Dotdigital blog

How Dotdigital embraces neurodiversity

Learn how Dotdigital helps to build a friendly and inclusive workplace by supporting neurodiversity and standing by employees with different ways of thinking.

Dotdigital celebrates Neurodiversity Awareness Week.

At Dotdigital, we recently celebrated Neurodiversity Awareness Week with a focus on creating a supportive and inclusive work environment for all. We believe that neurodiversity is a strength, and we’re committed to fostering a culture of understanding and collaboration across all differences.

What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is the term used to describe the natural variation in human brain function. Neurodivergent individuals have unique ways of thinking, learning, and processing.

Neurodiverse conditions are used to characterize diverse ways of thinking, learning, processing, and behaving. A non-exhaustive list might include Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia. It’s important to remember that neurodiversity is a spectrum, and every individual experiences them differently.

Dotdigital’s initiatives for a neuro-inclusive workplace

At Dotdigital, we’re committed to creating a work environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. This year, we implemented a range of initiatives during Neurodiversity Awareness Week to celebrate neurodiversity and empower our neurodivergent employees:

Flexible online content

Recognizing that people learn and absorb information in different ways, we offered a variety of online content throughout the week. This included pre-recorded webinars, presentations, and articles. Employees could access these resources at their own pace and convenience, ensuring everyone had the opportunity to learn more about neurodiversity, regardless of location, personal workstyle, or preferences.

Neurodiversity guidelines

Our HR and DotDEI teams collaborated to develop a comprehensive set of Dotdigital Neurodiversity Guidelines. These guidelines provide valuable insights and information on how to support neurodiverse colleagues within the workplace. We aim to ensure all employees at Dotdigital can both learn from these guidelines and contribute to a more inclusive, understanding, and diverse work environment.

Global perspectives on Neurodiversity

We received submissions from colleagues from different regions, including the UK, Poland, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, and North America. These submissions delved into how neurodiversity is perceived and accepted across the world, igniting meaningful discussions and fostering international understanding.

Empowering colleague stories and interviews

Our celebration of neurodiversity wouldn’t be complete without hearing from the incredible colleagues who experience it firsthand. During Neurodiversity Awareness Week, we were fortunate to have several colleagues bravely come forward to share their stories.

These inspiring internal narratives, alongside interviews with external contributors with neurodivergent experiences, sparked important conversations and encouraged even more colleagues to share their own stories.

These stories provided a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by our neurodivergent colleagues. Hearing these firsthand accounts fostered empathy and a commitment to building a more inclusive workplace.

Building a supportive community

We established a dedicated #neurodiversity channel on our internal communication platform. This safe space allows employees to connect, share experiences, ask questions, and offer support to one another. The channel fosters open dialogue and creates a strong community that celebrates the diverse strengths and talents of our team members.

It’s well known that employees perform best at work when they are able to be themselves, and Neurodiversity Week has been a fantastic celebration and education for us all. I really appreciated the level of openness and acceptance across the whole of Dotdigital. I’m delighted that we continue on our journey to embrace each other’s unique perspectives.
Nicky Penkov, HR Director

Building a future where everyone thrives

At Dotdigital, our commitment to neurodiversity extends far beyond a single awareness week. We’re dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion and understanding where everyone feels empowered to contribute their unique talents and perspectives.

The initiatives we’ve implemented are just the beginning. We’ll continue to work collaboratively with our employees to build a truly neuro-inclusive workplace that unlocks the full potential of our diverse team.

Want to learn more about neurodiversity? Here are some helpful resources:

Together, we can create a workplace where everyone thrives.