Author: Eduindex News

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Sparking Students’ Creative Thinking

Creativity is unfortunately lacking from many content standards, and yet I feel engendering creativity from all of our students is one of the only ways we’re going to be able maintain the standard of living that this country has gotten a little too comfortable taking for granted.

Here are some other safe and quick warm-ups to get the kinks out of a students’ creatively stiff neck.

Would You Like Being a Student in Your Classroom?

It was a simple question really. “Would I like being a student in my own classroom?” It stopped me in my tracks.

Last year, when the students had left, the chairs had been put up, and the exhaustion hit, I realized that no, this was not the type of classroom I would have wanted to learn in. And so began a quest of soul-searching, revising, and rethinking, in order for myself not to become a statistic; another new teacher who quits.

Stage Swagger & Swordplay: Adapting Shakespeare for Kids

Brendan Kelso is the mastermind behind the Shakespeare for Kids collection, the book series of Shakespeare plays adapted for children that are creating a young fan base for the Bard.

Learn how Brendan’s creative plays are making Shakespeare infectiously fun for you and your students in this exclusive TeachHUB interview.

Where did your passion for Shakespeare stem from?
11th grade – I entered a Shakespeare competition and did a soliloquy from Midsummer – it was Bottom’s speech, “Methought I was…” out of 120 kids, I received honorable mention – there was something about that moment in front of the judges where I just clicked. I felt like I rose to another level. I could see and think about what the audience was doing, while still performing – it was like I was in two places at once. Serious dose of adrenalin there! And my 12th grade year, I went to the Ashland Oregon Shakespeare Festival, best in the country.

How did the Shakespeare for Kids Books come to be?
About 7 years ago, I took a year off of work to be with my newborn son. Soon, my wife basically said, “you need to bring in some cash”. She was already in with the Parks & Rec as a after school science program, so she got me to do “Hamlet in a can”. I wrote up my first script. The kids LOVED it.

My first group wanted to do another play and, at the same time, a home school group requested that I teach their kids. At that point, I started doing session after session with kids constantly returning for another dose of the Bard. I got approached by two different theater groups who paid me, so they could use my scripts with their kids. It was clear there was a demand for this, so I found an on-demand publishing house and went to it.

Fun Teaching Strategies that Integrate Movement

Research continually shows that any type of physical activity increases blood flow, and that there is a direct correlation between movement and learning. So it’s of increasing importance for educators to integrate any type of physical activity into their classroom.

With that in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based on the East Coast, looks at some clever ways that teachers can bring about a greater amount of movement to typically sedentary lesson plans.

Janelle’s ideas include:

  • Learning Stations
  • Gallery Walks
  • Musical Mingle
  • And More!


Janelle sums up her article thusly: “If you find that your students are doing too much sitting at any point in the day, then try to integrate one of these strategies into your lesson. Any way that you can increase their physical activity so that the oxygen in their blood can increase will be a great benefit to your students’ learning.”

How do you integrate movement into your lessons? Have you tried any of the above strategies in your classroom?

Get our teaching strategies that incorporate movement into your class>

Subscribe to TeachHUB Magazine
This month in the always FREE TeachHUB Magazine, we offer up some new female heroes to honor during Women’s History Month, and we review three new apps designed to help kids learn and enjoy reading.
We also explain why music and arts important in today’s curriculum, despite the fact that they are often among the first casualties of budget cuts.
Download the latest issue of TeachHUB magazine now>>
Engaging Classroom Games for All Grades
One of our most popular stories in the history of TeachHUB.com has been one in which we lay out some popular classroom games. These games are time-tested, and work at just about every grade level.
Classroom games add flair and student engagement to more tedious, yet necessary tasks like teaching math facts, grammar rules and vocabulary, reviewing for tests or even completing lab experiments. Adding an element of competition motivates and energizes students.
Our list of great classroom games includes:
•   Educational Bingo
•   Memory
•   Around the World
•   And More!

