Employers are actively seeking women with autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for cyber roles to address gaps in their workforce. Neurodeviant individuals often report challenges in work environments. The Office for National Statistics reported last year that 22% of people with autism were in work, the lowest among the disabilities they analysed. However, employers in some industries have said in recent years that they are actively seeking neurodeviant applicants. Code First Girls, a social enterprise working with GCHQ and BAE Systems to increase the recruitment of female coders, said employers were looking for neurodiverse women, particularly for cyber roles that require “rapid pattern recognition, greater accuracy and greater attention to detail”. BAE Systems said female workers working in neurodiversity represented “a gap in the industry that we are keen to help fill”. GCHQ, or Government Communications Headquarters, initially said it was trying to recruit more neurodiverse men and women in 2019, but has now backed an appeal aimed at women specifically from this group. The Cheltenham-based agency focuses on counter-terrorism, cyber security and organized crime. Jo Cavan – GCHQ’s director of strategy, policy and engagement – said: “Neurodiversity is key to keeping Britain safe. At GCHQ, some of our most talented and creative people have a neurodifference profile – including dyslexia, autism, dyscalculia and dyspraxia [conditions that affect the ability to process different forms of information]. “Having a diverse team and a mix of minds better equips us to accomplish our mission and address new and emerging threats posed by terrorists, criminals and hostile states.” Theresa Palmer – head of diversity and inclusion at BAE Systems’ digital intelligence division – said cyber industries could particularly benefit from neurodiverse workers. “Female talent is among the different types of neurodeviant people we want to attract,” Palmer said. “Different ends of the spectrum bring opportunity to all of our products and services, ensuring that we take into account the world’s broadest, most shared and unique views. “Some benefits of our employee differences are better pattern recognition, trends, creativity and innovation.” Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The FTSE 100 company’s growing digital intelligence division sells cybersecurity and data analytics services and software to other companies as well as governments. Other parts of the business build the UK’s nuclear submarines and naval vessels, but the company has also attracted controversy for selling weapons and surveillance technology to foreign governments with poor human rights records. A survey by Code First Girls of 1,250 female coders either studying or working found that around a fifth identified as neurodiverse. Of these, two-fifths said they had not informed their employer or university, in some cases because they felt uncomfortable or were afraid of being judged. A third said they thought it could affect their career prospects. Code First Girls said it encouraged employers to offer tools to help workers with neurodifferences, including software to map thought processes or projects, noise-canceling headphones and voice-to-text or text-to-voice software.
