editor’s question
MARK HUGHES
SENIOR VP
AND GENERAL
MANAGER OF
SECURITY AT DXC
TECHNOLOGY
A
s awareness
builds around the
positive impact
of neurodiversity
in the workplace,
organisations
should consider
how they can embrace diversity, not
only because it is the right thing to do,
but because it is good for business.
For diversity to become the norm in
all businesses, organisations need to
understand the positive impact it can
deliver. However, neurodiversity is still
an area that is often neglected and
overlooked in cybersecurity recruitment
and the wider technology sector.
Cybersecurity Ventures estimates
that global spending on cybersecurity
products and services will continue its
stratospheric growth and exceed US$1
trillion by 2021. At this pace of growth,
approximately 3.5 million cybersecurity
jobs would currently go unfilled. This
projected shortage will leave companies
in a rush to fill positions as soon as
30
possible – which is another reason
why organisations should be looking
to bridge the skills gap and utilise the
neurodiversity talent pool.
However, most organisations focus
on the challenges that are often
associated with building neurodiversity
in the workplace, rather than on the
positive outcomes that neurodiverse
employees can enable. Neurodiverse
people have specialised skills that are
vital in the digital era, including high
levels of creativity or exceptional levels
of concentration or logic and they can
provide unique perspectives in problem-
solving tasks. Neurodiverse people can
have a unique way of thinking when it
comes to reasoning, identifying patterns
and evaluating possibilities when
making decisions.
By creating a workforce that includes
neurodiverse people, businesses
can achieve far more. For successful
outcomes, organisations can invest in
specific equipment such as headphones
that will help people with neurodiversity
to think more clearly.
Alternatively, businesses can provide
quiet places and flexible work hours
so that neurodiverse people are better
able to provide full attention to the task
at hand.
Neurodiverse
people can have
a unique way of
thinking when it
comes to reasoning,
identifying patterns
and evaluating
possibilities when
making decisions.
It can be a challenge for neurodiverse
people to excel at roles at many
companies. A recent study found
that 32% of UK employees said their
companies did not offer additional
support or assistance for those with
neurodiverse backgrounds.
Organisations can address this issue
by establishing programmes that help
to train people with neurodiversity and
offer support for fulfilling their potential.
Existing programmes such as DXC’s
Dandelion Program in Australia (which
is designed to build valuable IT skill and
careers for people with autism) and the
company’s partnership with the National
Autistic Society in the UK can help
neurodiverse people to pursue digital,
IT and cybersecurity jobs through a
supported internship alongside people
– both internal and external – that are
able to coach candidates and advise
employers. This helps businesses to
benefit from the skills of a neurodiverse
workforce, while giving those individuals
the support they need to thrive and
contribute to the fullest. u
Issue 20
|
www.intelligentciso.com