Companies keep asking how to manage neurodivergent employees. The better question may be whether they know how to communicate with them.
Lee Judson’s work is about neurodiversity, communication, onboarding, management, and workplace productivity. Her research points to a striking business case: companies with neurodiverse teams can see 30% more productivity and higher ROI.
In this episode… Lee explains why different brains need different communication styles, why managers often misread neurodivergent employees, and how clearer goals and better onboarding can change the relationship between employees and managers.
Key Takeaways :
Neurodiversity is already part of the workplace. Lee says about 20% of the workplace is known to be neurodivergent, while older generations often went undiagnosed.
Different brains need different communication. Slack, Teams, text, meetings and one-on-ones may work differently for different people.
Headphones don’t always mean someone is ignoring you. Noise-cancelling headphones can help a neurodivergent employee block out extraneous noise and focus.
Neurodiverse teams can deliver more. Lee cites research showing teams combining neurotypical and neurodivergent employees have 30% more productivity and higher ROI.
The management problem may be communication, not motivation. Lee argues that some managers label newer workers as difficult when the real issue is that managers aren't communicating expectations clearly enough.
Clear goals matter. If managers can't clearly explain what they want, employees can't know what they're expected to deliver.
This episode was recorded live at SHRM Annual 2026
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved.
isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
Learn more about isolved: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/
Guest : Lee Judson
LifeMap Coach at Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, Lee helps employees, managers and colleagues better understand how to communicate and work together across neurodivergent and neurotypical teams. Her book, Bridging the Gap: A Field Guide for Neurodiversity for Managers, Employees, and Colleagues, focuses on making that gap easier to navigate.
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisajudson/
The Heroes of HR Podcast is hosted by
Amy Miller, Product Evangelist at isolved
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmiller/
Ryan Leary, Co-founder at WRKdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
William Tincup, Co-founder at WRKdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
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