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<!doctype html> <html lang="en-US" class="no-touch js "> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">  <meta name="blogsPostDate" content="2024-10-15 08:03:24"/><meta name="blogsPostTags" content="accessibility,diversity-equity-and-inclusion,inclusive-future,neurodiversity,social-impact,social-impact-office"/><meta name="blogsPostCat" content="Our Corporate Purpose"/><meta name="article:category" content="Our Corporate Purpose"/> <meta name="wordCount" content="837" /> <meta name="readTime" content="200" />  <script type='text/javascript' src="//www.cisco.com/etc/designs/cdc/clientlibs/responsive/js/web-component-foundation.min.js"></script> <script> /** * Invokes appropriate private methods based on input parameters based on needs of web component architecture * @param {Array} wcAssets array of strings that correlate to the names of web components or array of objects containing asset name and corresponding locale/path * @param {String} localePath specifies where web component should be retrieved from (expected format: en/us or en_au for all other locales); false if wcAssets, is array of objects * @param {Boolean} isWem [Optional] specifies if assets are being loaded on a WEM environment * @param {Boolean} needTargetter [Optional] specifies need for targetter bundle to be loaded (generally needed on external sites) * @param {Boolean} isRelative [Optional] specifies if asset path(s) should be relative * @param {String} env [Optional] specifies enviornment to append to relative path (should not be used with isRelative) * @param {Boolean} hasEnvOverride [Optional] specifies if environment needs to be overridden (should be used with env) */ cdc.wcAncillaryAssetAllocator.init(['cdc-template-blogs'], 'en/us', false, true, false, 'prod'); if (window.cdc === undefined) { window.cdc = {}; } if (cdc.cdcMasthead === undefined) { cdc.cdcMasthead = {}; } if (cdc.cdcMasthead.additional === undefined) { cdc.cdcMasthead.additional = {}; } cdc.cdcMasthead.additional.env = 'prod'; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> if ( typeof cdc === "undefined")cdc = {}; if ( typeof cdc.util === "undefined")cdc.util = {}; cdc.util.ensureNamespace = function (namespaceStr) { if (!namespaceStr) { return; var parts = namespaceStr.split("."); var o = window; var i; var aPart; for (i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) aPart = parts[i]; if (typeof (o[aPart]) != "object"){ o[aPart] = {}; } o = o[aPart]; } }; cdc.dm = {}; cdc.dm.util = {}; cdc.dm.util.ensureNamespace = cdc.util.ensureNamespace; </script> <meta name="author" content="Aleta Howell" /><meta name="blogsPostAuthor" content="Aleta Howell" /><meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1' /> <script type="text/javascript" src="//www.cisco.com/c/dam/cdc/t/ctm-core.js"></script>  <title>Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce - Cisco Blogs</title> <meta name="description" content="As AI transforms the tech industry and recruitment processes, organizations are beginning to understand the immense value of hiring neurodivergent talent." /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce" /> <meta property="og:description" content="As AI transforms the tech industry and recruitment processes, organizations are beginning to understand the immense value of hiring neurodivergent talent." /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Cisco Blogs" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2024-10-15T15:03:24+00:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/Neurodivergent-Illustration@3x.png" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1800" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="600" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/png" /> <meta name="author" content="Aleta Howell" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@aleta_howell" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="Aleta Howell" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="5 minutes" /> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce"},"author":{"name":"Aleta Howell","@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/#/schema/person/6d336df786a37a9df618e61e5d93eca2"},"headline":"Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce","datePublished":"2024-10-15T15:03:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-15T15:03:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce"},"wordCount":872,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/Neurodivergent-Illustration@3x.png","keywords":["Accessibility","Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)","Inclusive Future","Neurodiversity","Social Impact","Social Impact Office"],"articleSection":["Our Corporate Purpose"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce","url":"https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce","name":"Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce - 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In this role, she drives initiatives to attract, engage, and retain diverse talent. By working closely with business leaders and HR partners, she ensures that Cisco attracts and retains diverse talent across all levels, by fostering an inclusive workplace where all are welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. Her efforts in global entry-level talent recruiting help build strong connections with educational institutions and training partners, bringing in fresh and innovative talent to the company. In her prior role, Aleta led the DEI Talent Strategy team where she was responsible for aligning corporate and functional diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, and creating both internal and external programs that promote diverse and inclusive hiring practices. She also played a pivotal role in the Inclusive Recruiting Strategy for University Recruiting, collaborating with leaders and HR partners to develop hiring strategies and programs aimed at attracting diverse university talent. Additionally, she served as a Program Manager in Cisco's Office of Inclusion and Collaboration, where she helped establish processes for reviewing diversity metrics with senior leaders. Before joining Cisco, Aleta accrued more than two decades of experience as a senior branding consultant. In this capacity, she worked with senior leaders and executives to develop and guide branding and business strategies. Her extensive experience includes leading brand marketing teams, strategic consulting, and talent acquisition strategy for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Aleta began her career as a brand manager at Nabisco Foods. Following her tenure at Nabisco, she returned to Kenan-Flagler Business School as the Associate Director of Admissions for Minority Recruitment. She later became the MBA Admissions Director, overseeing all recruiting and admissions activities for the full-time MBA program. An alumna of NC State University, Jane earned a BA in Economics and Business Management. She also holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill. Residing in Raleigh, NC, with her husband Kevin, she is the proud mother of two college-aged daughters. