This article was first published on our group website: Trinnovo Group.
On April 2nd, we had the pleasure of collaborating with auticon Switzerland to launch our first Zurich-based event of 2025: Beyond Labels: The Hidden Value of Neurodiversity in Tech and AI.
A big thank you to our incredible hosts, speakers, and guests for filling the evening with insights and experiences; you set the perfect stage for an essential discussion on neuroinclusion.
The room was alive with open and honest dialogue as our guests engaged with bold ideas, a willingness that reflects a broader shift in Switzerland’s fast-changing workforce dynamics.
Why Now?
Switzerland is famed for its innovation. From its burgeoning fintech sector to its world-leading breakthroughs in healthcare and robotics, the increasing pressure to innovate is reflected in the competitive talent market.
Adopting new workforce development methodologies is essential for leaders who wish to capture market value in a fast-moving environment, and thankfully, decision-makers are waking up to the value in the largely untapped neurodivergent space.
What’s this got to do with neurodiversity?
Research suggests neurodiverse teams are 30% more productive than others (Harvard Business Review), and the Wall Street Journal reported that inclusive organisations are 75% more likely to see their ideas become productised.
On the other side of the coin, persistent barriers (which include outdated recruitment and exclusionary cultures) often prevent neurodivergent candidates from thriving at work, or even entering the workforce to begin with.
This happens for a few reasons:
- A lack of understanding
- Unconscious bias
- Hiring managers targeting ‘ideal’ candidate profiles
- Personality-focused culture dynamics
- Entrenched perceptions about neurodiversity
Tech and AI
In sectors like tech and AI, where complexity is high and innovation cycles are short, successful products and services demand diverse thinking.
Homogenised teams will struggle to build products that account for the needs of a diverse customer base. Commercially sustainable products must be developed to appeal to the needs of the modern consumer, a point that’s also reinforced by the regulatory direction in the UK (Consumer Duty) and Europe (the EU AI Act, DORA, Digital Services Act).
Broadly speaking, the tech industry, despite housing a disproportionate number of neurodivergent employees, has not done enough to develop more inclusive workplace practices. In a landmark global study commissioned by the #Changetheface Alliance, research suggests that 57% of neurodivergent workers in the tech industry have not disclosed their condition in their workplace.
While this was often a result of workers feeling that they had sufficient resources regardless of their disclosure, it’s worth noting that most disclosures occur during periods of high stress, ‘Indicating the need for proactive disclosure.’
The report goes on to mention that four in five workers feel worried, nervous, and fearful about disclosing their neurodivergence, which could point to the high rate of masking in the industry.
How can leaders remedy this?
- Create a psychologically safe environment in which people are empowered to speak out without fear of judgment.
- Ensure employees are aware of any support systems, policies, or resources your company provides.
- Create opportunities for interventions (noise-cancelling headphones, quiet spaces, flexible working, exemption from events, etc.)
- Increase the level of understanding across the company (invite speakers, mutual mentorship opportunities, provide reading materials, etc.)
- Review your recruitment process and provide unconscious bias training to hiring managers
As we covered in the discussion, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to inclusivity, but the absence of a tailored strategy often defaults to an exclusionary culture.
Diversity of thought must be more than a slogan. As auticon Switzerland writes:
‘Switzerland is waking up to the incredible potential of neurodivergent talent – not as a challenge to be accommodated, but as a source of competitive advantage in tech, AI, data, and leadership.’
These practical steps offer a strong foundation for more inclusive workplaces, but inclusion doesn’t stop at policy change.
At our event, we took the conversation further, unpacking the lived experiences, strategies, and systemic changes needed to support neurodivergent professionals in a meaningful way.
Meet our panel
René Räber
René Räber is CTO of Microsoft Switzerland. With over four years at Microsoft and 24 years at Cisco as a Distinguished Architect and CTO, René brings deep expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and data-driven technologies. Before stepping into his current role, he led Azure, Sovereign Cloud, and AI at Microsoft, shaping the future of cloud innovation. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, completing a Chief Technology Officer Execution Post-Degree in Computer Science and Business Analytics for Leaders. Join us as René shares his insights on the evolving demands of IT and the unique cognitive strengths that professionals need to bring to these cutting-edge fields.
