Neuroinclusive by design: A future blueprint for a thriving team environment

With an estimated 10-20% of the population identifying as neurodivergent, many organisations are seeking ways to harness their untapped potential. However, there is a paradox at the heart of the current debate around neurodiversity in the workplace. Research shows that teams with neurodivergent members experience up to a 30% increase in overall success, and individuals with ADHD score 41% higher in creativity tests. Yet many neurodivergent employees still face barriers, with over 50% fearing workplace stigma or discrimination.

Why is this – and what can be done about it for the benefit of businesses and employees alike?

Building inclusive workplaces

At Top Employers Institute we’ve been delving deep into what makes neurodiverse teams thrive. Our latest research paper, Neuroinclusive by design: Creating a thriving team environment for all, explores the steps organisations can take to build truly inclusive workplaces. It provides key statistics, and practical recommendations that HR can implement to create a more neuroinclusive workplace.

Download the full research paper

Traditional workplace structures are changing, and neuroinclusive practices are forming the blueprint for the future of work. For a true neuroinclusive workplace, however, HR leaders must shift from providing piecemeal adjustments to embedding systemic inclusivity into their hiring, team collaboration, and leadership development practices. Organisations that embrace neurodiversity in this way will not only enhance employee wellbeing but also gain a vital competitive edge.

Through extensive research and interviews with neurodivergent employees, we have identified three critical traits shared by successful neurodiverse teams:

1. Harnessing individual talents for collective success. Neurodivergent employees excel when given flexibility and autonomy, allowing them to leverage their unique strengths in a way that benefits the entire organisation.
2. Defining and committing to consistent ways of working. High-performing teams find the right balance between structure and flexibility, co-creating communication methods that work for everyone.
3. Embracing empathy and nurturing interpersonal trust. A culture of psychological safety, where employees feel understood and valued, fosters collaboration and engagement.

Being ‘neuroinclusive by design’ is about reshaping the workplace so that diverse ways of thinking, processing information and collaborating are naturally supported. This approach benefits everyone, leading to more innovative, adaptable, and high-performing teams.

Can your business afford to ignore the benefits of creating a thriving team environment for all? By championing neurodiversity within teams, companies are not just creating better workplaces—they are shaping the future of work itself.

Fill in the form below to access the full research paper and explore how leading organisations are putting neuroinclusion into action.

Access the full research paper

World of Work Trends 2025: The Collective Workforce

In a world shaped by economic uncertainty, generational shifts, and rapid technological change, organisations must evolve to remain resilient. The World of Work Trends 2025 report from Top Employers Institute shows how HR leaders play a vital role in this transformation. By adopting a more collective approach—defined by interconnected, adaptive, and inclusive strategies—organisations can thrive in this new era.

The trends outlined in The rise of the Collective Workforce: Act now for a resilient future highlight how leaders can move beyond isolated initiatives and embrace a systems-thinking mindset. Those who act now will be better equipped to build long-term relevance, resilience, and competitive advantage. So, what are these key trends driving the rise of the collective workforce? You can download and explore the full report by filling out the form below.

Q&A with ABB UK

In our latest Q&A with the team from ABB UK, we explore what makes ABB a Top Employer, its biggest people challenges, key HR initiatives, and what’s next.

Tell us about your organisation

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and more than 105,000 employees worldwide.

Part of the ABB Group, ABB in the UK is headquartered in Warrington, Cheshire and employs 1750 people operating from 22 locations nationwide. We supply around £0.5bn of innovative solutions, products and services annually in the UK to clients in a wide range of market sectors.

What makes ABB UK a Top Employer?

ABB is dedicated to investing in its people with a global people strategy that focuses on three key components of ‘Empower’: our “high performance – high integrity” culture is grounded in empowerment and engagement, ‘Grow’: we innovate in a changing world to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow, taking responsibility to learn, connect and grow, and ‘Impact’: we impact a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive workplace and society.

ABB is a company that continually strives to improve for its people and its customers, challenging the status quo and exploring new ways to innovate. We are proud of the various people innovations and best practices launched at ABB such as our global DEI strategy, open job market, and our upcoming global transformation project, which will bring numerous efficiencies to our HR team, our managers, and our employees around the world.

