Two major new reports highlight both the strengths of neurodiverse employees and the urgent need for more inclusive workplace practices across the UK.
The Association for Project Management (APM), in its Promoting Neurodiversity report, and the City & Guilds Foundation, in partnership with Do-IT Solutions, in its Neurodiversity Index Report 2025, both stress that while awareness of neurodiversity is growing, support systems and recruitment practices remain outdated.
The APM’s research highlights the valuable skills neurodivergent professionals contribute to project teams. Individuals with ADHD, dyslexia, and autism often excel in pattern recognition risk management, and adaptability. Yet despite these strengths, many face barriers in employment. Traditional interview processes, sensory overload in open-plan offices, and a lack of workplace adjustments are persistent challenges.
Notably, disclosure rates remain low. In a prior APM survey, one in seven neurodivergent project managers said they had not disclosed their condition to their employer, fearing stigma or discrimination. A neurodivergent project management professional who has welcomed the latest APM report is Carrick Brown, who currently works for Citizens Advice providing financial wellbeing advice to adults diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD after two decades in various project and change management roles within healthcare and the third sector.
After his son was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD and autism, Carrick noticed similarities in his own behaviours and experiences in his career, leading him to seek a diagnosis. Carrick was found to have autism, which helped put an earlier diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder into context.
NEURODIVERSE EMPLOYEES FEEL REJECTED AT WORK
Carrick said he would struggle to get constructive feedback and deal with real and perceived rejection at work. “In addition, assumptions and vague instructions would lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings and feeling isolated and different,” he pointed out.
“However, I also now recognise that my professional curiosity, cultural and emotional intelligence, and ability to hyperfocus on tasks which actually stem from my neurodivergence are hugely impactful within both project and service management,” shared Carrick. “My diagnosis allowed me to understand that our behaviours are a form of communication. When organisations expect everyone to act and work the same way, they instantly limit the extent to which people feel valued and create barriers to achieving project outcomes. I think the majority of project sponsors and funders want to support neurodivergent staff, but there are still plenty of companies that only have performative inclusion – where they claim to welcome people of all backgrounds but do not actually make reasonable adjustments for them.”
APM’s report was commissioned after it identified a lack of neurodiverse representation in the industry to better understand the reasons behind it and what could be done to improve things.
CAREER SETBACKS FOR NEURODIVERSE EMPLOYEES
The City & Guilds Foundation’s Neurodiversity Index Report 2025 surveyed more than 1,300 individuals and organisations. Its findings reveal significant ongoing struggles experienced by neurodiverse employees:
- 41% of neurodivergent employees face workplace challenges on most days.
- 51% have taken time off due to their neurodivergence, citing burnout, workplace conflict, and poor mental health support.
- 35% report that promotions are not equally accessible.
- 35% say they received no onboarding support when starting a new job.
- Only half feel their workplace climate is open and supportive.
TRAINING & ACCESSIBILITY
A major factor is insufficient training among leadership. According to the Neurodiversity Index Report, 57% of senior leaders and 37% of managers report receiving no specific training on neurodiversity. Recruitment processes remain a barrier, with 51% of employers failing to adapt applications and interviews for neurodivergent candidates.
Despite these challenges, the reports point to signs of improvement:
- Disclosure outcomes are improving: 55% of employees who disclosed their neurodivergence in 2025 received a positive or neutral response, up from 42% in 2024.
- Accessibility is on the rise: 50% of organisations now include accessibility tools on their websites, compared with 35% the previous year.
- Training is growing: 43% of senior leaders have received specific neurodiversity training in the last 12 months.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS
Both reports stress that progress requires moving from awareness to action. The APM recommends:
- Promote awareness and training across organisations.
- Improve disclosure processes to make them supportive and transparent.
- Implement reasonable adjustments and flexible policies.
- Reform recruitment and training practices.
- Create peer mentoring and support networks.
- Redesign workspaces to reduce sensory overload.
- Assign tasks based on individuals’ strengths.
Carrick believes that if companies can take APM’s recommendations on board and adopt compassionate leadership, neuroinclusive policies, and person-centred practices that value diversity of thought, “it will not only make a difference to those people, but the success of the company as well”.
“Our report shows the strengths neurodivergent people bring to the project management profession and the positive progress organisations have made, but significant barriers still remain,” stated Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM. “The seven recommendations in the APM report around recruitment, training, implementing reasonable adjustments, establishing peer support networks, and creating a genuinely inclusive culture should help the profession improve significantly. Neurodivergent individuals are capable of thriving as project managers, but without the right systems in place, many will go unnoticed or will struggle at work. We are hopeful this report will help decision-makers to make any necessary changes and enable neurodivergent people to embrace project management as a viable career path.”
The City & Guilds Foundation calls for:
- Publishing interview questions in advance and simplifying job descriptions.
- Training managers and leaders in neurodiversity.
- Making onboarding processes more accessible.
- Providing consistent mental health support.
- Redesigning performance metrics to fairly reflect diverse working styles.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY MATTERS
The findings echo research by Genius Within (2024), which found that neurodivergent employees experience lower psychological safety and career satisfaction compared to neurotypical colleagues.
With one in seven people in the UK estimated to be neurodivergent, experts argue that employers who fail to act risk losing out on exceptional talent. Both APM and City & Guilds stress that neuroinclusion should no longer be treated as a compliance issue but as a strategic opportunity for innovation, productivity, and employee wellbeing.
You can read the full Neurodiversity Index Report 2025 here.
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