Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How EY Made ADHD a Career Advantage in Consulting
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, there's a lot of talk about neurodiversity in the workplace, but most of the attention goes to autism or dyslexia. One condition that's often overlooked is ADHD — attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And it turns out, in the right environment, some of the traits associated with ADHD — like rapid idea generation, comfort with urgency, and intense focus on interesting problems — can be huge assets. Luna: I've read about the downsides — difficulty with organization, time blindness, impulsivity. How do you turn those into a career advantage? Lucas: That's exactly what EY set out to figure out. Back in 2016, they launched a Neurodiversity Center of Excellence, initially focused on autism, but they quickly expanded to include ADHD and other conditions. The idea was to identify roles where those traits are actually beneficial — and then provide the support to manage the challenges. Luna: What kind of roles are we talking about? Lucas: Consulting roles, especially in areas like M&A, technology advisory, and data analytics. EY found that people with ADHD often excel in high-pressure, fast-paced environments where quick thinking and adaptability are key. One consultant with ADHD told the firm that the adrenaline of a live client engagement actually helps him focus — he can hyperfocus on solving the problem in front of him for hours at a time. Luna: I can see that. But what about the administrative side — timesheets, expense reports, all the structured stuff consulting is famous for? Lucas: Right, that's where the accommodations come in. EY doesn't just hire people and hope for the best. They provide executive function coaching, which is really structured support for planning and prioritization. They also offer flexible scheduling — so if someone's most productive from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., they can work those hours as long as they meet client deliverables. And they use visual project management tools that make deadlines and task dependencies crystal clear. Luna: That seems like something any employee could benefit from. I know I'd love a clearer dashboard of my tasks. Lucas: Exactly, and that's a key insight. Many of the accommodations EY built for neurodivergent employees turned out to improve productivity across the board. Their internal analysis showed that teams with neurodivergent members — including those with ADHD — often outperformed their peers on complex problem-solving tasks by 20 to 30 percent, measured by client satisfaction and project completion time. Luna: That's a striking number. But I imagine the hiring process itself had to change. Standard consulting interviews with case studies and time pressure could filter out candidates who'd be great on the job. Lucas: Absolutely. EY redesigned their assessment for neurodiverse candidates. Instead of the typical case interview, they use a skills-based assessment over a couple of days, where candidates work on real-world problems in a low-pressure setting. They also have a dedicated recruiter trained in neurodiversity who can adjust the process. For example, they allow extra time or let candidates present their solutions in writing rather than verbally. Luna: That makes sense. So what's the retention rate like? Lucas: EY hasn't published exact numbers, but they've said the neurodiversity program has retention rates comparable to or even higher than their traditional hires. A big reason is the community aspect — there's an internal network for neurodivergent employees to share strategies and support each other. One participant said it was the first time they felt they didn't have to mask their ADHD at work. Luna: Masking — that's a term I hear a lot in the neurodivergent community. The energy spent hiding your natural tendencies can be exhausting. So EY basically removed the need to mask and channeled that energy into work. Lucas: Exactly. And the results speak for themselves. EY now has similar programs in over 15 countries, and they've expanded beyond consulting into areas like tax and audit. They've also started sharing their model with clients — so the impact goes beyond their own workforce. Luna: Are there any lessons here for smaller firms that can't afford a dedicated center of excellence? Lucas: Sure. The core principles don't require a huge budget. First, focus on strengths — identify the tasks where ADHD traits are an asset. Second, offer flexible work arrangements — that's low cost. Third, use visual project management tools — many are free or cheap. And fourth, train managers to recognize and support different working styles. One or two champions in HR can start a pilot with just a handful of employees. Luna: It sounds like it's more about changing mindset than spending money. Lucas: Right. And as more companies share their results, the business case for inclusion gets stronger. EY's experience shows that accommodating ADHD isn't just the right thing to do — it can give you a competitive edge in talent and problem-solving. Luna: I love that. You know, it's conversations like this that remind me why we keep the show ad-free. We want to share these concrete models without any sponsor pressure. Lucas: Yeah, that's exactly it. And if you find value in what we're doing, supporting us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo helps keep it that way. It's a small gesture that lets us stay independent. Luna: Totally. So back to EY's broader lesson — what they did isn't just about ADHD; it's about redesigning work to fit how people actually think and function. Lucas: Exactly. And I think that's the takeaway for any organization: start by asking what strengths your employees have, not just what deficits you need to accommodate. When EY did that with ADHD, they found a wellspring of talent that traditional hiring had been missing. Luna: Well said. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. That's our show for today.