3 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR RECRUITING STRATEGY IN 2018

The \”war for talent\” has been grabbing headlines for over twenty years, after McKinsey\’s Steve Hankin coined the term in 1997 and wrote a book with the same name. Back then, the phrase referred to growing competition to attract and retain employees as Baby Boomers left the workforce. The war for talent still rages on in 2018, but now applies to companies struggling to fill open positions with candidates qualified-enough to fill skill gaps created by emerging technologies.
In 2018 recruiting landscape, top candidates are few and far between, which means they get to call the shots, while companies continue to compete in recruitment. There\’s particularly fierce competition among organizations in technology and engineering fields, where skilled employees are especially sparse. This shortage can be incredibly damaging—according to the Hays US 2018 Salary Guide, 92 percent of the survey\’s respondents said that a skills shortage is negatively impacting their business.
During this tough time for hiring, it pays to put effort into developing an effective recruiting strategy. Organizations that are able to effectively recruit talent have 18 percent higher revenues and 30 percent greater profitability than organizations that aren\’t as apt, according to Bersin by Deloitte\’s January report, Six Key Insights to Put Talent Acquisition at the Center of Business Strategy and Execution. High-performing talent teams are proactive, strategic and innovative in their endeavors; they don\’t take a scattered \”post and pray\” approach to hiring. What do these organizations have in common, and how can you apply their methods at your company? To improve your recruiting strategy in 2018, focus on these three areas:

1) Be \”at One\” With the Business

Talent acquisition should not be separate from the core of the business. For talent teams to be their most effective, they need to be strategically aware of and integrated with overall company goals, so that they are able to participate, and importantly, anticipate future business requirements.
To stay in-tune with company strategy, have regular check-ins with leaders to ensure that corporate initiatives align with hiring initiatives, and adjust them accordingly if they\’re out of sync.

2) Make Recruitment About Candidates, Not the Company

Employees want to feel special and wanted, so rather than taking a blanket approach to recruitment in 2018, effective recruiters should take the time to market roles to specific candidates and create a more personalized candidate journey for them. Shift your perspective and consider how candidates experience the hiring process from their first click on the careers page, throughout the application and interview process, all the way until the post-interview stage. Are candidates looked after? Have you built a connection with them? Are you communicating with them consistently?
It\’s also important to consider whether or not new recruits will fit into the company culture. Rather than solely focusing on skills and experience, 90 percent of top recruiters consider candidates\’ work ethic, values and potential, according to the Bersin report, compared with only 35 percent of low-performing recruiters. A cultural fit is important, because candidates with the right values will continue to feed into and reinforce the company culture.

3) Use the Right Technology

Mature talent teams need to look to the future and find tools that enable organizations to teach employees new skills as skill gaps form. Deloitte\’s report shows that forward-looking teams are four times more likely to coach and develop their people than poorly-performing recruiters.
It\’s crucial to keep up not only with learning technology, but also other emerging tools. For example, effective recruiters are six times more likely than low performers to use artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive data analytics to stamp out any possible bias in their recruiting methods and constantly improve the calibre of candidates they source.
The war for talent shows little sign of abating in 2018. Companies that want to be the best need to bring the best recruiting strategies to the table, and that means putting thoughtful, proactive effort into talent acquisition rather than being reactive.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Fitness-Based Classroom Activities Can Boost Learning

Budget constraints and other concerns have forced some teachers to incorporate classroom activities that get kids (and the teaches themselves!) up and moving. Some incorporate brain breaks, as frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox points out in today’s centerpiece article on TeachHUB.com. Janelle’s brain break ideas include:
·       Have a five-minute dance party! Turn on your students’ favorite radio station and encourage them to let loose.
·       Try 30-second intervals of your students’ favorite exercise. 30 seconds of jumping jacks, 30 seconds jogging in place, 30 seconds of high knees.
·       Set a timer for five minutes and have students take turns playing follow the leader.
Instruct students to follow you in a few yoga poses like the standing mountain pose or tree pose
We also take a look at what educators can do in their personal lives outside the classroom to get and maintain health. Janelle sums up her article in this manner, with some bulletpoints on eating more healthfully:
·       Plan ahead. It’s all in the planning. If Sunday is your day to grocery shop, then take a little extra time to prepare healthy snacks and foods for the week. Chop up veggies and stick them in a baggie for an easy grab and go. Make a batch of hard-boiled eggs for a quick breakfast. Buy premade salads to take with you to work.
·       Invest in a crockpot. A slow cooker is a convenient and inexpensive way to make healthy meals. All you have to do is throw in a lean protein, some veggies and spices, and it will be ready for you when you get home from work.
·       Make extra. Whatever you plan on making, double or even triple the recipe. Leftovers are a busy person’s best friend.
·        If you’re going to eat out, choose wisely. Skip the sugary drinks and choose water. Cut your portion in half and take the other half home with you. Ask for salad dressing on the side, and order your food steamed or grilled instead of fried.
How do you stay fit during the busy work week? Do you try and fit exercise into your classroom activities? Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments about this topic in the comment section.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Easy Classroom Activities for Special Days in February

