More and more structures in France are developing operational approaches to durably integrate people with atypical cognitive functioning: autism spectrum disorder, dys, ADHD, high potential disorders. These are not a question of occasional adjustments, but to rethink certain fundamentals of the organization of work to allow everyone to contribute fully, without permanent over-adaptation. The inclusion of neuro-Atypical collaborators Then becomes a lever of lasting efficiency as much as a principle of equity.
Recruit differently, without sacrificing the requirement
The face -to -face job interview remains a difficult filter for profiles whose technical skills are not expressed in oral interaction. This highly codified format often values relational skills more than real operational capacities. To answer them, several French companies adopt alternative formats: distance business test, written exchanges, asynchronous interviews or scenarios to be resolved.
At MAIF, applications for certain positions are assessed via practical situations. This device eliminates biases linked to non -verbal communication, without lowering the selection level. The result is a fairer assessment of the skills that are really mobilized in the function. The approach also makes it possible to reveal profiles which would have been dismissed by implicit criteria, not relevant for the mission.
Design a more stable working environment
Noisy environments, constant interruptions or visual overload can create real discomfort for employees with TSA or ADHD. These cognitive overload sources slow down concentration, accentuate fatigue and degrade performance. Reducing these stress factors does not require massive transformations: schedules reserved for concentration, areas without solicitation or tools for reporting the need for calm are enough.
At the SNCF, in several technical units, “silent” time slots have been established, where interruptions are reduced to the essentials. This protocol improves concentration and limits the effects of mental saturation, including in neurotypical collaborators. The organization of withdrawal spaces, even temporary, can also play an important role in maintaining the quality of work over time.
Explain the implicit rules for teamwork
The company often works on implicit codes: informal hierarchy, unsaid, unpertified social rituals. For profiles that do not spontaneously capture these signals, these blurs harm the readability of expectations and generate a feeling of exclusion. Clarifying the operating rules avoids incomprehension and improves the autonomy of each.
Orange has implemented a formalization of collective operating rules: frequency and feedback mode, communication channels, team habits. This clear framework benefits the whole collective, by clarifying expectations without having to guess them. It is also a way of establishing shared standards without you having to constantly navigate in personal interpretations.
Offer discreet access to the necessary adaptations
The fear of being identified or stigmatized prevents many employees from formulating a request for development. This deduction is even more marked among employees who do not have a formal diagnosis, or who do not wish to medicalize their relationship to work. To respond, companies allow a confidential exchange with a dedicated referent, without obligation to go through the direct hierarchy or to medically justify the needs expressed.
In Thales, cognitive diversity referents play this role. They listen, adjust, coordinate internally, while guaranteeing confidentiality. This parallel channel makes it possible to unlock many situations in a discreet and effective way. It creates a neutral space where speech can circulate without fear of judgment or repercussions on professional development.
Recognize underused skills without freezing them
Thoughts in tree structure, cognitive endurance or the taste for detail are sometimes assets in specific missions. These specific skills can become real levers of excellence, if they are identified and affected wisely. Valorizing these capacities without assigning the individual to a single task is a delicate balance. The challenge is to adapt the perimeter without limiting the possible evolution.
In the Data teams of Carrefour or at Safran, collaborators assigned to repetitive analysis tasks were chosen on the basis of expressed preferences. This voluntary choice avoids instrumentalization, while making the best use of the strong points of the persons concerned. It also allows the company to have rare skills, with high added value, in often neglected missions.
Train in adjustment, not to identify
Managers do not have to identify an atypical profile or diagnose it. Their role is to create a flexible, legible framework, and to react to weak signals: progressive withdrawal, unusual fatigue, difficulty in interactions or prioritizations. For this, training exists on cognitive diversity, focused on concrete team management situations.
Accenture France has launched an awareness program for supervisors, with real management scenarios. These modules learn to decode relational or organizational difficulties without medical interpretation, and to adapt the instructions or work rhythms. The goal is to equip the supervisors, not to transform them into experts from the subject, but into facilitators.
Offer universal developments
Many people are not diagnosed or choose not to report their atypical functioning. The company must therefore not expect an individual request to act. It is more effective to generalize certain practices useful to all: systematic reports after meeting, visual organization of tasks, limitation of interruptions.
At Ubisoft, in specific technical teams, each meeting gives rise to a formal synthesis. This practice improves memorization, promotes engagement and reduces misunderstandings, without targeting a particular type of profile. Tools like shared visual schedules, or asynchronous communication channels, complete this more readable environment for everyone.
