Workplace Needs Assessments
A workplace needs assessment helps identify what may be creating friction for a neurodivergent employee at work and recommends realistic workplace adjustments to make their role, environment, communication and workload easier to navigate.
Divergent Thinking provides neurodivergent-led, evidence-informed assessments focused on real work, real barriers and realistic support. The aim is not to "fix" the person, but to understand what is creating friction and what would help.
Ideal For
Neurodivergent employees, HR teams, People teams, managers and organisations wanting clear, practical adjustment recommendations.
Supports
One-to-one assessment, written report and optional follow-up support. Delivered online or in person.
Best For
Reasonable adjustments, workplace access, communication, executive functioning, sensory needs, confidence and
sustainable performance.
What Is a Workplace Needs
Assessment?
A workplace needs assessment is a structured conversation that explores how someone's role, working environment, communication demands, workload and support pathways affect their ability to work well. For neurodivergent employees, this may include experiences linked to autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia/DCD or other forms of neurodivergence. The assessment translates workplace barriers into clear recommendations, helping the employee and employer understand what support may be useful and how it could be applied.
Why Workplace Needs Assessments Matter
Many neurodivergent employees are expected to keep adapting to systems that were not designed with their needs in mind.
Masking and
Exhaustion
Unsuitable systems can lead
to masking, exhaustion, and
inconsistent performance.
Misunderstanding
and Friction
Sometimes the person
knows something is not
working, but cannot explain what would help.
Managers Wanting to
Help
Managers may want to
support someone, but are
unsure where to start or
what to adjust.
From Guesswork to
Shared Next Steps
A workplace needs
assessment replaces
guesswork with practical,
shared next steps.
What Makes Our Assessments
Different
Divergent Thinking combines lived neurodivergent experience, applied neuroscience, and practical workplace expertise to deliver assessments that are credible, person-centred, and actionable. Our neurodivergent-led approach focuses on understanding how the individual, their role, and their environment interact to create barriers, with recommendations tailored to real workplace settings.
Every report is written in clear, accessible language for both employees and employers, drawing on principles of person–environment fit, executive function support, and practical workplace adjustment planning to support meaningful, sustainable change.
What an Assessment Can Explore
Every assessment is tailored to the person's role, working environment and current challenges. Common areas include:
Communication and Meetings
How information is shared, how meetings are structured, how feedback is given and what communication norms may help.
Executive Functioning and Organisation
Planning, prioritising, task initiation, time management, working memory, deadlines, task switching and follow-through.
Sensory Environment
Noise, lighting, busy spaces, temperature, smells, interruptions, open-plan offices, travel and hybrid working demands.
Workload and Expectations
Role clarity, competing priorities, pace, transitions, performance expectations and pressure points.
Management Support
How managers can provide clearer expectations, feedback, check-ins, adjustments and support conversations.
Confidence and Self-Advocacy
How the employee can explain needs, use adjustments and feel more confident navigating workplace conversations.
Technology and Tools
Assistive technology, transcription tools, task-management systems, templates, reminders and other practical supports.
How the Assessment Works
The assessment follows a clear, structured process designed to be respectful, practical and focused on real workplace outcomes.
1. Understand the Context
We start by understanding the
employee's role, working environment and current challenges.
2. Explore Barriers and Strengths
The assessment looks at what is working, what is difficult and where friction may be happening.
3. Identify Practical Adjustments
We explore support options that could reduce barriers and make work easier to navigate.
4. Share Clear Recommendations
We summarise the findings in a clear, respectful report that can support adjustment conversations and next steps.
5. Support Next Steps
Where useful, Divergent Thinking can provide follow-up coaching, manager guidance or consultancy.
Who This Is Especially Relevant For?
Workplace needs assessments can support employees and organisations at different points.
Neurodivergent employees needing workplace support.
Employees with ADHD, autism, dyslexia or dyspraxia/DCD.
People waiting for or recently receiving a diagnosis.
Employees experiencing workload, communication or sensory barriers.
Managers unsure how best to support someone.
HR and People teams managing reasonable adjustments.
What You Receive
Every assessment is designed to produce clear, practical outputs that support meaningful action. You'll receive a structured one-to-one assessment exploring your role, strengths, barriers, and support needs, followed by a clear written report with tailored workplace adjustment recommendations. The report also highlights working-style preferences and strengths, alongside practical strategies for communication, workload, sensory environment, tools, and routines.
Where helpful, optional follow-up support is available, including coaching, manager guidance, or HR consultation to help embed the recommendations.
Trusted by Organisations Across Sectors
Divergent Thinking has supported organisations across corporate, education, nonprofit and public-sector settings. Each engagement is collaborative and shaped around the organisation’s context, goals and capacity.
“Nat’s session brought inclusive environments to life. His ability to share practical insights, challenge perceptions, and make complex topics accessible was invaluable. Many left the session feeling inspired and equipped to support neurodiverse talent.”
​
Karen Venn, FIEDP, Inclusion and Diversity Lead, Bakkavor
