11717: Job Design for Neurodiversity in the Workplace: A Review and a Roadmap for Future Research (session 25894)

How can HR improve the work experience of neurodiverse employees? To answer this question, we conducted an in-depth review of the existing research on the topic from 1998, the year the term neurodiversity was coined, to 2023, the year of this writing. Based on our review of 34 papers, we build upon the job design research to delineate features of inclusive jobs across the relational, physical, and task dimensions of one’s work. We argue that while universal design (i.e., design with all abilities and diversity in mind) has been proposed as a solution toward inclusion of neurodiverse employees, its implementation in practice may lead to suboptimal accessibility as it may overlook the relational underpinning of one’s work and underestimate the role of disability identity and agency. Instead, we suggest a range of choices that enables us to theorize how job design can empower neurodiverse employees. This spectrum encompasses continua from universal to particular job design, self-crafted to supported job design, and dynamic to static job design. Our approach advances theorizing on inclusive job design and offers viable suggestions for HR professionals to demonstrate ways that job design can improve the work experience and success of neurodiverse employees. By embracing this approach, organizations can tailor their strategies to accommodate the unique strengths and preferences of neurodiverse employees, fostering a more inclusive work environment.

view paper (if available)