ADHD as an Unexpected Employee’s Advantage

ADHD. Sometimes it seems everyone is talking about it. Several of my friends have shared they had recently received this diagnosis. And all of them are afraid of losing their jobs if their employer finds out. As a CEO and Managing Partner of the company with over 1200 people on a team, I have my opinion on this.

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is one of the most common disorders, and it affects around 4% of adults. People affected by it may be hyperactive and may experience difficulty concentrating and controlling their impulsive behavior.

Professionals with ADHD are often painted as someone who cannot concentrate on one task and require extra care to fulfill their duties. I have found that it is not exactly true. They actually have several unexpected advantages that businesses can benefit from.

What are the main benefits of ADHD at work?

Perceptiveness

People with ADHD are easily distracted and can switch between various tasks quickly. This gives them the possibility to zoom out, take the entire picture in, and notice changes that others may not be able to pick up. In the workplace, paying attention to every small change is vital. It allows them to change the way they perform on the go, which will help them complete their tasks with no unnecessary delays.

Turns out, being easily distracted has its perks.

What businesses can benefit from it? Start-ups will be the ones who benefit from this ADHD trait the most. Young businesses tend not to have set-in-stone processes, and their plans and goals can change rapidly. Teammates who notice any small change without delay can become a real backbone for any start-up because they will save everyone time.

Hyperfixation

Yes, people with ADHD can draw from hyper-focus. This widespread and counterintuitive phenomenon describes the ability of people with ADHD to focus on one task at a time. It happens when they do something they really enjoy or that falls under the umbrella of their interest.

When hyper-focused, professionals with ADHD can complete difficult tasks of high volume within hours because, once they get focused, they can’t think of anything else. They learn everything inside and out, and they do not stand down until everything is done to perfection.

What businesses can benefit from it? Any, really. The key here is to create a business structure, where every professional can find their niche and a role that suits their skills and their mindset the best.

Creativity

According to several studies, people with ADHD are more creative than those without it. They tend to think outside the box and, due to their perceptiveness, can provide a point of view unavailable to others. Professionals with ADHD are also quick thinkers. They are indispensable during brainstorming sessions.

What businesses can benefit from it? Any business that needs writers, designers, editors, and other professionals, whose main task is to come up with new ideas and bring them to life. Marketing agencies, book editors, creative departments — this is where people with ADHD will shine (provided they have the right set of skills, of course).

Humor

Professionals with ADHD tend to genuinely laugh it off. Social media is filled with posts, videos, and memes of people who were diagnosed with the disorder. The business environment is no different.

Teammates with ADHD use humor as a way to deal with situations they view as challenging. In the words of the president and clinical director of the ADHD Center in Chicago, Peter Jaksa, “Humor helps keep things in perspective. People with ADHD tend to be more sensitive to criticism and frustration and may be more likely to overreact when things go bad, often taking it to heart. But humor can be a shield against negativity.”

What businesses can benefit from it? In general, businesses and teams that rely on human-to-human communication, such as e-commerce, hospitality, or customer service and support are sure to benefit from the lightheartedness brought in by the ADHD humor.

Having 1200+ people on the SupportYourApp team, there are several guidelines I like to follow to make our work conditions comfortable for our teammates with ADHD.

• We regularly check up with each other to make sure everyone stays on track.
• Our entire team organizes our tasks on Kanban-style task boards, so we can track the status of every assignment.
• We give everyone as much creative freedom to accomplish their tasks as we can. This way, everyone is free to find the most suitable approach to their tasks. We also keep everyone’s eyes on our common goals, to make sure we all achieve them on time.
• We promote teamwork. Professionals with ADHD respond well to having a partner, who will be able to keep them within the required scope and focused enough to accomplish their tasks.