Neurodiversity at Work: Challenges and Opportunities for Human Resource Management

Abstract

Neurodiversity—an umbrella term encompassing a range of neurocognitive developmental conditions such as autism-spectrum conditions, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette syndrome)—recognizes neurological differences as natural variations of the human brain. As management scholars increasingly explore this dimension of diversity, both researchers and practitioners are gaining a deeper understanding of the valuable contributions neurodivergent human capital can bring to the modern workplace. In this article, which serves as a primer for the special issue on neurodiversity and human resource management (HRM), we present a systematic review of the neurodiversity literature organized by employee lifecycle stage. The review synthesizes the most comprehensive practices at the intersection of neurodiversity and HRM. We then introduce the 13 articles featured in the special issue by positioning them within broader trends that emerged from our review. Moreover, we show how each article advances scholarship and practice in neurodiversity and HRM. We conclude by drawing on insights from both the review and the special issue contributions to offer recommendations for future research and practice that center on fostering more inclusive and effective HRM systems for neurodivergent individuals.