Nik Gugger
Nik Gugger is a Swiss National Council Member (MP) and serial entrepreneur. A master relationship architect and bridge builder, Nick has spent the past seven and a half years in Parliament, advocating for a diverse and thriving society. His work extends beyond politics—he has played a key role in international negotiations, including the India-Switzerland free trade agreement. As a tireless advocate for inclusion, Nick believes that embracing all and diverse talent is essential for innovation and long-term economic success in Switzerland, especially with emerging technologies. Don’t miss his insights on how this can shape the future of work and the economy in Switzerland. He is also an ambassador for auticon Switzerland.
Roland Bosshard
Roland Boshard is the CIO and Board Member at KPT Health Insurance. With over seven years at KPT and a background in public sector IT leadership, including roles with the City of Zurich and the Swiss Armed Forces, Roland brings a wealth of experience in driving complex digital transformation projects. A strong advocate for diverse and divergent thinking, he has seen firsthand the impact of neurodivergent talent in IT. Over the past six months, KPT has worked with auticon consultants, witnessing their exceptional speed, execution, productivity, and quality in action. Join us as Roland shares why embracing neurodivergent professionals is a game-changer for IT innovation
Raul Jimenez
Raúl Jiménez is the Head of Data, AI, and Integration Platforms at Sika. With six and a half years at Sika and prior experience at Nestlé, Raúl has led digital transformation and integration initiatives across global organisations. He also serves as an auticon advisory board member, championing the power of diverse teams and divergent thinking in problem-solving. Passionate about the role of AI, data, and innovation, he understands how neurodivergent talent can drive real impact in IT. Join us as Raúl shares his insights on why cognitive diversity is a competitive advantage in the digital age.
Joanna Williams
Joanna Williams is the Neuroinclusion Services Lead at auticon Switzerland. Trained in positive psychology and an executive coach, Joanna has dedicated her career to unlocking human potential in the workplace. Before joining auticon, she spent six years as Global Head of Corporate Talent at Swarovski, shaping inclusive talent strategies on a global scale. With deep expertise in neurodiversity and cognitive strengths, she will share insights on how neurodivergent professionals bring unique problem-solving abilities, innovation, and productivity to the modern workforce.
Iris Gallmann
Iris Gallmann is the CEO of auticon Switzerland and the moderator of our event. With a strong background in business strategy, sales, and leadership, Iris has worked with some of the world’s leading software companies, including Salesforce, Oracle, and Autodesk. This experience has given her deep insights into the evolving challenges in IT— from AI and cybersecurity to the increasing complexity of data-driven industries— and what it takes to solve them. At auticon, she is pioneering skill-based hiring to unlock the exceptional cognitive strengths of neurodivergent professionals, proving that diverse thinking is a game-changer for IT innovation. Join us as Iris shares their vision of how neurodivergent talent is shaping the future of the digital world.
With the help of our expert panellists, we explored:
- Thriving with Neurodiversity – How individuals with ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent traits excel and how workplaces can foster inclusion.
- Balancing Act – Strategies for managing career demands, family life, and personal well-being while embracing neurodivergence.
- Creating Neuroinclusive Workplaces – Practical steps for companies to support neurodivergent employees, from flexible policies to tailored career development.
- Productivity Hacks for Neurodivergent Minds – Tools, techniques, and routines that help neurodivergent professionals manage focus, deadlines, and collaboration.
- Neurodivergent Leadership – How neurodivergent professionals can harness their strengths to become leaders and drive innovation.
- Late Stage Diagnosis – Personal and professional implications of discovering you're neurodivergent as an adult and how to navigate work, relationships, and self-identity.