What is the biggest people challenge your business currently faces? And what are you doing to meet this challenge?

ABB is no different to many other engineering organisations when it comes to increasing the number of females in engineering as well as skill gaps. As part of our overall People Strategy we are striving to become a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

In ABB UK we are proud to be partnering with educational establishments, including, primary schools, secondary schools and universities to inspire the talent of the future. These partnerships enable our employees to speak passionately about the opportunities available in the world of engineering, something which is available to all, either joining the organisation straight from school or as an apprentice or a graduate.

Tell us about a recent HR initiative you have instigated within your organisation that you are most proud of?

The UK HR team is set to launch a volunteering policy as part of our overall corporate social responsibility strategy. ABB already partner closely with Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides different opportunities to volunteer and raise both awareness. Our new volunteering policy will enable the business to expand on this and apply formal recognition and structure to our employees for their volunteering passions. The HR Team recently partnered with a local disability charity close to our UK Head Office. A team of six volunteers supported a local initiative ran by the charity aimed to positively impact young people with disabilities and their families over the festive period. We look forward to continuing this partnership and future partnerships and beyond.

How is AI affecting your business? Is it helping or challenging you in terms of your people practices?

ABB has already started using Generative AI, to the advantage of customers as well as internal applications. For example: Intuitive user interaction with ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite. AI@ABB’s aim is to accelerate the development, deployment and use of AI – both analytical and generative – across ABB divisions and functions to drive innovation for our customers, enhance internal efficiency and further strengthen our technology market leadership.

Which wellbeing offerings in your business are proving the most popular with employees?

ABB are proud to have an established wellbeing offering globally and locally. Influenced by our Wellbeing Board within the UK we offer a range of support mechanisms from our qualified wellbeing first aiders, local awareness campaigns and initiatives, and our Employee Assistance Programme providers are also on hand 24/7. Offering our employees a multidisciplinary approach enables individuals to select the best approach for them. Sine the impact of COVID, we have focused our initiatives on bringing people together to build connections and create networking opportunities without our various locations.

What’s next? Tell us about a new initiative that you’re most excited about?

ABB is embarking on the implementation of a new people management platform, which will provide employees and line managers with access to data and processes at the touch of their fingertips. The new platform will create a more engaging workforce, which in turn will amplify many organisational efficiencies.

Puma’s secret to their people-first culture and sustainable HR practices

Puma has achieved a remarkable milestone in 2025. They are Certified as a Top Employer on a Global and Enterprise level while also reaching the phenomenal achievement of being Certified in all 50 countries where they operate. This accomplishment underscores Puma’s unwavering commitment to fostering a people-first culture and sustainable HR practices. David Plink, CEO at Top Employers Institute, sat down with Dietmar Knoess, CHRO at Puma, to uncover Puma’s secret to their people-first culture and sustainable people practices.

How does Puma respond to the challenges of the future

The future is not something that HR teams can predict anymore. As Dietmar explained to David in their conversation, “We need to live with the new fact that we can’t predict the future anymore. We can hardly affect the next twelve months. That means that you need to be on your toes.” This sentiment shows how critical it is for Puma, an organisation that prioritises its people-first culture, to be proactive in facing the challenges of a changing business landscape. He continued, “You need to make quick decisions and communicate it to your organisation quickly.” That is the role that HR plays at Puma.

While Puma always felt that they had an exceptional HR team able to react to the challenges of the market, they wanted an unbiased assessment of their practices. That is where the Top Employers Certification helped Puma. It offers Puma validation of their people practices. It gives them access to benchmarking and analytics to improve their practices yearly, enabling them to stay competitive in the talent market.

This global recognition as a Top Employer celebrates Puma’s achievements and reinforces its commitment to continuous improvement and employee satisfaction. By fostering a culture that values and supports its employees, Puma sets a benchmark for excellence in the industry, allowing them to execute their goal of being Forever.Faster.

