Hiring people with ADHD isn’t just good for diversity. ADHD people can make outstanding employees–they’re often creative, energetic, and capable of “hyperfocusing” on tasks that particularly interest them.
But to help them thrive, you might need to change your management practices–and these changes could help your neurotypical (non-ADHD) employees perform better too.
- Ask what helps
This one is definitely not just for people with ADHD! Every individual is different, so ask them what type of management works for them. They’re the expert on themselves and their needs.
- Create a suitable work environment
ADHD makes it easy to get overwhelmed or distracted by your environment–for example, your employee might do better in an open-plan office or away from fluorescent lights. The easiest way to handle this is just to let the employee decide where they work, whether that means home working or just sitting in a quiet part of the office.
- Offer flexible scheduling
Focusing on demand for five long 8-hour workdays in a row can be tough for people with ADHD and lead to missed deadlines. You’ll enable them to give their best if you let them complete their work at any time during the week–again, they know best when they’re most productive–and focus on results rather than requiring them to log their hours. But as with any employee, if they seem to be “always on” 24/7, say something sooner rather than later to prevent burnout.
- Put instructions in writing
People with ADHD can find it hard to follow instructions, especially spoken instructions, so make sure they have everything in writing. Again, this can be very helpful for employees without ADHD too.
- Set clear deadlines
ADHD often comes with a symptom called “time blindness”, which makes deadlines far in the future seem invisible until your employee crashes into them. It’s not laziness. Give your employee clear microdeadlines to work towards. They may also struggle to estimate how long tasks will take, so tell them you need things a day before you actually need them, and track their performance over time to get an idea of whether they need more wiggle room built in.
- Make sure feedback goes both ways
ADHD is often treated as a character flaw rather than a neurological condition, so your new employee is unlikely to come to you full of confidence and ready to speak up for their needs. Encourage them to give you honest feedback on what’s working for them and what isn’t, and make it clear that they won’t be judged. This isn’t just good practice for your ADHD employees–it’ll help you get the best out of everyone in your organisation.