Unlocking neurodiverse talent in insurance

Neurodiversity has become an increasingly important conversation across workplaces in Britain over the past half a decade, but for many neurodivergent employees, inclusion remains far from guaranteed. Research shows that employees who are neurodivergent and do not receive the right support in the workplace are significantly less likely to remain in their roles beyond the first six months.

Surveys suggest that achieving psychological safety in the workplace can be far more challenging for neurodivergent individuals, who are more likely to report lower levels of inclusion, reduced trust in workplace systems, stalled career progression and a greater risk of leaving their organisation altogether.

That is exactly the challenge that GAIN – the Group for Autism, Insurance and Neurodiversity – is seeking to address.

“GAIN was founded in 2021 and at its heart we are there to radically improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people in the insurance industry,” explains Kathryn Stringer, CEO.

The organisation was established on the belief that there is a strong natural alignment between many neurodiverse traits and careers within insurance. Its founders saw an opportunity not only to support neurodivergent professionals, but also to help the sector benefit from widening its recruitment pool.

“All neurodivergent individuals are different but there are certain characteristics – things like attention to detail, focus, the ability to process data and see patterns – that can be particularly advantageous in insurance,” says Kathryn. “And they are particularly aligned to the skills needed to harness AI and technology.”

Attracting and retaining talent

GAIN is a member-led organisation, and members can either be individuals seeking support or organisations wanting to become neuroinclusive by improving the way they recruit, support and retain talent.

The initiative has gained strong backing from across insurance, bringing together more than 40 corporate members committed to improving neuroinclusion. According to Kathryn, that level of industry collaboration is unusual and reflects a growing recognition that neurodiversity is not simply a diversity issue, but a business one too.

Most leadership teams now understand the value of diverse perspectives and ways of thinking, she says, particularly as it is estimated that around one in five employees may be neurodivergent. “For many firms, the message resonates because they increasingly see neuroinclusive workplaces as essential to attracting and retaining talent.”

Crucially, Kathryn stresses that becoming more neuroinclusive does not require major changes or expensive initiatives.

“Often, it is about small practical changes and greater awareness,” she says. Recruitment is one example. Traditional interview processes can unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent candidates by placing emphasis on qualities such as eye contact, quick rapport or appearing outwardly confident.

Instead, GAIN encourages employers to focus on a simpler question: does this person have the skills needed to do the job well?

The organisation also highlights the impact of “masking”, where neurodivergent employees feel pressure to hide aspects of themselves in order to fit workplace expectations.

“This is so common among our members and it means they're not bringing all of their energy to work because they're spending an awful lot of time putting on a mask to act in ways they feel an organisation expects of them,” says Kathryn.

As conversations around inclusion continue to evolve, GAIN hopes to keep pushing the sector towards practical, lasting change.

GAIN will be attending Airmic’s annual conference in June this month, where the team is looking forward to meeting delegates and continuing the discussion around neuroinclusion across the profession. Find them in the Exhibition Hall from Monday-Wednesday.