Networking events, sharing best practice and help with recruitment for candidates and companies are some of the ways insurance industry group Gain intends to unlock the potential of neurodivergent talent in the sector.
Last month, Health & Protection reported the industry group’s plan to launch a market-wide membership scheme early in the new year for insurance firms to sign up to.
The scheme, open to small, medium and large business, will offer organisations access to services including education programmes, online resources and workshops, along with support for adapting recruitment and HR processes to hire and retain new recruits.
Elaborating further on what will be on offer to participating organisations, Gain board member Andrew Mercer told an online audience about its objectives. These include:
- setting up a hub for corporate and individual members where they can come together in a safe and supportive environment,
- connecting participants with examples of best practice from across industry, and
- providing a platform for the celebration of success stories and for discussion around the value that neurodiversity brings.
Mercer added that firms will be given help on matching roles at their organisation with the strengths neurodiverse individuals bring.
Recommendations on recruitment and onboarding processes and an introduction to fresh neurodiverse talent pools will also be available, with support tailored to individual organisations’ needs.
Meanwhile, neurodiverse individuals will benefit from networking events where they can learn about the industry, its role in society and career pathways, as well a career club which will help with their CV and guide them through the recruitment process.
Skills and abilities
Mercer also touched on the skills and abilities neurodiverse individuals can bring.
He explained dyslexic people tend to have great creative thinking, interpersonal, entrepreneurial, problem solving and leadership skills, while people with ADHD tend to have great energy, creative thinking, and the ability to multitask.
People with dyspraxia, he said, tend to be great thinkers and have great oral, interpersonal and problem solving skills, while autistic people tend to be analytical, show great attention to detail, have deep expertise and also have great problem solving skills.
Although Mercer also stressed the importance of treating neurodivergent people as individuals.
“There’s a saying that when you’ve met one neurodiverse person, you’ve met one neurodiverse person and that’s absolutely true,” Mercer said.
“Everyone is different and has a unique contribution to make.
“However, we believe that neurodivergent individuals have strengths that make them ideally suited to roles in insurance, investment and savings.”