- Embracing Your Neurodivergent Identity – Stories and strategies from those who’ve turned late-stage diagnosis into empowerment in their careers and personal lives.
- Avoiding Burnout and Overload – How to manage stress, advocate for accommodations, and set boundaries in a high-pressure industry.
- Building a Supportive Network for Neurodivergent Professionals – The role of mentorship, communities, and workplace allies in fostering success for neurodivergent employees.
- How to Track the Impact of Neurodiversity – What does success look like when fostering a neuroinclusive workplace?
Post-Event Questions
A big thank you to everyone who engaged with Slido to ask questions – while we didn’t get a chance to explore them on the panel, we still wanted to answer them!
Q. Will you host a similar event featuring neurodivergent or specifically autistic speakers?
Trinnovo Group: Yes! This is something we’ve done in the past, and two panellists at this event were neurodivergent! We’re always looking for opportunities to platform the diverse voice of technology – we’re also open to any ideas for events and partnerships you might have, including potential speakers, so do reach out to Viki@trinnovo.com if you’d like to discuss this in more detail.
Q. How do you believe the current US government situation and the reduction of inclusivity measures will affect Europe? Some major companies have already reduced their efforts.
Trinnovo Group: This is a concerning trend that represents a big step backwards for the US, and in many cases, US multinationals operating in Europe. Despite these rollbacks, the practical benefits and risks associated with D&I will remain – diversity of thought will still be needed to develop products that appeal to broader audiences, build more productive workplaces, and create sustainable operating models. Europe’s robust legal framework and cultural values will likely buffer much of the long-term impact of these rollbacks. It’s unlikely that these headwinds will reverse the travel of D&I in Europe, but leaders will no doubt start to feel the pressure. In many ways, it’s a moment of truth for companies. There’s a real opportunity here to sort the performers from the real deal. The latter will benefit from long-term investment in their people.
Q. How can neurodivergent workers with social challenges prepare for a labour market where social skills become more important?
Trinnovo Group: A good tip is to understand specific challenges without self-criticism. Identify your strengths (of which you’ll have many), frame them as valuable workplace assets, and remember that interviewing is a two-way street. Research is always important – we recommend exploring your prospective employer’s neurodivergent-friendly policies and initiatives, reaching out to people in the business and investigating their cultural preferences in more detail (this is something a specialised recruiter can support you with).
Q. The neurodivergence status of many employees isn’t identified. Wouldn't it be better to identify it during the hiring process?
Trinnovo Group: This is a complex question with some contextual nuance. While it may, in theory, lead to greater support options, it raises a challenging conversation about privacy and leaves room for unconscious bias during the process. Plus, if identification is expected, neurodiverse candidates may feel pressure to mask. Trinnovo Group recommend that identification is voluntary and support is made readily available and visible. A truly inclusive working culture should be reflected in the hiring process, and it should empower people to disclose their status without fear of judgment.
Q. On the topic of job descriptions – has anyone had any positive experiences with using an AI platform to rewrite job postings to be more neuro-inclusive?
Trinnovo Group: ‘We use a range of AI integrations to ensure we remove bias from job ads, which we’ve found incredibly helpful for writing more inclusive job descriptions. Inclusive job ads are a must for diversity-focused hiring campaigns. For example, this could be reducing jargon or re-structuring ads to be easier to read. That said, there is a level of nuance needed that AI doesn’t get quite right, so we recommend using it as a companion, rather than a role in itself.’
auticon: ‘At auticon, we have tailored our entire employee lifecycle, including the recruitment process, to be highly neuroinclusive. This starts with the way we formulate job descriptions, conduct interviews and follow through on skill-based hiring practices. There is a lot of science to it, hence it is a service we offer to clients too. To review their current employee lifecycle, rate their current neuroinclusion maturity and help them develop a roadmap of how to improve and attract more neurodivergent talent. Please reach out to us for more information on this.’
Q. How can companies attract neurodivergent talent beyond tokenism and foster an inclusive environment where they can thrive and contribute?
