Getting Onboarding Right: What Neurodivergent Voices Are Telling Us

Professor Amanda Kirby, CEO of Do-IT Solutions., Campaigner for Neurodiversity, Medic, Knowledge Translator, researcher.

Originally published as part of The Neurodiversity 101 LinkedIn Newsletter.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”— Will Rogers

Employee onboarding statistics reveal that a strong onboarding process is crucial for retention and productivity, with significant impacts on employee engagement and long-term success.

Starting a new job should be exciting. But for many neurodivergent individuals, it can feel like stepping into an unspoken maze. Often you don’t know the path to success or how to get there despite everyone else seemingly ‘getting it’…

Many of us will have had varying experiences which may not always go so well. A difficult onboarding experience can result in someone not being sure what to do and how to act. If this is not resolved in can lead to loss of confidence and then a loss of competence, and /or the decision to leave the job itself. Read Catherine Lee’s example of this …https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7348893992194887684/

Time taken to recruit someone can be onerous and time consuming and so if you have found the candidate for the job you certainly want to keep them. The average cost of hiring a new employee in the UK can range from £3,000 to £5,000, but this can vary significantly depending on factors like the role, recruitment method, and the employee’s salary.

People who are ND of course are all going to be different. Jobs will vary hugely from being in one place all the time, varying every day, home working or a range of hybrid solutions. Task demands can be hugely variable too. You can start a new job and may be learning new skills you have never done before. Places can be noisy, busy and there can be so many unspoken rules that it can be hard to grasp it all at once. Onboarding may be in reality be a day or two and then you are expected to be up and running. For some people the need for appropriate onboarding may have health and safety implications.

I asked in a Linkedin Poll:

From 750 respondents, here’s what stood out:

50% said they had unclear expectations

24% said navigating team dynamics and unwritten ruleswas problematic

22% of respondents pointed that there was sensory overload challenges.

Quite a few respondents said all three!

The comments painted a deeper picture of overwhelm, poorly designed systems, and the emotional cost of trying to “get it right” , or be right from day one.

Challenges described….

When you first start you often have to do a lot of routine onboarding activities that are not always directly to do with the job. This can be heavy weight documentation which can seem impenetrable but has to be ‘tackled’.

One person said: “It’s everything overload such as people, policies, tech, emotions ,before you even start the real work.” Another person said: “Reading endless PDFs no one’s edited in years is like a hidden tax on neurodivergence.”

Asking for help and guidance can be challenging

If you are joining a large scale organisation it can be difficult to recognise what the cultural rules are and how systems and communication works.There are often unspoken rules. It can be challenging to know who to ask and where to go for help. This is especially true if you are trying to be impressive to your line manager and peers.

One person said :“You feel like you’re asking the same ‘stupid’ question again and again, just to understand what others take for granted.”

Another person said: “Fitting in socially and understanding the team dynamics is harder than the job itself.”

Team interactions can be complex especially if the newbie in the team and everyone else knows each other well. ‘Banter’ can seem amusing to others but can be painful for you if it clearly is not funny.

What can employers do?

Here are five practical, evidence-informed steps to create a more neuroinclusive onboarding process:

1. Start with clarity, not assumptions

• Provide a clear role outline with tasks broken down into steps.
• Use multiple formats: written, video, flowchart.
• Avoid jargon. Explain terms like “expectations” or “stakeholders.”
• Give clarity over expectations including day to day processes and check understanding.

2. Offer a ‘soft start’

• Begin midweek or with shorter initial days.
• Include shadowing or phased introductions to tasks.
• Avoid back-to-back meetings in the first week so the person has time to gather thoughts and prepare for meetings.

3. Don’t overload – personalise

• Spread training over time. Some people may need to have an extended training period especially if they are learning new skills..
• Provide curated summaries, and not every policy document to be read on day one.

4. Make social cues explicit

• Explain team routines, communication styles, and who to go to for what.
• Buddy systems help — but choose buddies with awareness of neurodiversity.
• Provide clear signposting to information and terms/words used in the organisation especially in specialist settings.

5. Create a culture where questions are welcomed

• Make it okay to ask more than once.
• Provide regular check ins – 10 minutes each day can be invaluable.
• Encourage line managers to check understanding rather than assume the information you are providing is being understood.

Blog Author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of Do-IT Solutions a tech-for-good company that delivers thought provoking consultancy and neuroinclusive guidance and training. We have developed cutting edge web-based screening tools that have helped 10s of 1000s of people. We strive to deliver person-centered solutions relating to neurodiversity and wellbeing.

I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills, an odd ball… and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity.

I am a medical doctor, Professor, and have a Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity; parent and grandparent to neurodivergent wonderful kids and am neurodivergent myself.

Theo Smith and I wrote the UK award-winning book Neurodiversity at Work Drive Innovation, Performance, and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce. My 10th book came out called Neurodiversity and Education in March this year. Excitingly, Theo and I have another book coming out next year!