February is a big month for special days and themes worthy of celebrating in your class. From Groundhog Day to Valentine’s Day to Chinese New Year, it seems almost every week that there’s a unique occasion for a teacher to call out and acknowledge.
Classroom activities are a great way for educators to give a nod to all the special days this month, and today on TeachHUB.com, contributing writer Janelle Cox spells out several unique ways teachers can get kids to learn about them all. For instance, for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12, Janelle encourages teachers to:
  • Read the story “Abe\’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln”
  • Read the story \”Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln\”
  • Have students try and come up with a Lincolnesque quote of their own

Janelle offers up a lot of original ideas today, and entrepreneurially minded educators will note that a lot of her ideas will transfer from special day to special day. For instance, Her idea about a presidential scavenger hunt can easily be altered to be a Chinese-themed scavenger hunt.
How do you celebrate these February holidays and events in your classroom? Do you have any activities or ideas that you would like to share?
Get our easy classroom activities to carry out during February>>
How to Motivate Students to Love Math
Getting students to love any school subject can be a tricky endeavor, especially math.
Recently we published an article about how to motivate students to love math. Writer Janelle Cox called out some important tactics to do just that, including:
  • Demonstrate the Usefulness for Math in the Real World
  • Present a Reasonable Challenge
  • Entice Students with a Magical Math Problem
  • And More!

Do you know how to motivate students to love math? Do you have any tricks or tips that you would like to share?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Teacher Stereotypes: Overcoming Apple Sweater Ideals

Ahh, being a teacher. It comes with such a huge stigma. No matter who you are or where you live, you feel like you are an expert on what it means to be a teacher.  Can you fault anyone for this? Not really.

Everyone, even if they only have an eighth grade education, feels they are an expert because the majority of everyone’s childhood is spent confined within the four walls of a classroom. Those memories lead to very specific ideas about what teachers should look like and how they should behave, even if it is far from the truth.

Teaching Strategies to Help Students Find Their Purpose

Ask any high school why they don’t enjoy school and you’re likely to unearth a variation on the idea, “We don’t learn anything that’s relevant.” But it’s up to us teachers to find that relevancy, and use teaching strategies to engage those that might seem bored.
Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a seasoned elementary school educator based in Upstate New York, looks at some teaching strategies that can help you to help students find a purpose in your carefully though-out lessons.
Janelle’s cites a group called Purpose Challenge that can help high school students find their path to purpose. With the Purpose Challenge, kids utilize video content, reading material, and brief exercises, students will think deeply about the things that matter the most to them.
Here’s a sample activity that students would complete online:
“Imagine you are 40 years of age and things in your life have gone as well as you could have hoped. What will you be doing? Who will be in your life? What will be important to you? Why? Spend five minutes picturing your best possible future and five more minutes writing about it. Describe it in as much detail as possible.”
Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Going through high school bored and unengaged is no way to live. You can help your high schoolers find their purpose by challenging them to look within themselves and explore what is meaningful to them. Create a purpose-driven curriculum and have students join the Purpose Challenge. This will give students a chance to explore their passions as well as pursue them.”
How will you help your high school students find their purpose? Share your thoughts and teaching strategies in the comment section of the actual article back on TeachHUB.com, we’d love to hear what you have to say.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Classroom Management: Ways to Keep Your Class Running Smoothly

Running a well-oiled classroom is something you should always strive to do. Whether it’s scheduling, planning, or creating adaptable lessons, a well-run classroom can seem like an overwhelming thing to strive for.

But with a few tips, teachers can use classroom management to run a well-oiled machine. Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based on the East Coast, offers up some ways to keep your class running smoothly. Her tips include:

  • Set Expectations
  • Establish Routines
  • Check for Understanding
  • Get Ahead of Schedule
  • And More!


Janelle sums up her article thusly, in a paragraph entitled “Connect with Students”: If you want a smooth-running classroom, then you need to be respected by your students. The best way to do this is to connect with them. Learn about them and their interests. Ask questions and be supportive. Take the time to really get to know each and every one of them beyond just their names and a few quick facts.

What do you do to keep your classroom running smoothly? Share your thoughts under the comment section.

