How Neurodivergent Employees Are Thriving at Bloomberg

Originally published on bloomberg.com

At Bloomberg, we’re committed to building an inclusive culture that enables everyone to thrive, including neurodiverse employees.

We value the skills and experience of all our colleagues and the diversity of talent we can bring to the table. Our neurodivergent employees include those who have been diagnosed with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia or various mental health conditions that might impact the way the people think or interact. These employees bring a wealth of experience, talent, deep focus, creativity, innovation and lateral thinking to our business.

To support all our people, we continue to focus on instilling inclusivity in our offices, the Bloomberg Terminal and our policies and processes. Our goal is to create an environment where every employee is accepted and encouraged to bring their whole self to work. Learn some of the ways we’re emphasizing inclusivity, including stories from two Bloomberg employees.

A growing internal community

Bloomberg was among the first companies to join the Valuable 500, a global movement putting disability on the business leadership agenda. The company is also a signatory to the Time to Change Employer Pledge in the U.K., which works to change the way we think about mental health in the workplace.

Inside Bloomberg, we’ve taken action to make our recruitment processes more inclusive and to deliver the best candidate experience for prospective, neurodivergent employees. Our talent acquisition team also partners with organizations across the globe to help us recruit and support students with disabilities. These include EmployAbility and MyPlus Students Club. We work with partners globally for guidance on continuing to improve as an inclusive organization.

Another important company effort is the Bloomberg Abilities Community, or B-ABLE. This growing, employee-led group is committed to raising awareness and creating a supportive and comfortable environment for neurodiverse and disabled individuals and their allies. The community has grown by 131% globally in the last five years and regularly hosts well-being sessions on mental health, neurodiversity and disability in the workplace.

The employee experience

Gemma is Head of Research Client Services in EMEA and a former co-lead of B-ABLE in London who has dyslexia. Her role involves leading a diverse team that drives operational excellence across the data department to impact and execute strategic direction. This has increased the value of the department to clients and other areas of the business, resulting in a noticeable improvement in customer service quality.

Gemma shares how she’s been supported by the company. “Our Bloomberg communities are amazing at encouraging people to be open and to talk, whereas previously some of the topics around neurodiversity were never really spoken about,” she says. “By being open, I was able to share my dyslexia with my colleagues and ask for help.”

Gemma had a sales role earlier in her Bloomberg career, which required her to help manage large clients and prepare briefing documents for senior leaders. “I worked with my colleagues on sanity checking spelling and grammar due to my dyslexia,” Gemma says. “Not only did this provide the right support, but with more minds and feedback, I was actually able to produce better work, due to having more collaboration and ideas.”

“From having dyslexia and keeping it a secret, to then being in a management role, I wanted to be open and help people who were experiencing the same thing I had,” Gemma continues. ”Thinking differently is special, and I have been able to meet so many amazing people and have a larger network because of this.”

For people who want to support their colleagues, Gemma encourages them to practice openness and share resources. “Having a supportive and approachable manager who understands what you are going through is key,” she says.

Samuel, a Data and Business Analytics lead, has dyslexia and dyspraxia. His role requires a mixture of data insight and problem-solving abilities to support strategic decision-making and operational activities.

“Having been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia as an adult, I have learned to embrace and hone my strengths, such as divergent thinking and pattern recognition, which helps me be more innovative in the workplace,” Samuel says.

He credits a mix of Bloomberg policies and programs for helping him flourish, including employee-led forums focused on creating an inclusive and supportive environment, as well as strong support from peers and managers. “The occupational health and safety team has also championed reasonable adjustments, such as speech-to-text software, mind mapping, screen overlays and more,” Samuel says.

He was a founding member of B-ABLE in London in 2016, which has brought him community and helped him advance his career.

“I have been able to leverage and be a resource to my fellow colleagues when navigating neurodiversity in the workplace,” Samuel says. “As a pillar lead, I was able to raise awareness around hidden disabilities and, at the same time, develop leadership skills, which gave me the experience needed for taking on a leadership role within our department.”

This article is reproduced from Jobs and Careers.