Neurodiversity in rail: Thinking differently, delivering together

Hannah Bullock, Lead Business Psychologist at OPC Assessment highlights how embedding inclusive practices is an opportunity to lead the way in valuing diversity of thought, strengthening culture, and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive

Around 15–20 per cent of the population is neurodivergent, meaning a sizeable part of the rail workforce may think, process information, or experience the world differently from those considered neurotypical. Too often framed as a deficit, neurodivergence can bring strengths such as critical thinking, attention to detail, and strong rule adherence, all highly relevant in rail.

At a recent British Psychological Society’s (BPS) Neurodiversity Essentials event, Dr Nancy Doyle, a neurodivergent psychologist and researcher, shared findings from a study with Birkbeck, University of London and Neurodiversity in Business (NiB), based on over 1,000 neurodivergent and neurotypical employees and employers. The research highlighted several key insights:

• Co-existing neurodivergent conditions are common. Two-thirds of neurodivergent participants reported more than one condition, highlighting a possible need for more tailored, individual adjustments.
• Disclosure remains a barrier. Many employees choose not to share their neurodivergence, limiting access to support and meaning employers may miss out on valuable strengths.
• Lower psychological safety. Neurodivergent employees often feel less confident raising issues, asking questions, or admitting mistakes, a clear challenge for a safety-critical rail industry.
• Workplace adjustments improve retention. Half of those receiving workplace adjustments said they were more likely to stay with their employer, compared with a third who felt unsupported and reported an intention to leave.
• Line managers are key. As the first point of contact, equipping managers with the right skills to support neurodivergent colleagues is key. Coaching skills can help build employees’ confidence and independence.
• Environment matters. Lighting, noise levels, and access to quiet spaces can significantly affect well-being and performance for all employees.

Universal Design in Recruitment, Assessment and Job Design

Another powerful insight shared was the value of applying Universal Design (UD) principles to recruitment, assessment, and job design. Unlike adjustments that rely on an individual’s disclosure, (which can feel stigmatising,) UD builds inclusivity into processes from the outset. While there are seven principles in total, I’ve highlighted three in particular:

• Simple and intuitive: Clear layouts and straightforward instructions avoid unnecessary complexity which can create barriers to performance.
• Low physical effort: Keeping instructions to hand and visible helps improve accessibility and performance.
• Perceptible information: Presenting content in written, spoken or visual format help provide wider understanding for everyone.

Applied to recruitment, assessment, onboarding, and job design, UD can benefit everyone, not just neurodivergent candidates. It progresses practice from reactive adjustments to a proactive, inclusive approach that helps level the playing field. The best results come from combining UD with tailored adjustments (if necessary,) ensuring both fairness and flexibility while still balancing the demands of a safety-critical passenger service. Safety must always be the first and foremost priority.

Reflections for recruiters and managers

The findings carried some clear priorities for us as rail leaders: The design of authentic recruitment tools (not just psychometrics) focused on essential role requirements; the benefit of role profiling, including NTS, to define key capabilities. Equipping line managers with ‘coaching’ leadership skills. The idea of normalising flexibility (when safe to do so) in instructions and working environments; and the need to extend adjustments beyond recruitment, into onboarding, training and performance.

By shifting from a deficit-based view to a strengths-based one, recruiters and managers can unlock potential, and strengthen team culture.

How we are supporting neurodiversity

We strive to provide safety-critical industries with innovative assessment tools and recruitment solutions that are fit for purpose, can be trusted to assess key role requirements, meeting our clients’ needs. With Universal Design principles in mind:

Leading the way in rail

Neurodivergent talent remains underutilised and underemployed in the UK. For rail, embedding inclusive practices is an opportunity to lead the way in valuing diversity of thought, strengthening culture, and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive.

If you’d like to discuss how we can support your recruitment or assessment processes with neuro-inclusive practices, we’d be delighted to talk.

W: www.theopc.co.uk/assessment
T: 01923 234646
E: [email protected]

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