensure you’re fully supporting and utilizing the unique skills and abilities each team member brings to the table.
What encourages employees to stay?
Employee retention occurs in workplaces where people feel like their voice matters, their work is valued, and there are opportunities to grow. Employers can make this happen by:
1. Including employees in decision-making. To ensure employees’ voices are heard, strategies can range from informal approaches such as weekly check-ins, to more formal approaches like surveys or employee working groups. Neurodivergent employees often have unique ideas, considerations, and needs that are overlooked. Asking about their perspectives and experiences not only promotes feelings of belonging but can also help you get in front of challenges before they arise.
2. Reviewing compensation and benefit plans. Equitable pay and benefits are an important factor in employee satisfaction. Review your benefits packages to meet the needs of neurodivergent employees by ensuring there is sufficient flexibility and support, such as extended benefits for mental health care or flexible spending amounts for different needs.
3. Refreshing your performance assessment approach. Before assessing performance, ensure appropriate accommodations and adjustments are in place. Then, check your performance assessment process for barriers. For example, make sure that behaviours outside social norms, like not making eye contact or small talk, are not judged against job outcomes. Providing clear, direct feedback, with concrete examples helps employees learn and grow. Our research summary provides more details and strategies to support the retention, promotion, and career advancement of neurodivergent employees. Check it out here to learn more.