---
title: "Building a Neuroaffirming Workplace: What’s Worked for Us at Empact Group"
description: Empact Group reveals how embracing neurodiversity drives performance and purpose. Explore proven ways to design ADHD-friendly, flexible workplaces where every brain can thrive.
---

<https://www.empactgroup.com.au/insights>

# [Building a Neuroaffirming Workplace: What’s Worked for Us at Empact Group](https://www.empactgroup.com.au/insights/building-a-neuroaffirming-workplace-whats-worked-for-us-at-empact-group)

 Written by [Empact Group](https://www.empactgroup.com.au/insights/author/empact-group) | 26 November 2025

At Empact Group, we didn’t set out to become a “case study.” We set out to build a consultancy where people could do their best work – brains, quirks, bonus features and all. Along the way, we discovered that a neuroaffirming workplace isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s seriously good business.

Below is how we’ve approached it (frameworks, scrapes and wins included) in the hope that you can lift what’s useful and make it your own.

## Start with values, then make them visible

We began with values, but the unlock came when we turned them into *actions*. Our internal “values-in-action” framework keeps us honest:

- **Curiosity:** Ask before assuming. Learn from what’s been tried.
- **Clarity:** Be explicit about expectations, outcomes and constraints.
- **Flexibility:** Default to “how might this work?” before “it can’t.”
- **Openness & Realness:** Lead with honesty—even when it’s awkward.

A simple test we use daily: **purpose over process**. If the goal is clear, process becomes a tool, not a trap. That mindset has fuelled countless small, humane adjustments that compound into big impact.

 

## Use a human-centred change model (ours is the Double Diamond)

We apply the classic Discover → Define → Develop → Deliver loop to culture:

1. **Discover** what’s true now (talk to people; read what exists so you don’t re-ask folks to relive their burdens).
2. **Define** the real problems to solve (e.g., clarity gaps, sensory overload, rigid scheduling).
3. **Develop** options with the people who’ll use them.
4. **Deliver** quickly, measure, and keep what sticks.

No one needs to have all the answers up front. Curiosity is the engine.

## What our people told us they needed

Across roles and life stages, four signals were loud and consistent:

**Clarity** about expectations, outcomes and decision rights.

**Flexibility** in hours, location and communication modes.

**Openness** to show up as you are (and only as much as you choose).

**Realness** from leadership (vulnerability and follow-through).

Those insights shaped practical, repeatable moves.

 

## Practical moves you can copy tomorrow

### Hiring & job ads

- **Be explicit about true “must-haves.”** Delete everything else.
- **Show transferable paths.** Name adjacent backgrounds that succeed.
- **Name the unknowns.** Invite candidates to bring strengths you can’t list.
- **Run a gender/biased-language check.** It helps clarity for everyone.

### Flexibility by default

- **80% of our team works part-time**, including most leaders.
- We work **from client sites, home, or the office**—driven by purpose and impact.
- Managers own constraints: if flexibility looks hard, they solve for options.

### Openness & rhythms

- **Weekly whole-company drop-ins.** Anyone can raise what’s on their mind.
- **“You Can Ask That.”** Staff opt-in to share lived experiences and what helps.
- **Simple dress and appearance codes.** Your style isn’t your professionalism.

### Sensory-smart spaces (on a budget)

- **Dimmable lights in every room.**
- **Fidgets on every table; noise-cancelling headphones for all.**
- **Clear signals** (headphones on = deep work; no pressure to “smile on camera”).
- **Crowd-designed fit-out.** We used a shared board for ideas; the team chose what mattered.

Small changes make big differences. One favourite client hack we’ve seen: canopy leaves over harsh fluorescents—cheap, cheerful, effective.

## Fairness, reframed

“Fair” isn’t “everyone gets the same.” It’s **meeting the purpose** in ways that work for different brains and bodies. Two beliefs anchor us:

1. **Most people want to do their best.**
2. **Solve for one, lift many.** (If your workplace is LGBTQIA+ affirming, anti-racist, and accessible, you’re already most of the way to neuroaffirming.)

If expectations aren’t met, that’s **performance management**, not a reason to roll back inclusive practices. Hold outcomes steady; diversify paths to reach them.

 

## The business case (because it matters)

In consulting, replacing a mid-level hire can easily top **$57,000** by the time you count fees, onboarding and ramp. Industry turnover norms add up fast.

By designing for inclusion from the start, our post-probation turnover has been markedly lower than the norm. In our first three years we grew from a solo practice to an **eight-figure** business with a majority-neurodivergent team, strong gender balance, and leaders from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. We credit the model: clarity, flexibility, openness and realness make teams *effective*, not just happy.

[View full post](https://www.empactgroup.com.au/insights/building-a-neuroaffirming-workplace-whats-worked-for-us-at-empact-group)

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