ADHD at work: 4 communication strategies for employers
Clear and direct workplace communication strategies for ADHD is a foundational element of creating a safe and inclusive working environment.
Uncertainty and ambiguity at work creates the perfect storm for employees with ADHD because they have a deep need for the exact opposite; clarity and certainty.
But meeting this need doesn’t just help avoid anxiety, stress and overwhelm. It actively creates the environment for ADHDers to thrive as some of your most creative, productive and engaged team members!
So how do we do this?
Whilst day-to-day adjustments are really helpful, there are more top-level company areas where inclusive communication strategies can be used.
These areas are vital to address if you truly want your business to attract a diversity of talent, uphold performance, and create a thriving culture.
Let’s take a look at the areas.
ADHD-friendly communication in recruitment
Inclusivity starts when employees apply to work at your company, not their first day in the office.
Clear communication during each stage of a new employee’s recruitment journey can be overlooked, especially if you outsource to agencies.
And it’s not just an ADHD problem; 52% of job seekers, generally, abandon applications due to unclear job descriptions and communication pitfalls during the recruitment process.
To avoid issues, work on instilling clarity and certainty into…
Job descriptions: Steer clear of jargon and vague descriptions of what the role entails, making sure to include a list of qualifications required, key responsibilities and reasonable, easy-to-understand expectations. Specific task examples are helpful if the role is quite broad. And, of course, salary ranges!
Interviews: Provide an agenda of the interview process, if possible, with information on what is discussed or expected at each stage. Plus, a heads-up if multiple ‘mini interviews’ will be carried out by different people during one interview session.
Follow-ups: If your company has no intention of following up with unsuccessful candidates (to let them know they didn’t get the job), make that clear at the end of the interview. Or, better yet, implement a follow-up process that allows for concise feedback.
Clarifying the role and what’s expected at each stage of the recruitment process prevents unnecessary disappointment, due to mismatched job applicants, and anxiety for ADHD candidates who are waiting around on an email or phone call that may never come.
Prioritising clear communication in performance reviews
After a successful application and onboarding process, ensuring ADHDers have a clear recap on how to navigate their role, and the wider workplace, is essential for getting the most out of them as team members.
In my experience as an ADHD coach I know that performance reviews, particularly, present unique challenges for people with ADHD. Mostly due to the anxiety that can be created when the process isn’t clear and next steps are not given.
Here are 6 questions to quickly audit your performance review process:
Is there a documented process?
Are KPIs easily measurable by managers and employees themselves?
Are expectations reasonable?
What are the consequences of poor performance?
What are the rewards of good performance?
Are the outcomes of a performance review clearly communicated?
When ADHDers are essentially ‘floating’ in a role that has no measurable outcomes, rewards or consequences, they can’t thrive because there is no plan of progression; no certainty.
And when expectations are not clear, more micro-decisions must be made in an ADHDers day to day. This often leads to anxiety over wrong vs right decisions, triggering overwhelm and stress which impairs executive function (the ‘project management’ part of the brain).
Establishing a strategy for effective meetings
Whether meetings are online or in person, having a company-wide strategy and expectations for effective meetings benefits everyone involved (ADHDer or not).
This could include:
Providing agendas for what will be covered
Using recording/transcription technology so key points can be watched or read back for clarity
Sticking to timings and agendas
Emailing clear and precise actionables that resulted from the meeting, to avoid missed tasks or miscommunication of deliverables and deadlines
Personal adjustments that can be made to make meetings even more ADHD friendly; allowing people to stand rather than sit, bring fidget toys if needed etc.
All of the above elements create a safe meeting environment where people know what to expect, how to act and what will happen afterwards.
Whilst managers tow the line for meeting success and need a degree of autonomy on how they choose to run a meeting, there has to be a consistent level of effective and inclusive communication that everyone is willing to uphold.
ADHD-friendly feedback strategies that consider RSD
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is something a lot of ADHDers struggle with and this means they’re prone to be more sensitive to feedback, whether it’s given in a formal or informal setting.
This sensitivity can cause a lot of stress and emotional dysregulation, which affects executive functioning and can create a spiral of negative reactions. At this point of ‘spiralling’, it can be very difficult for the person to absorb feedback or next steps.
So it’s really important for managers to be aware of this in their ADHD team members, to make giving feedback as productive as possible.
Here are my top pieces of advice for providing feedback to ADHD team members:
Generally using non-confrontational language and constructive reframing tactics
Separating the action or behaviour from the person: it’s you tackling the problem as a team, not ‘you vs them’.
‘Sandwiching’ points that could be perceived as criticism with good feedback points
Emphasising that it's okay to mess up, openly discussing accountability and possible support
Coming prepared with very clear actionables and expectations for the future, or being ready to coach a plan of action from the person who needs to implement it
Ultimately, creating a culture of improvement over perfectionism, where mistakes are always learning opportunities, goes a long way to making ADHD employees feel safe to receive feedback (as well as managers themselves feeling confident to deliver it).
The common themes: clarity, certainty and safety
Implementing workplace communication strategies that centre around clarity and certainty creates psychological safety for ADHDers. And psychological safety is essential for any person to learn, grow and flourish.
Ultimately, clear and direct communication isn’t a ‘thing to do’, it’s a whole culture and way of working that can be intentionally built within a company.
Building this kind of culture not only looks after neurodivergent employees; it ensures all team members are on the same page throughout their time with you as an employer or manager.
And a clear, certain, safe team is one that’s motivated, always improving, and an asset to the business’ profitability.
Not sure where to start when it comes to building a culture of clear and direct communication? Explore our leadership training packages and get in touch! >
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Meta title: ADHD at work: communication strategies for employers
Meta description: 4 workplace communication strategies that centre around clarity and certainty, to support ADHDers. 5-min read.
Keywords: ADHD at work, ADHD communication strategies