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, cooking, writing, and traveling.","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/aletahowell","https://twitter.com/aleta_howell"],"url":"https://blogs.cisco.com/author/alhowell"}]}</script>  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//www.cisco.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Cisco Blogs » Feed" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/feed" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Cisco Blogs » Comments Feed" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/comments/feed" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Cisco Blogs » Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce Comments Feed" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce/feed" /> <script type="text/javascript"> window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.1.0\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.1.0\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/blogs.cisco.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=5.9.2"}}; /*! 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<link rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml" /> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 5.9.2" /> <link rel='shortlink' href='https://blogs.cisco.com/?p=463594' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.cisco.com%2Four-corporate-purpose%2Fembracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce" /> <link rel="alternate" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.cisco.com%2Four-corporate-purpose%2Fembracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce&format=xml" /> <link rel="pingback" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/xmlrpc.php"><link rel="icon" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/09/cropped-Cisco-logo-thumb-sky-blue-32x32.jpg" sizes="32x32" /> <link rel="icon" 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href="https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose">Our Corporate Purpose</a> / <span class="breadcrumb_last" aria-current="page">Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce</span></span></span></span></p> <div class="blog-post-header"> </div> <article id="post-463594" class="post-463594 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-our-corporate-purpose tag-accessibility tag-diversity-equity-and-inclusion tag-inclusive-future tag-neurodiversity tag-social-impact tag-social-impact-office"> <div class="main-content"> <header class="entry-header"> <div class="entry-meta"> October 15, 2024 <a id="post-comments" href="https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose/embracing-neurodiversity-the-key-to-unlocking-hidden-talent-in-the-workforce#respond">Leave a Comment</a> <hr> </div> </header> <div class="blog-post-header"> <div class="thumbnail-avatar"> <div class="post-thumbnail" style="background-image:url(https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/Neurodivergent-Illustration@3x-600x200.png);"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/IL20241008214850-alhowell-150x150.jpg" width="102" height="102" alt="Avatar" class="avatar avatar-102 wp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-102 photo avatar-default"> </div> </div> <div class="blog-cat-post-author-container"> <a href=https://blogs.cisco.com/our-corporate-purpose><h5>Our Corporate Purpose</h5></a> <h1 class="entry-title">Embracing neurodiversity: The key to unlocking hidden talent in the workforce</h1><p class="wordcount"><span class="black">3 min read</span></p> <p> <a href="https://blogs.cisco.com/author/alhowell" title="Posts by Aleta Howell" rel="author">Aleta Howell</a> </p> </div> </div>  <div class="entry-content"> <p>The technology sector is undergoing a seismic shift, not only in terms of the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) but also in how companies recruit and leverage talent. As AI transforms the industry and recruitment processes, organizations are beginning to understand the immense value of hiring neurodivergent talent—individuals whose brains function differently than what’s considered “typical” and who often excel in areas overlooked by traditional hiring methods. This shift opens new doors, particularly for dyslexic thinkers whose unique strengths are increasingly being recognized as essential to the tech-driven future.</p> <h2><strong>What is neurodiversity, and why does it matter in the workplace?</strong></h2> <figure id="attachment_463898" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-463898" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img class="wp-image-463898" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited-300x200.jpeg" alt="People working around a table but only seeing their arms and hands as they work together on a project" width="350" height="233" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_831205397-edited.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-463898" class="wp-caption-text"><strong>Working together in the workplace</strong></figcaption></figure> <p>Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in human brain function and behavior, encompassing conditions like dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and more. These individuals bring cognitive strengths that can enhance problem solving, creativity, and innovation—key drivers in the tech industry. Rather than seeing these differences as challenges to overcome, forward-thinking companies are embracing neurodiversity as an asset that enriches the workplace.