Get our classroom management tips on how to keep your class running smoothly>>

Video: Learning Retention for the Special Education Teacher
Check out this video that we recently published on TeachHUB magazine, always available for free, in which we outline ways that ways that the special education teacher can increase their students’ rates of learning retention.
Not surprisingly, learning retention doesn’t differ that much from student to student regardless of his or her academic acumen, but there are some unique ways that a special education teacher can insure that the lessons they administer won’t be forgotten after the test is over.
Today’s video outlines learning retention ideas for special education teachers to do just that.
View the video for how the special education teacher can boost learning retention>>
Use TeachHUB’s In-Service Professional 
Development Speakers
Did you know we have ready-made speakers to assist you with your next in-service day? Wed do! With our assistance you can:
  • Get tailored professional development training to fit any budget
  • Save time and energy by letting us organize your in-service
  • Find industry-leading expert speakers to train your teachers
  
All are 100% satisfaction guaranteed!

HOW TO ADOPT NEURODIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Diversity has ratcheted up the boardroom agenda as companies increasingly recognize the potential that a rich mix of different backgrounds, attitudes and experiences bring to innovation and decision making. But most companies are still laggards in the key area of neurodiversity in the workplace, which means hiring individuals that think differently.
According to a recent poll by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), at least 10 percent of the population has dyslexia, is on the autistic spectrum, has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or has some other neurodivergent way of thinking that sets them apart from the neurotypical majority. Yet, according to the same poll, only one in 10 U.K. firms say neurodiversity is included in their organization’s people management practices.
There’s a massive pool of talent that many organizations are overlooking because as a recent CIPD report outlines, different neurodivergent groups have unique strengths. Autistic people, for example, often have a talent for problem-solving and analytical thinking. Dyslexics, meanwhile, are often highly inventive and creative—famous figures with this condition include Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and director Steven Spielberg, both of whom have made tremendous contributions in their fields. And, those with ADHD are often skilled at taking calculated risks and thinking innovatively, so it’s no surprise that many entrepreneurs, such as JetBlue Airways founder David Neeleman, fit this profile.
Organizations such as SAP, Microsoft and JPMorgan Chaseare already reaping the benefits from neurodiversity initiatives. Here’s how to make neurodiversity in the workplace a talent management priority.

Reboot Recruitment

There are a number of barriers that can trip up neurodivergent candidates during the recruitment phase, starting with the job description. Companies often aim to hire generalists—people who have many skills and are adaptable—but there is also room for people with narrower, deeper skills.
When putting together a job description, recruiters need to distinguish between the ‘must-haves’ and the ‘nice-to-haves’ for each role to attract more neurodiverse candidates. It’s tempting to include phrases such as “excellent communication skills,” for example, in every job description, but this could scare off talented applicants who are autistic or dyslexic. If it’s not a core skill, then make that clear in the job description.
Interviews can also serve as a disadvantage to people that struggle with social interactions as a result of their disorders. Generally, interviews test a candidate’s social competence rather than their ability to perform a particular role. A better way to test abilities may be to bring individuals in for a work trial or assessment.
HR teams also need to train interviewers in neurodiversity and inclusion to ensure that they can look beyond any social awkwardness and find ways to enable candidates show their skills.

Tweak the Workspace

Making small adjustments to someone’s work environment can make a big impact. For example, allowing individuals with certain disorders to use a quiet area of the office to work or providing them with headphones can improve the productivity of people who find noise stressful or distracting.
It’s also worth asking employees about the specific accommodations they might need to ensure they have the necessary tools to perform their best. Then, managers can follow up on whether or not employees are thriving with their accommodations and make changes as needed.

Train Managers

Managers can make or break neurodiversity efforts because they are the ones who put neurodiversity theory into practice. To help all individuals thrive under their leadership, managers need to think about each employee’s strengths and challenges, including their preferred channel of communication, how they like their workspace and other preferences.
HR needs to give managers the neurodiversity training and tools they need to make them more aware of neurodivergent thinking styles and continue to assess managers to ensure that they have the skills needed to manage employees’ individual needs. By focusing on managers’ people skills, HR teams can ensure that they make the work environment positive for everyone, not just those with neurodivergent thinking styles.
Ultimately, we are all different. It’s time for smart employers to recognize that sometimes it pays to adapt to employees’ needs rather than expecting them to conform to an arbitrary standard.

