In this episode of the HR Insights podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Claire Gray, founder of NeuroTalent at Work Limited, to explore why growing awareness of neurodiversity has not always translated into better workplace experiences for neurodivergent employees.
The conversation looks at where barriers can still emerge across the employee journey, from recruitment and workplace adjustments to performance management. Claire discusses the difference between awareness and operational neuroinclusion, why traditional interview processes can unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent candidates and how organisations can create fairer processes without lowering expectations.
With line managers often responsible for turning policy into practice, Stuart and Claire also explore the support managers need to respond confidently when an employee discloses, requests an adjustment or begins to struggle. From psychological safety and early intervention to practical changes in ways of working, the episode considers what organisations can do to move from good intentions towards meaningful inclusion.
Who is Claire Gray?
Claire Gray is the founder of NeuroTalent at Work Limited, a UK consultancy specialising in operational neuroinclusion, the practical work of changing how organisations recruit, manage and support people, rather than raising awareness and hoping practice follows.
Claire has served 10 years in the Civil Service and leads neuroinclusion at scale, work recognised with both Director General and Director commendations for its impact. She is also neurodivergent, and the combination shapes her approach: she has seen where workplace systems quietly fail from the inside and designs from the position that you assess the systems, not the people. It is the difference between advising on neuroinclusion and running it.
Through NeuroTalent at Work, she works with HR teams and senior leaders on inclusive recruitment, workplace adjustments, performance management and the manager capability that holds all three together. She is the creator of PaceNote™, an AI assistant designed to give line managers plain-language, UK-law-grounded guidance at the moment they need it, and writes and speaks regularly on why awareness-based approaches stall and what works instead.
Key timestamps
- 00:00 – Introduction to Claire Gray and her journey into neurodiversity
- 00:22 – Understanding neurodiversity in the workplace
- 01:24 – Challenges in neuroinclusion and practical solutions
- 03:09 – The difference between awareness and true inclusion
- 06:23 – The manager gap in neurodiversity support
- 08:21 – Operational neuroinclusion explained
- 09:48 – The importance of early support and psychological safety
- 11:04 – Demonstrating ROI in neurodiversity initiatives
- 14:23 – Common mistakes when interviewing neurodivergent candidates
- 16:46 – Making recruitment more inclusive without lowering standards
- 23:44 – Workplace adjustments and overcoming barriers
- 36:09 – Performance management and fair evaluation for neurodivergent employees
- 40:56 – Supporting managers in neuroinclusion practices
- 44:16 – Final advice for managers and closing thoughts
View Transcript here
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