For more insights into Puma’s journey as a Top Employer, you can watch the entire conversation between Dietmar and David. You will be able to get a look into:

• How Puma attracts, retains and engages top talent in a competitive talent market.
• The biggest challenges shaping the future of work and how HR teams can respond to these challenges.
• And what it means to lead the market with sustainable HR practices and policies.

What Is The Role of HR in Sustainability?

(Inside the Mind of an HRD – Sustainability)

Sustainability is one of the primary issues on everyone’s minds, as we look to the future and try to avoid the consequences of what the world may look like if we do not make significant changes. While the topic of sustainability has been discussed in various circles, we are now at a time where we need to make actionable changes. And the importance of moving these conversations into reality has not escaped the world of work. Instead, they have fuelled HR leaders to become a significant partner in creating and implementing sustainability strategies within their organisations.

The Three Pillars of Sustainability

Sustainability is a multi-layered concept. It is focused on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are three pillars of sustainability that are most interesting to us these are: economic, environmental, and social. More informally these pillars are profit, planet, and people.

The weight of sustainability issues has been focused on the environment, for good reason, as we try to maintain nature around us but that is not the full picture of sustainability. We are realising the need to focus on the other pillars of profit and people. While focus on the sustainability of people is more obvious, as people are one of our greatest resources, we also need to consider how we create sustainable profit. Without a sustainable profit there is no future for a company.

The Impact of Sustainability on Businesses

In 2012 the United Nations published their 17 sustainability goals for the world to reach by 2030. These sustainability goals have impacted all levels – from large governments, to corporations, and the everyday citizen. In many companies they have translated those 17 goals into session level goals for their business activities. This comes at a time when it is also now mandatory for listed corporations to publish information about their environmental, social and governance (ESG) behaviours. Meaning that they are now being held accountable for the impact of their actions in terms of sustainability. Bringing the importance of enacting these practices higher than before.

The emphasis on sustainability in the world has impacted many aspects of business that were previously taken for granted as we see the emergence of a new kind of business. These businesses are public benefit corporations (PBC) where their primary focus is geared towards having a positive impact on society, their workers, the community and/or the environment. These aspects of their business are legally defined in addition to their other, more traditional, goal of maximising profit for their shareholders. These companies are embedding sustainability into all their businesses practices and while they have been set up to work in this way, we can still make changes in our existing businesses structures to achieve similar goals. HR teams will become a big part of more traditional businesses making this shift.

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Corporate Social Responsibility versus Sustainability

As companies begin to embrace sustainability practices it is important to note what they have done previously and why their move to sustainable procedures will help them to secure their futures. Many businesses have been engaged in corporate responsibility practices, which has been focused on reporting what a business has done to contribute to the wider society. While this has created some good initiatives it has caused people to look backwards – rather than looking at future possibilities open to the company. It is also driven by the need to protect the reputations of the business in developed markets as the projects of the CSR are managed by communications teams.

This contrasts sustainability practices that are focused on looking towards what will happen next as they make plans that secure the future of their company. Some of the practices they may adopt as they lean into sustainability are centred around reducing waste, assuring supply chains, developing new markets, and building their brand. The driving force of sustainability is the need to create opportunities in emerging markets, and this work is managed by various players in the operations and marketing departments.

In simpler terms we can understand CSR as giving a man a fish, whereas sustainability is teaching a man to fish. One makes someone, or for businesses purposes something, reliant on you to be maintain the system while the other builds a system that can maintain itself.

HR’s Role in Sustainability

In our recent study around the practices of our Top Employers we saw that 92% of companies are making social responsibility an important building block of their business. For this many rely on engagement from their employees to make these goals actionable. This is one of the important places that HR will contribute to the overall goal of facilitating sustainable business practices. HR teams have always been focused on people and without their involvement in engaging the employees in the sustainability project, it would be nearly impossible to achieve the businesses’ sustainability goals.

When we talk about integrating sustainability practices into a business, we need to realise that it is a multi-layered process that is inclusive of other social responsibility components including CSR and ESG. The process also involves asking questions about whether the company is committed to enacting these changes, how will they involve employees in this process and how will it be communicated to them. Approaching it from this angle we can clearly see where HR plays a fundamental part in the sustainability goals of their organisations.

