Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How One Bank Made Neurodiversity a Career Accelerator
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this number that's been stuck in my head all week: a major US bank doubled the retention rate of its neurodivergent employees in just over two years. Not by hiring them into dead-end roles, but by building an actual career path. Luna: That's a big deal. Most programs I've seen stop at 'get them in the door.' What did they do differently? Lucas: Well, before we dive into that, I want to mention something small. We keep this show ad-free, and that only works because some listeners chip in a few bucks. If today's episode helps you think through a career move or a hiring decision, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, and it genuinely takes two minutes. Now, back to that bank — what's the actual structure? Lucas: So the program started in 2024, and it's run out of their operations division, not HR. That's the first thing that stood out. They embedded it in a business unit where the managers actually own the outcomes. Luna: That's a smart move. HR programs can get siloed. So what does the career path look like? Lucas: They hire neurodivergent candidates — mostly autistic and ADHD professionals — into full-time roles in areas like data analysis, cybersecurity, and software testing. But the key is that every hire is paired with a senior mentor from day one, and the mentor is trained specifically in neurodiversity. Luna: Trained how? I imagine the usual 'be patient' advice isn't enough. Lucas: Right, it's not. The training covers things like communication preferences, sensory sensitivities in the office, and how to give feedback that doesn't rely on reading between the lines. They also teach managers to recognize when someone might need a quieter workspace or a different meeting format. Luna: So it's about adjusting the environment, not forcing the person to adapt. That sounds obvious, but I bet it's rare in practice. Lucas: Exactly. And the results are measurable. Since the program started, the retention rate for these employees is about 85 percent, compared to around 40 percent before. And they've had a dozen promotions to mid-level roles already. Luna: A dozen promotions — that's the part most companies miss. They get them in, but then they stall. What's the promotion criteria? Lucas: It's the same criteria as everyone else — performance reviews, project outcomes, that kind of thing. But they've also built in a 'skills passport' that tracks the specific competencies each person develops, so managers can see growth in a concrete way, not just a vague feeling. Luna: A skills passport — that's a great tool. It makes career development visible for both the employee and the manager. Lucas: Yeah, and it also helps with the accommodation piece. Instead of waiting for someone to request a change, the passport has a section where they can note what helps them do their best work. That could be anything from noise-cancelling headphones to a flexible start time. Luna: So they're normalizing accommodation requests as part of the career conversation, not a one-time HR form. That's smart. Lucas: It is. And they've also trained about 200 managers across the division. That training includes simulations where managers experience what it's like to process information differently — like a mock meeting with rapid-fire questions, then a debrief on how that might feel for someone who needs more processing time. Luna: That sounds powerful. A simulation can build empathy way faster than a slide deck. Lucas: Exactly. One manager told me she had no idea how exhausting that kind of meeting could be until she did the simulation. She changed the way she runs her team meetings now — she sends questions in advance, and she's stricter about one person talking at a time. Luna: That's a concrete win. But I have to ask — what about disclosure? A lot of neurodivergent people are hesitant to even mention it, because they're afraid it'll be held against them. How does this program handle that? Lucas: That's a real tension. The program is voluntary, so people can join without disclosing a formal diagnosis. But the bank is also trying to create a culture where disclosure feels safe. They've had senior leaders share their own experiences, and they've created employee resource groups for neurodivergent staff. Luna: Has that made a difference? Is disclosure actually happening? Lucas: They're seeing more people self-identify, especially among younger employees. But there's still a gap — they estimate that only about half of the neurodivergent employees in the division have disclosed. So they're working on that, but they've also designed the program so you don't have to disclose to benefit from it. Luna: That's a smart approach. It reduces the risk for people who aren't ready to be open. Lucas: Yeah, and it also helps with the 'missing middle' problem. There's a lot of focus on hiring people who are visibly disabled or who have an obvious need for accommodations. But there are plenty of people who are neurodivergent and don't 'look' it, and they often fall through the cracks. Luna: So this program is trying to catch that group too. How do they identify candidates in the first place? Lucas: They partner with local nonprofits that work with autistic adults, and they also redesigned their hiring process. Instead of the traditional interview — which can be a nightmare for someone who struggles with social cues — they use a work-sample test. Candidates do a realistic task, like analyzing a data set or debugging a piece of code. Luna: That's a game-changer. Work samples are more fair for everyone, honestly. They test actual skills, not just how well you perform in an interview. Lucas: Right. And they've found that the work-sample approach not only attracts more neurodivergent candidates, but it also helps them identify talent they would have missed with the old process. They've told me about a few hires who would have bombed the traditional interview but are now top performers. Luna: That's the dream, right? Finding the best person for the job, not the best interviewee. What about accommodations on the job — do they have a formal process for that? Lucas: Yes, but it's not the typical 'call HR and wait six weeks' process. Each employee works with their mentor to figure out what they need. The bank has a budget for reasonable accommodations, and the mentor can approve small things like a keyboard or a monitor without jumping through hoops. For bigger things, like a private office, they have a faster approval path. Luna: That speed matters. If someone asks for a chair that doesn't hurt their back, they shouldn't have to wait a month. So what's been the hardest part of this program? Lucas: The hardest part, according to the program lead, is changing the default assumption that 'professionalism' means one way of communicating. They've had pushback from some managers who think that requiring everyone to write a daily status update is 'unfair.' But the bank is holding firm — they've made it clear that inclusion is a performance issue, not a nice to have. Luna: That's a good line. 'Inclusion is a performance issue.' I might steal that. So what's next for the program? Lucas: They're planning to expand it to two more divisions by the end of the year, and they're also developing a 'neurodiversity at work' module for all new managers, not just those in the program. They want to make it part of the core management training. Luna: That's the right long-term move. If you build it into the foundation, it's not a special program anymore — it's just how you do business. Lucas: And that's really the takeaway. The bank didn't invent anything radical. They just asked a simple question: 'How can we make our workplace work for more people?' And they were willing to change the way they hire, the way they train, and the way they think about career progression. Luna: I think that's a question every company should ask. So for a listener who's neurodivergent and thinking about their career, is there a specific lesson here? Lucas: I'd say this: look for employers who are actively building programs like this, not just posting a diversity statement. Ask about their work-sample process, their mentorship structure, and what they've actually done to improve retention. The numbers are starting to speak for themselves. Luna: And for a manager who wants to be more inclusive? What's your advice? Lucas: Start with your own assumptions. Ask your team, 'What do you need to do your best work?' and actually listen. The simulation that this bank uses is a great tool, but you can get 80 percent of the way just by asking and being flexible. Luna: That's a simple but powerful starting point. Thanks, Lucas. This has been a great conversation. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And to our listeners, if you have a story about neurodiversity in the workplace, we'd love to hear it. You can reach us on the Fexingo website. Until next time.