LinkedIn adds term to site, highlighting merits of hiring people with dyslexia
When organizations consider their next hire, a person with “dyslexic thinking” might turn out to be one of the best options.
“Dyslexic people are the kinds of people you want to employ. You want them there because they’re the ones that are resilient: they problem solve, they persevere, they’re excellent at problem solving,” says Valdine Bjornson, a member of the board of directors for Dyslexia Canada
“If you tell them they have to do it, they’re going to get it done and they’re going to find way to do it.”
Typically, because people with dyslexia have had challenges getting hired because they have trouble in spelling, this has precluded them during the interview process but that is the wrong way to think about it, according to a someone who is dyslexic.
“GCHQ [Government Communications Headquarters], the British intelligence agency, actively recruit dyslexic people because of the way that we can solve problems and make connections that other people wouldn’t make,” says Kate Griggs, founder and CEO of the charity Made By Dyslexia, from London, U.K.
“And then there’s creativity and innovation: we tend to think out of the box, it’s all about what could be rather than what is, so that makes it a valuable skill for the workplace of today.”
The organization recently announced that via their advocacy — and working with another high-profile dyslexic Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group — LinkedIn will allow users to add the term “dyslexic thinking” to a person’s skills set as a positive attribute, which is good news for those in the community.
The move is a positive step in removing any stigma associated with the condition, says Bjornson.
“It’s a great way to frame something that we’ve traditionally thought of as a disability. I guess it encapsulates what I view dyslexia as: it’s an individual who’s neurodiverse, and somebody who has great skills that the typical brain would not really see. I think that dyslexics do have a unique way of looking at things, seeing things visually, problem solving, things like that so I do like it.”
In-demand skills
But what exactly is dyslexia and what does that entail?
“Typically, it starts at that phonological awareness stage; it’s not an auditory problem, it’s not a hearing problem per se, but the base of it is a phonological processing issue. When [dyslexics] hear the word, they might hear it correctly but instead of saying, spaghetti, they’ll say: ‘psgetti,’” says Bjornson, who works with adults as a reading clinician.
“That sound awareness is just not quite tuned in and they’re saying these words, like ‘gazebo,’ ‘gazobe.’ That really isn’t accurate but it can be demonstrated that way, with the letter and sound connection, but then it’s the memory of letter patterns and connecting to sound.”
For employers, hiring a person with dyslexic thinking is always a great idea, according to Griggs. “If you look at the top 10 things that every employer is looking for, dyslexic-thinking matches 10 out of 10 with those things.”
Not only are dyslexic persons good workers, they are excellent candidates for management, she says.
“For example, leadership and social influence: dyslexic people are really brilliant leaders and you will find them in all sorts of walks of life and that’s because we tend to have very good connecting skills. We’re very good with people, we have really brilliant emotional intelligence so it’s very easy for us to be inspiring leaders. We’re also very good delegators because we tend to be very good at certain things, but very bad at others.”
Generally, these types of skills have been cultivated early in development, says Griggs.
“We learned from a young age how to delegate and do things that are based on strengths and a very much strength-led teams, which we know are the teams that are most effective.”
Cultivating neurodiversity is the best way to manage and benefit from such workers, according to global consultancy EY.
Changing recruitment methods
When it comes to getting hired, typically the dyslexic candidate doesn’t make it past the initial stages, says Griggs.
“Most dyslexics are poor spellers and when you’re applying for a job, spelling is something that often means that your CV goes straight in the bin. Arguably, if somebody has a spelling mistake in their CV, perhaps you should be looking at slightly differently thinking, ‘They might be dyslexic. Let’s dig a little further.’”
Methods of recruitment should change to reflect this reality, she says.
“What employers really need to be doing — and this is good for everybody, not just dyslexics — is using tests and assessments that are looking at the skills that you need, not the general standardized ones that they tend to use for filtering."
Smart employers will adjust their thinking, according to Bjornson.
“Part of it is just naming it: ‘We are looking for dyslexic-type thinkers, we’re looking for out-of-the-box people. We want to hire dyslexics;’ it should be loud and proud.”
With many software tools available that will soon be ubiquitous, such as Grammarly which helps users with spelling, HR professionals should not ignore this segment of society, especially considering the ongoing labour shortage, says Griggs.
“By 2025, 50 per cent of jobs will be done by machines, and the 50 per cent of human skills that we need map directly with dyslexic-thinking skills. Machines are going to be taking over our challenges and now actually, that’s moved forward so it isn’t the jobs of the future, it’s the jobs of now.”