HR will be involved several pieces of the puzzle needed to help the sustainability goal. It will differ for each individual organisation, but some aspects that HR will be involved in are around facilitating conversations with employees and the board; defining a code of conduct; launching equity initiatives; and engaging with employees through training, competency models and leadership development. HR is crucial in aiding in the technological and cultural changes needed to help in the sustainability goals of their organisation.

While we have discussed some ways that HR will facilitate current employees to be involved in the greater sustainability project. It is key to acknowledge the role they will play in redefining their employer brand. They will also have a hand in identifying and attracting new talent to the company.

Final Thoughts

The need to make and meet sustainability goals is an issue that we are all juggling with as we look to building the future. It is a complex matter that concerns everyone. While we have taken a big picture approach to introducing the topic, it is one that we, and the Top Employers we work with, are making a concerted effort to expanding as we get closer to 2022 and beyond. Sustainability is not something that we can push to the next year, it is necessary to engage with it now.

HR analytics and the employee experience: what it is, how to implement it and best practices to help your organisation excel

One of an organisation’s primary responsibilities to its employees is to ensure that they have a positive experience while working. This is often referred to as employee experience, and it is becoming an increasingly important factor in the success of businesses today. 

Beyond the trends, prioritising employee experience is also important to improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance satisfaction. However, with so many factors contributing to employee experience, knowing where to focus your efforts can be challenging. This is where HR analytics can be helpful. In this article, we will explore how HR analytics can be used to prioritise employee experience and improve overall organisational performance. 

What are HR analytics? 

HR analytics is the practice of using data to inform HR decision-making. It involves gathering, analysing, and interpreting data related to HR metrics, such as employee engagement, turnover rates, and compensation, to help organisations make more informed decisions. Organisations can use HR analytics to identify trends and patterns and make data-driven decisions that can significantly impact employee experience. 

What is the employee experience? 

Employee experience is the sum of an employee’s interactions and perceptions of their workplace. It includes everything from the work environment to company culture, management style, benefits and compensation, and overall job satisfaction. Employees with a positive experience are likelier to be engaged, productive, and committed to their jobs. 

It is effectively the sum of all the touchpoints a potential employee has with their employer, from when they are candidates to when they become part of an organisational alumni upon departure. 

What is the link between HR analytics and the employee experience? 

HR analytics is pivotal in enhancing the employee experience by offering data-driven employee insights into every lifecycle stage. The employee experience encompasses all employee interactions with an organisation, from recruitment and onboarding to development, performance management, and retention. 

The benefits of implementing HR analytics 

HR analytics empowers businesses to make informed decisions, optimise operations, and enhance employee experiences. Below are some key benefits of implementing HR analytics in your organisation: 

• Provides objective data: HR analytics can provide objective data that can help HR leaders identify areas of the organisation where employee experience may be lacking. For example, if data shows high employee turnover rates in a particular department, HR leaders can investigate the cause and take action to improve the situation. 

• Improved data-driven decision-making: HR analytics allows you to move from intuition-based decisions to evidence-based strategies. By analysing patterns in employee performance, engagement, and turnover, you can make more accurate decisions regarding hiring, promotions, and team management. 

• Improved talent acquisition: analytics can identify the most effective recruitment channels and strategies, helping you target suitable candidates faster. To optimise your recruitment process, you can assess candidate quality, time-to-hire, and cost-per-hire factors. 

• Employee retention and engagement: by analysing trends in employee satisfaction surveys, turnover rates, and performance data, you can identify at-risk employees and take proactive steps to boost engagement and reduce turnover, saving costs associated with rehiring and retraining. 

• Enhanced workforce planning: HR analytics helps you predict future talent needs based on business goals and trends. You can anticipate skill shortages and succession plans and align workforce capabilities with long-term business strategies. 

• Optimised learning and development programmes: with analytics, you can evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and identify skills gaps across your workforce. This enables the design of tailored learning programs that align with individual and organisational goals. 

• Cost reduction: HR analytics helps track and optimise labour costs, identify inefficiencies, and allocate resources effectively. This includes better management of overtime, absenteeism, and benefits costs. 

