Building a Neuroaffirming Workplace: What’s Worked for Us at Empact Group

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.