This week, we’ve been taking part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week at Ripjar! We’re firm believers that diverse minds make us stronger as a business. Different ways of thinking have always helped us tackle challenges from new perspectives, and come up with innovative solutions to solve the toughest challenges our customers face.
How are we celebrating?
Neurodiversity hub
Following the results of our last annual Diversity Survey, which included new questions specifically on neurodiversity, we thought that Neurodiversity Celebration Week could be a great opportunity to provide more information and highlight existing initiatives more widely within the business.
This week, we’ve launched a new internal resource for all Ripar staff, pulling together a wide variety of information on neurodiversity into a central hub. This includes content on:
- Different types neurodivergence and the traits often associated with them
- How different forms of neurodivergence might impact people at work
- The benefits of having a neurodiverse workforce
- Tips for supporting colleagues and working effectively within neurodiverse teams
- Details of support available at Ripjar
- Links to various useful resources, including everything from relevant organisations, reports and guidance, to TED Talks, books and films.
“This is a great resource in support of a complex and challenging topic: clear, detailed and well thought-through. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself or just want to be a better ally to colleagues, this is a great starting point to learn and understand more.”
Adam Benyon, Principal Solutions Architect
Neurodiversi-tea
As many neurodivergent people find regular, short breaks more beneficial than long ones, we encouraged an afternoon break in our Cheltenham office on Wednesday, where we gathered for a “Neurodiversi-tea” with tea and cake. While enjoying our afternoon tea, we discussed our experiences of neurodiversity at work as well as sharing tips and ideas for maximising our strengths and working more effectively with each other.
“It was great to take some time out and chat openly about neurodiversity with colleagues. I loved hearing about people’s personal experiences in different workplaces, and learning more about the different strengths they see in their teams. There’s been so much enthusiasm and interest in the topic of neurodiversity – it’s obviously something people here care deeply about.”
Caz Coker, Ripjar D&I Group
How does Ripjar support neurodiversity?
As a company that’s always found strength in approaching problems from different mindsets, there are lots of ways we help enable this. While these options can help neurodivergent colleagues, they are of course available to benefit neurotypical colleagues too, as everyone at Ripjar has their own preferred working styles to do their best work.
A few examples of support available to Ripjar staff include:
Flexible work location: Ripjar is remote-first, with the option to work in the office if preferred and convenient. The office also has a well-stocked kitchen and breakout space to help staff decompress and refocus between tasks. Working hours can often be adjusted to suit individual needs too.
Space to focus: We provide designated quiet spaces for staff working in the office, with private pods available for use by anyone who would benefit from them. Noise-cancelling headphones are also provided by the company to any colleagues who would like them, enabling staff to cut out background noise, or listen to music, white noise or anything else which will help them focus and work more comfortably.
Task management: Everyone has access to regular 1-to-1s with their line managers, where they can get support with work prioritisation and planning, discuss their wellbeing, and raise any challenges they’d like help with. Various tools are also used across the business to help with task management, organisation and prioritisation, and to enable staff to break down and plan tasks to suit their working styles.
“Neurodiversity is important for building strong teams, and we want everyone at Ripjar to feel supported to work in the way that suits them best. Whether that’s by providing quiet spaces, supporting staff with the right tools and equipment, or simply ensuring good communication, we’re always looking for ways to improve the experience for all our staff.”
Maria Cox, Head of People Operations
Want to join us at Ripjar? Check out our careers page.