• Better performance management: implementing HR analytics can give you deeper insights into employee performance metrics and feedback. This can lead to more transparent performance appraisals, helping to motivate employees and improve productivity. 

• Informed compensation and benefits decisions: analytics provides insights into compensation trends within your industry and workforce, allowing for more equitable and competitive pay structures. It also helps optimise benefits offerings based on employee preferences and organisational goals. 

Key HR analytics metrics you can use (with examples) 

Your organisation can measure several HR analytics to understand your company better, but the right ones will depend on the needs and goals you want to accomplish. Here is a short overview of some of the most critical metrics to use for starting your HR analytics journey: 

• Voluntary and involuntary turnover rates: this metric gives insight into the percentage of employees who leave the organisation. The voluntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who decide to leave the company, while the involuntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who get let go.  

• Absence rate: the absence rate measures the total number of days an employee is absent from work; it does not include holiday periods. The absence is calculated by dividing the number of days worked by the total number of days the employee could have worked over a specific time. 

• Retention rate: the retention rate offers insight into how well your organisation keeps its employees working. It is calculated by dividing the total number of employees who decided to stay employed over a given period by the total number of employees over that same period. 

• Revenue per employee: this metric measures how much money the business brings in for every employee it has on staff and pays expenses, such as salary and benefits. It is calculated by dividing an organisation’s revenue by the total number of employees in the company 

HR analytics best practices 

When implementing a strategy that includes HR analytics, not one strategy suits every organisation. It will take time to find the right tools and metrics to support your overall goals and the needs of your people, but here are some best practices that can help guide you in the right direction:  

Promote a Data-Driven Culture 

For HR analytics to be effective, everyone in the organisation must embrace data-driven decision-making. Resistance to change can be a significant barrier. You can do this by educating and training your people and leadership on the value of analytics. Ensure they understand how data can enhance their decision-making processes. Encourage the use of data in meetings and performance discussions to reinforce its importance. 

Start Small and Scale Gradually 

HR analytics can seem overwhelming if you attempt to measure everything from the start. Starting with a focused pilot project allows testing, refinement, and quick wins. You can start with a small, manageable area (e.g., recruitment data, employee turnover) and focus on generating insights there first. As your people gain confidence and expertise, expand the scope of your analytics efforts. 

Invest in the Right Tools and Technology 

The success of an HR analytics strategy depends on the tools used to collect, analyse, and visualise data. Without the right technology, extracting insights can be labour-intensive and inaccurate. Evaluate analytics platforms that fit your organisation’s needs. Integrate with existing HR systems and provide robust reporting and visualisation features.  

Build a Cross-Functional Team 

HR analytics requires collaboration between HR professionals, data scientists, and IT specialists. A diverse team ensures that technical, analytical, and business perspectives are considered. You can succeed in your organisation by forming a cross-functional team where HR experts define the business questions, data scientists manage the analytics models, and IT ensures smooth data infrastructure and system integration. 

Monitor and Adjust Regularly 

HR analytics is not a “set it and forget it” strategy. As the business evolves, so too should your business’s analytics approach. To continuously monitor the effectiveness of your analytics projects you must collect feedback from stakeholders, measure the impact of initiatives, and adjust your analytics models, data sources, and strategies accordingly.  

The bottom line of using HR analytics to improve the employee experience 

Prioritising employee experience is critical for any business’s success. By focusing on employees’ needs and using HR analytics to address their concerns, organisations can help create a positive workplace culture, improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance customer satisfaction. 

While HR analytics can be a powerful tool for businesses to prioritise employee experience and improve overall organisational performance, it is also not the be-all and end-all of how organisations should approach the needs of their employees. Data can be used to identify areas where employee experience may be lacking and to make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts. There is still a human aspect to understanding employees through traditional methods like listening and reaching out to them to understand strategies to improve their organisation. 

As an HR leader, incorporating HR analytics into your decision-making process can help you stay ahead and ensure your organisation remains competitive in the marketplace.  

Another way to gain insights that help you stay ahead of the competition can be found in employees who are leaving the business. This can be done by conducting stay interviews. Learn more about this from one of our Top Employers now.