Kindness, Quirks & Capability: Rethinking Neurodiversity in Hiring
Let’s start with a stat that should make every HR manager sit up straighter: around 15–20% of the global population is neurodivergent. That’s not a niche — that’s a whole lot of untapped brilliance. Yet traditional hiring practices still favour the smooth-talking, CV-polished, handshake-perfect candidate. And in doing so, we risk missing out on some of the most focused, creative, loyal, and detail-oriented minds out there.
Researchers Dana L. Ott and Miriam Moeller are leading the charge in this space. They co-authored the Autism Employment Playbook, a resource that challenges outdated recruitment norms and offers practical, inclusive strategies for employers. Their work digs deeper into how businesses and organisations can do better — by recognising neurodiversity as an invisible inequality and making inclusion more than a buzzword. Even small accommodations — like offering alternative interview formats or quiet workspaces — can make a massive difference. And when neurodivergent employees thrive, productivity follows. (SAP saved $40 million thanks to a neurodivergent team member’s technical fix. Just saying.)
EASI NZ was fortunate to attend a recent HRNZ workshop where the Playbook was presented. It was a powerful reminder that 80% of autistic people in Aotearoa want to work, but only 22% are employed. That’s not a talent gap — that’s a systems gap.
Breadth of Neurodivergence?
Neurodivergence refers to natural variations in how people think, learn, and process the world. It includes:
Autism – differences in social communication, sensory processing, and routines
ADHD – challenges with attention, impulsivity, and regulation, often paired with creativity and energy
Dyslexia – differences in reading, writing, and language processing, often with strong visual or spatial thinking
Dyspraxia – motor coordination challenges, often paired with problem-solving strengths
Dyscalculia – difficulty with numbers and mathematical concepts, often alongside strong verbal or creative skills
Tourette Syndrome – involuntary movements or vocalisations, often alongside high focus and resilience
Many people experience more than one neurodivergence, and each person’s profile is unique. And here’s the key: neurodivergence isn’t something that needs to be fixed. It’s something to be understood, respected, and supported — because difference is not deficiency.
In Aotearoa, the Māori word for autism is takiwātanga, meaning “in his or her own time and space.” Coined by linguist Keri Opai, this term offers a mana-enhancing, non-judgmental way to describe autism. It acknowledges that individuals may experience the world differently, and honours the need for space, time, and understanding. Takiwātanga reminds us that inclusion isn’t about fitting people into systems — it’s about shaping systems to fit people.
So what can we do? For starters, ditch the one-size-fits-all recruitment process. Shake up the CV obsession. Invite video applications. Better yet, flip the script — include a short video in your job ad showing what it’s actually like to work at your organisation. What’s the culture? Who are the faces? What do you value? Demystify the process. Make it human.
Because here’s the thing: kindness and productivity aren’t opposites — they’re teammates. When we build people-centric workplaces that honour difference, we don’t just do the right thing. We do the smart thing.
Ready to Rethink Recruitment?
If you’re still doing the same-old, same-old with your hiring practices and want to see where you can make meaningful change — get in touch with EASI NZ. We train business owners and managers in what good recruitment really looks like. Recruit well to recruit less, and think more about the loyalty, creativity, and depth that can come from hiring someone with neurodivergence — alongside all the other inclusive values that make a workplace thrive.
You can explore the full Autism Employment Playbook here FINAL_Autism_Employment_Playbook-Printed.pdf and the Simple Language version FINAL_Autism_Employment_Playbook-_Simple_Language-Printed.pdf — both designed to support understanding and action.