</p> <p>The benefits of hiring neurodivergent talent are profound:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Diverse problem-solving approaches:</strong> Neurodivergent thinkers often approach challenges from unconventional angles, offering fresh perspectives that can spur innovation.</li> <li><strong>Enhanced creativity and innovation:</strong> Their ability to think “outside the box” helps companies break away from status quo thinking, leading to the development of novel solutions.</li> <li><strong>Improved productivity:</strong> When placed in environments suited to their cognitive strengths, neurodivergent individuals can outperform neurotypical peers in specialized areas, particularly when it comes to tasks requiring attention to detail, pattern recognition, or systems thinking.</li> </ul> <h2><strong>AI’s influence on the tech talent and recruiting landscape</strong></h2> <p>AI is revolutionizing how we identify, assess, and hire tech talent. Smart companies are leveraging AI tools to create more inclusive job descriptions and minimize unconscious bias to have a competitive edge in today’s marketplace. Traditional recruitment methods—focused on rigid resumes and generic assessments—are giving way to AI-driven solutions that can sift through large datasets, evaluate skills, and match candidates to roles with speed and precision.</p> <p>AI coupled with a “human touch is the final touch” philosophy ensures a comprehensive evaluation of talent. Now, more than ever, companies need to redefine what “ideal” talent looks like to adapt to the future of work.</p> <p>As AI takes over mundane and repetitive tasks, the demand for human-centric skills—creativity, complex problem solving, emotional intelligence—has skyrocketed. This is where neurodivergent talent, including dyslexic thinkers, shine. Many people with dyslexia, for instance, have highly developed spatial reasoning, big-picture thinking, and storytelling abilities, all of which are becoming indispensable in fields like data visualization, design, and AI development. Roughly two-thirds of neurodivergent individuals hide their conditions and many feel uncomfortable asking for adjustments to optimize their work experience (<a href="https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/two-thirds-of-neurodivergent-employees-mask-their-condition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">source</a>). The hidden potential that lies within our existing workforce and within our future talent pipelines is a costly blind spot that will impact retaining top talent and attracting future business leaders. It’s critically important that we redefine neurodiversity as a recruiting priority and advocate for neurodiversity as a key to futureproof our workforce.</p> <h2><strong>Neurodivergent skills and the future of tech</strong></h2> <p><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-463903 size-medium" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited-300x200.jpeg" alt="Four people high fiving around a table in an office" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/10/AdobeStock_521968316-edited.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />As the demand for AI skills increases and becomes more ubiquitous across all industries, more roles will require soft skills that AI cannot easily replicate—complex problem solving, adaptability, emotional intelligence, creativity and innovation (<a href="https://www.thehrdirector.com/features/neurodiversity/dyslexic-employees-top-recruitment-shortlist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">source</a>). Take dyslexia for example, it is often misunderstood as solely a reading challenge. In fact, dyslexic individuals frequently excel in visual processing, pattern recognition, and spatial thinking—skills critical in the future of work.</p> <p>For example:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Systems thinking</strong>: Dyslexic minds tend to grasp complex systems more intuitively, making them excellent at understanding how different components interconnect—a valuable skill for software engineering, AI architecture, and cybersecurity.</li> <li><strong>Pattern recognition</strong>: Many individuals with dyslexia are adept at identifying patterns in large datasets, which is an essential ability in fields like AI and machine learning.</li> <li><strong>Innovation and storytelling</strong>: Creative industries increasingly value the ability to connect disparate ideas, envision new possibilities, and communicate effectively through stories— all skills where individuals with dyslexia often excel.</li> </ul> <p>In fact, many of today’s tech leaders credit their dyslexia for their success.</p> <h2><strong>Conclusion: The future of tech demands neurodivergent talent</strong></h2> <p>At Cisco, we’re redefining neurodivergence as a valuable asset and cultivating a culture where all abilities are recognized for their strengths, not their limitations. This mission is brought to life through initiatives like these.</p> <ul> <li>Our Chief People Officer, Kelly Jones, led a panel discussion on, “<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/events/7240389555067969537/comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dyslexia: Unlocking Superpowers with Cisco & Randstad”</a>, featuring leaders including Zohra Yafai (VP, Talent Acquisition, Cisco), Matt Higgs (VP, <a href="https://www.madebydyslexia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Made by Dyslexia</a>, Ranstad Enterprise), and Kate Griggs (Founder, Made by Dyslexia).</li> <li>We engage our neurodivergent community through our Connected Disability Action Network (CDAN) to inform best practices for talent acquisition.</li> <li>Our partnership with <a href="https://www.inclusively.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inclusively</a>, a platform breaking down barriers for people with disabilities.</li> </ul> <p>The tech sector’s continued evolution will be defined by its ability to harness diverse perspectives, particularly those offered by neurodivergent individuals. 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