Trinnovo Group: ‘Performative diversity hiring is betrayed by miserable staff, low productivity, and poor retention rates. Authentic environments create a sense of psychological safety, one that indeed lets people thrive, grow, and contribute. Trust and flexibility are major parts of this, as is awareness throughout every level of the business. Regular training and open communication channels are key. We covered this in more detail in an article from Trinnovo Consulting that you can find here. A neurodiverse-friendly workplace can look like many different things, so it ultimately comes down to the way you support individuals.’
Q. Are there examples of companies driven mainly by neurodiverse people?
Trinnovo Group: ‘There are many, including auticon! In tech, there’s Specialisterne, Ultranauts, CubeLynx, Wable, and Virgin Group, and there are plenty of great businesses known for their neurodiverse-friendly cultures, including big hitters like Microsoft, SAP, EY, Capital One, and Dell. If you’re hoping to join a business with a strong understanding of neurodiversity, we would recommend telling your recruiter that it’s a priority, joining a meetup community in your area, and looking for businesses with awards and certifications dedicated to their support of neurodiversity. For a bonus tip, we suggest checking out their messaging on social media.’
Q. How do you ensure the inclusion of neurodivergent talent but also the non-exclusion of neurotypical talent?
Trinnovo Group: ‘This is a vital and often overlooked question. It’s important to recognise that the foundations of an inclusive culture benefit everybody. Clearer communication, flexibility, structured meetings, quiet spaces, and accessible technology support the entire workplace. When that’s backed up by a culture of awareness, understanding, and empathy, you can avoid creating an ‘us and them’ dynamic. While individualised support is essential, the neurodivergent workers mustn’t be made to feel othered. A tip is to move away from a deficit-based model towards an equitable one.’
Q. In your opinion, how do cultural and legal frameworks in different countries influence the inclusivity of workplaces for neurodivergent individuals?
Trinnovo Group: ‘Perhaps one of the key differences is in workers’ rights and how that translates into cultural attitudes. These differences have the potential to impact everything, from anti-discrimination legislation to the availability of practical accommodations. That said, countries with stronger jurisdiction networks may have negative cultural attitudes, so it’s important to understand both aspects. If you’re planning on delivering cross-border hiring projects, it’s essential to evaluate both the legal framework and the lived reality on the ground.’
Q. What is the Career Path for a Neurodiverse Person?
Trinnovo Group: ‘There’s no single answer to this, as there’s no singular neurodiverse experience; career paths are what you make of them! While it’s true that career paths can be more complex for neurodiverse people, it’s often because of barriers in the workplace (including the hiring process).’
Q: How do you provide inclusive work environments for employees with low levels of OCD and autism at your companies?
auticon: ‘auticon offers tailored job coaching, flexible work environments, and promotes understanding among all colleagues to support each individual’s strengths and needs.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘Flexibility has been one of our strongest tools in creating a more inclusive working environment. Whether that’s through our flexible hours policy, work-from-home days, extended lunch breaks for exercise, or simply the flexibility to leave the sales floor and work from one of our quiet zones – a flexible approach is the best approach.
Q. What are the main challenges for neurodivergent people in thriving at work, and how have your companies adapted the environment to minimise them?
auticon: ‘Common challenges include communication barriers, sensory sensitivities, and misunderstanding from peers. auticon addresses these through awareness sessions, training, individual environmental adjustments, flexible working models, ongoing personal coaching and a psychological safe culture.’
Q. How do you handle the labels inside of your company to have positive discussions and messages, and at the end of the day, stay positive and polite?
auticon: ‘At auticon, we use identity-affirming language and foster open, respectful conversations. Our culture emphasises strengths over labels and focuses on individual talents.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘Hosting regular internal events has been crucial for us. We’ve collaborated with speakers from all over the world who represent a range of industries and cultures. Our collective understanding of neurodiversity is always evolving, which means we need to evolve and learn alongside it. We also create space for our people to explore topics that matter to them, and there are many ways they can do this, including hosting podcasts, producing whitepapers, writing blogs, and taking part in external events. We use our platform and resources to support them with this.’
