Shepherd and Wedderburn is a leading UK law firm headquartered in Scotland, with a team of 1,400 professionals across offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, London, and Dublin.
The problem
Shepherd and Wedderburn recognised a need to improve support for neurodiverse talent within their organisation. Traditional recruitment and workplace practices often inadvertently create barriers for neurodivergent individuals, limiting their opportunities to thrive. Feedback from neurodivergent employees and their families highlighted challenges in the recruitment process, workplace adjustments, and the navigation of unwritten workplace norms. While awareness of neurodiversity existed, there was a clear need to move beyond awareness and implement tangible, effective measures to attract, support, and retain neurodiverse talent.
The solution
The organisation adopted a holistic approach to addressing these challenges by engaging individuals with lived experiences of neurodivergence. A key step was forming an advisory group of internal neurodiversity champions, comprised of employees who had experience of neurodivergence either directly or through family members. This group provided invaluable insights, guiding a shift from raising awareness to taking practical actions.
Key initiatives included:
- Feedback from neurodivergent candidates led to revisions in the online application process, along with the introduction of alternative application routes for those who find the traditional process daunting.
- Adding neurodiversity as a category in their diversity monitoring data helped identify and address representation gaps.
- A tool was developed to streamline the process of securing adjustments for neurodivergent employees, ensuring consistency across roles and teams.
- Efforts to make job advertisements more accessible and the inclusion of neurodiversity awareness in induction programmes further supported the initiative.
Ongoing measures include creating an Unwritten Rules guide to help neurodivergent employees navigate workplace norms, raising awareness through events like Neurodiversity Celebration Week, and setting up a dedicated neurodiversity email address to collect feedback and ideas.
The results
Shepherd and Wedderburn’s commitment to supporting neurodiverse talent has yielded significant progress. During Neurodiversity Celebration Week, many colleagues volunteered to support initiatives, demonstrating a cultural shift towards greater inclusion. The introduction of neurodiversity as a diversity monitoring category revealed that 12% of the organisation’s summer placement students identified as neurodivergent, a positive indicator of their efforts to attract and support neurodiverse talent.
The Workplace Adjustment Passport has streamlined the implementation of workplace accommodations, improving the experience for neurodivergent employees and promoting consistent support. The organisation’s focus on feedback and data collection has ensured policies and practices are informed by the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals.
By refining job advertisements, fostering awareness, and creating supportive resources, Shepherd and Wedderburn has established itself as a leader in supporting neurodiverse talent. These initiatives reflect their commitment to creating an inclusive environment where neurodiverse employees can thrive, setting a benchmark for best practices in workplace inclusivity.
The information contained within this resource was accurate at the time of its publication. This article was created in April 2025.