Better Classrooms through Professional Development

Today on TeachHUB.com, we again address a rhetorical question: Why is teacher professional development important?
Statistically, it’s been soundly proven that professional development greatly increases the effectiveness of a classroom and helps develop better students.
Our frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox addresses the important issue of professional development for educators. She asserts that professional development must continue throughout the course of a teacher’s career, from start to retirement.
Janelle notes that professional development must be embedded in the educational system, can produce hard data, and must be ongoing.
In summary, Janelle notes: “Ongoing professional development is the number one way that teachers can stay on top of their profession, and remain an effective teacher. In order for teachers to receive well-designed professional development, leaders must spread it out over a period of time. Above all, it’s important to remember that effective professional development includes collaboration, sustained learning and leadership, research-based information, and active knowledge.”
What have you done to increase your professional skills? Share your thoughts with us!
Get our tips on how professional development can help improve your classroom>>
Multimedia Podcast: The Special Ed Classroom
As you facilitate learning with your special education students, remember that they will make gains when their learning is both hands-on and easily applicable to life. Here’s an illustrated guide on how to do just that.
TeachHUB Magazine is always FREE to download.
Watch our Special Ed podcast>>
Use Our Professional Development Speakers to Energize Your Next In-Service Event
Did you know that TeachHUB.com can help you plan and execute your school or district’s next professional development of in-service day?
It’s true! Our roster of professional speakers is tailored to fit any budget, and by using us, you can save valuable time and energy – and our turnkey solutions are 100 percent guaranteed!
Some of the topics our experts are prepared to address:
  • Singapore Math
  • Guided Reading
  • Motivation
  • Anti-Bullying
  • And More!

Here’s what some educators have said about our professional development solutions:
“Great service specialized to what I needed. Quick and thorough attention to detail and very professional.” — Casey Paulus, Principal, CSR Academy.
“The material was presented in an honest, relevant, and engaging way. I plan to start using some of her techniques this week!” — — Michelle G., High School Science Teacher.

Technology in the Classroom: Developing Search Skills

Getting teachers to harness technology in the classroom has long been a passion of ours at TeachHUB.com, and we regularly publish articles explaining to teachers how to use technology in the classroom to enhance their overall academic experiences.

With that noble pursuit in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a seasoned elementary school educator based on the East Coast, enlightens us on some ways that teachers can use technology in the classroom to help them search the Internet, certainly an increasingly valuable skill in today’s schoolroom.

Janelle encourages teachers to:
  • Teach Students to Check their Sources
  • Teach Students How to Ask the Right Questions
  • And More!


Janelle sums up her article like this: “Developing Internet search skills is an important 21st-century skill. Students must hone their search skills by learning how to identifying their information and cross-checking it with other reliable sources. Students should always keep in mind that anyone can write an article online and it’s up to them to figure out if they are credible source or not.”

Do you think it’s beneficial to educate students on Internet search skills? What do you think are the essential skills students need to develop in order to keep up with 21st century skills? Please share your thoughts, we would love to hear them.

Get our technology in the classroom tips on developing better search skills>>

Get a Teaching Job: Cover Letter Tips
When you’re seeking that new (or first) teaching position, you can never underestimate the power of the cover letter.
Recently we outlined several surefire cover letter tips that could possibly land you a teaching job, including:
•   Keep your cover letter on target
•   Keep your tone conversational
•   And more!
What cover letter tips have we missed? Do you have any surefire tips?
Get our teaching cover letter tips>>
Let Us Solve Your Professional Development Issues
Did you know that the K12 Teachers Alliance, the parent company of TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB magazine, can be the solution for your next in-service session?
We sure can! And our team of experts can address a variety of topics, from gifted education to Singapore math to bully prevention!
Our solutions are tailor-made, designed to fit any budget, and are 100 percent guaranteed!

Test-Taking Teaching Strategies to Share with Your Students

Today on TeachHUB.com, the folks at Chalkupshared with us some teaching strategies in the form of test-taking tips, knowing that standardized test season is upon us. So wit SATs and ACTs aswirl in the minds of kids everywhere, today we look at different time-tested study methods.
Today’s studying ideas (and detailed ideas to carry them out) include:
  • Study Tunes
  • Flashcards
  • Create an Online Support System
  • And More!