Q. How do you handle the differences between neurodiversity states? For example, autism and ADHD have huge differences that cannot be generalised.
auticon: ‘auticon avoids one-size-fits-all solutions. Each employee receives personalised support based on their unique profile, needs, and goals.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘This is a great question, and it speaks to the importance of tailored employee experiences. One of the ways we account for these differences starts with the onboarding process. By investing in this process, we can provide personalised support options from the get go. For example, we introduced a digital system where our people can complete their onboarding tasks autonomously during induction week. We’ll dedicate a member of the Talent, People, and Performance team to support them through this process. Flexibility, trust, and tailored support are key.’
Q. Are all employees aware of neurodiversity terms at the companies you work for? If not, how is this information spread?
auticon: ‘All employees of the clients auticon works for receive neurodiversity training during onboarding and ongoing support during the projects if needed.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘Our terms, initiatives, policies, projects, and charity partners are all detailed to our employees during their induction week. We have a centralised HR platform where you can find all of this information, and any employee can access it at any time. We also have Wellness Action Plans, which are optional forms people can share with their manager should they need additional support. This is a useful tool for raising awareness of our policies and how they can make a practical impact on their experience.
Q. In your experiences, how do team members relate to the higher performance of Neurodiverse colleagues?
auticon: ‘Most colleagues are inspired and gain a deeper appreciation for diverse thinking styles, which often enhances overall team performance. They start to think about their own profile and communication style, and they share their strengths and challenges with the team.’
Q. Can you share a personal story or experience that led you to your current role in promoting neurodiversity in tech and AI?
auticon: ‘Many of auticon’s team, including leadership, have personal experience or family connections to neurodivergence, which drives our commitment to inclusion and innovation.’
Trinnovo Group: At one of our tech meetups back in 2023, one of our attendees was profoundly affected by the fact that we had neurodiverse speakers on the panel. They told us that they were neurodiverse themselves and didn’t know that communities existed, or that you could lead an exceptionally successful career as a neurodivergent person. They found the courage to speak in front of the entire room, where they said they felt a true sense of belonging for the first time. It was a truly inspiring moment to see a new world of possibilities open up for them at one of our events.’
Q. Neurodivergent individuals often have unconventional bios/CVs and educational journeys. How do you identify non-obvious or non-conformal neurodivergent talent?
auticon: ‘Personal disclosure is the only way to be absolutely sure about someone’s neurodivergence. When recruiting neurodivergent talent, it's important to focus on assessing practical skills, potential, and problem-solving abilities rather than traditional credentials or linear career paths. Do create interview processes that minimise bias and emphasise candidates’ strengths. After all, if each employee receives personalised support based on their unique profile, needs and goals (regardless of whether neurodivergent or not) and works in a psychologically safe culture, they feel safe to disclose.’
Q. How do you imagine it would be having a neurodiverse person leading a company?
auticon: ‘We know it brings fresh perspectives, innovative problem-solving, clarity and structure, fact-based decisions, fairness and transparency. Being neurodivergent and also being not neurodivergent does not automatically qualify or disqualify you as a leader.’
Q. Do you have experience dealing with the (autistic) burnout of your employees? What’s your experience? Does your company have a framework to deal with it?
auticon: ‘Yes, we recognise autistic burnout and have frameworks in place, including flexible workloads, mental health support and job coaching for prevention.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘Burnout can be a serious challenge in our industry (recruitment), and we’ve developed a strong framework to mitigate it. We’ve found that having mental health aiders readily available in the office makes a big difference. Alongside flexible working arrangements, Wellness Action Plans and Personal Development Plans help people keep sight of their goals without becoming overwhelmed.’
Q. As for employer branding, what is your practice to be more visible for neurodiverse people in general?
auticon: ‘We collaborate with advocacy groups, speak at conferences, and share success stories to increase visibility and attract neurodivergent talent.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘We always try and collaborate with the community when it comes to our event content. We do this by hosting discovery sessions, polling our followers, and collating feedback from previous events.’
