Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage in the IT, Financial and Investment Sectors: a UK Perspective

Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage in the IT, Financial and Investment Sectors: a UK Perspective

Modern Languages and Cultures

Cristiana Hobbs

2024

Matthew Watson

Neurodiversity, a concept that categorises neurological differences as mere variations of the human mind, has recently gained much popularity. This paper takes a stand that embracing neurodiversity in the workplace, particularly in the IT financial and investment sectors, offers the company many competitive advantages. The central assertion is that consciously seeking to employ people on the neurodivergent spectrum can make these sectors more innovative by enhancing the range of problem-solving qualities within the workforce. Support for this argument can be well provided by evidence from U.S. companies. For instance, JPMorgan Chase's Autism at Work program mentioned a 48 percent performance improvement in specific organizational positions. In Microsoft's neurodiversity hiring pilot, the team with neurodivergent employees was 30 percent more productive than a neurotypical team. The above examples indicate how neurodiversity brings practical advantages to employers' organizations.