Today’s article ends like this: “During a hectic test season, keep a stack of flashcards by your bedside. It’s a great pre-sleep activity when it’s a good idea to power down anything with a screen (turning off screens is really helpful for catching Zs, but that’s another blog post). For everywhere else, look for a trusty digital flashcard deck that travels well.”
What are your outside-the-box study ideas? Share them with us!
Get our teaching strategies for test-taking>>
Five Fun St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Your Class
With St. Patrick’s Day one week away, it’s time to dust off your shillelagh and get ready to celebrate that greenest of all holidays with some fun and educational classroom activities!
These time-honored classroom activities, compiled by frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Janelle Cox, will have your class searching for that elusive pot of gold. Her recent ideas include:
•  Lucky Charms Graphing
•  What Would You Do With a Pot of Gold?
•  Leprechaun Library
•  And more!
 Do you have a great idea or activity to help teachers celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with their class?
Get our March 17 classroom activities>>
Download TeachHUB Magazine for FREE today!
This month in the always FREE TeachHUB Magazine, we offer up some new female heroes to honor during Women’s History Month, and we review three new apps designed to help kids learn and enjoy reading.

HOW TO ADOPT NEURODIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Diversity has ratcheted up the boardroom agenda as companies increasingly recognize the potential that a rich mix of different backgrounds, attitudes and experiences bring to innovation and decision making. But most companies are still laggards in the key area of neurodiversity in the workplace, which means hiring individuals that think differently.
According to a recent poll by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), at least 10 percent of the population has dyslexia, is on the autistic spectrum, has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or has some other neurodivergent way of thinking that sets them apart from the neurotypical majority. Yet, according to the same poll, only one in 10 U.K. firms say neurodiversity is included in their organization\’s people management practices.
There\’s a massive pool of talent that many organizations are overlooking because as a recent CIPD report outlines, different neurodivergent groups have unique strengths. Autistic people, for example, often have a talent for problem-solving and analytical thinking. Dyslexics, meanwhile, are often highly inventive and creative—famous figures with this condition include Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and director Steven Spielberg, both of whom have made tremendous contributions in their fields. And, those with ADHD are often skilled at taking calculated risks and thinking innovatively, so it\’s no surprise that many entrepreneurs, such as JetBlue Airways founder David Neeleman, fit this profile.
Organizations such as SAP, Microsoft and JPMorgan Chaseare already reaping the benefits from neurodiversity initiatives. Here\’s how to make neurodiversity in the workplace a talent management priority.

Reboot Recruitment

There are a number of barriers that can trip up neurodivergent candidates during the recruitment phase, starting with the job description. Companies often aim to hire generalists—people who have many skills and are adaptable—but there is also room for people with narrower, deeper skills.
When putting together a job description, recruiters need to distinguish between the \’must-haves\’ and the \’nice-to-haves\’ for each role to attract more neurodiverse candidates. It\’s tempting to include phrases such as “excellent communication skills,\” for example, in every job description, but this could scare off talented applicants who are autistic or dyslexic. If it\’s not a core skill, then make that clear in the job description.
Interviews can also serve as a disadvantage to people that struggle with social interactions as a result of their disorders. Generally, interviews test a candidate\’s social competence rather than their ability to perform a particular role. A better way to test abilities may be to bring individuals in for a work trial or assessment.
HR teams also need to train interviewers in neurodiversity and inclusion to ensure that they can look beyond any social awkwardness and find ways to enable candidates show their skills.

Tweak the Workspace

Making small adjustments to someone\’s work environment can make a big impact. For example, allowing individuals with certain disorders to use a quiet area of the office to work or providing them with headphones can improve the productivity of people who find noise stressful or distracting.
It\’s also worth asking employees about the specific accommodations they might need to ensure they have the necessary tools to perform their best. Then, managers can follow up on whether or not employees are thriving with their accommodations and make changes as needed.

Train Managers

Managers can make or break neurodiversity efforts because they are the ones who put neurodiversity theory into practice. To help all individuals thrive under their leadership, managers need to think about each employee\’s strengths and challenges, including their preferred channel of communication, how they like their workspace and other preferences.
HR needs to give managers the neurodiversity training and tools they need to make them more aware of neurodivergent thinking styles and continue to assess managers to ensure that they have the skills needed to manage employees\’ individual needs. By focusing on managers\’ people skills, HR teams can ensure that they make the work environment positive for everyone, not just those with neurodivergent thinking styles.
Ultimately, we are all different. It\’s time for smart employers to recognize that sometimes it pays to adapt to employees\’ needs rather than expecting them to conform to an arbitrary standard.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1