Q. Whenever specific experiences are addressed, it seems to be all about autism. Do you also have specific experience with other conditions like ADHD?
auticon: ‘At auticon, all employees are autistic. But the co-occurrence of conditions is very common, especially autism and AD(H)D. That means auticon also has experience with ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, and other neurodivergent profiles and adapting our coaching and workplace practices accordingly.’
Q. How do you deal with data bias when the data is missing for populations that are neurodiverse - women, Black, and brown populations? This is not fixed by synthetic data.
auticon: ‘We advocate for inclusive hiring practices, contribute to research initiatives, and emphasise lived experiences alongside data to shape equitable solutions.’
Q. How do you connect to the education system in Switzerland, which is designed neurotypically and filters out neurodivergence?
auticon: ‘We partner with ETH, universities, vocational schools, and advocacy organisations to create alternative pathways and raise awareness about neurodiverse talent.’
Q. Many girls go undiagnosed or aren’t encouraged to pursue STEM—how are you addressing that?
auticon: ‘We work to promote women in IT by highlighting female neurodivergent role models in our communications and success stories, if possible.’
Trinnovo Group: ‘Our Women in DevOps community has been an essential part of our advocacy since we launched it back in 2017. What started as a small offline community built around DevOps has since grown into a worldwide movement that encompasses every facet of tech. We use this platform to educate, inspire, and showcase diverse voices throughout the community. Plus, we can lean on the amazing talent inside this community to complete diversity-focused hiring projects for our customers, which in turn, creates rewarding career opportunities for our community members.
About Trinnovo Group
Trinnovo Group is a global provider of specialised recruitment and advisory solutions. Fully licensed across the UK, Ireland, Switzerland (SECO), Germany (AUG) and North America, our integrated recruitment brands support businesses with innovative, dependable and ethical staffing solutions.
We are a certified B Corp, joining a growing network of impact-driven organisations that put people and the planet over profit. With an unwavering focus on DEI, our service is strengthened by our communities.
Our Brands:
• Trust in SODA - Software Engineering, Cloud & Infrastructure, DevOps & Data, Go To Market
• Broadgate - Accounting, Compliance, Legal, Risk, Trans & Change, Relationship Management, Actuarial
• DeepRec.ai - AI, Machine Learning, NLP & Blockchain
• Trinnovo Consulting – Digital Transformation, SOW & outcome-based solutions
Our Communities:
• Ex-Military Careers – For veterans to find meaningful civilian careers
• Women in DevOps – Closing the DevOps gender gap & inspiring future leaders in tech
• Pride in Tech – Creating a kinder & safer space for queer people in tech
• Ethnicity Speaks – Championing an equitable workplace for people of all ethnic backgrounds
Our Event Programme
Our events are safe and supportive spaces to share ideas, connect with peers, learn from industry leaders and uncover new career opportunities.
From technology to inclusion, from London to Zurich, from meetups to conferences, our event programme is an international initiative designed to platform the diverse voice of today’s workforce.
Our Recent Awards & Accreditations:
• B Corp Certified
• Investors in People Platinum
• Recruiter Award for Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity Service Excellence 2024
• SIA Top 100 Europe Staffing Leaders, 2024
• TIARA's 'Best Company to Work for (£20-£50m)' Award, 2022, 2021, 2020
• TIARA’s ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’ Award 2022
• SIA Best Staffing Firm to Work for in the UK and US 2022
• Best Companies' 3-Star Accreditation 2022 & 2021
• Tiara's 'Growth Award' 2021 & 2020
• Tiara's 'Recruitment Leader of the Year' 2021
• APSCo 'Diversity & Inclusion Award' for Excellence, 2019
We operate in Berlin, Boston, Dublin, London, and Zurich. Our mission is to build diversity, create inclusion, and encourage workplace innovation.
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