Making Peer Recognition Inclusive for Neurodivergent Employees

Rethinking Recognition in a Neurodiverse Workforce

As organizations strive to build more inclusive and equitable workplaces, recognition practices are emerging as a key area for improvement. Most companies understand the importance of recognizing their employees—especially peer-to-peer—but few consider how those practices might inadvertently exclude or alienate neurodivergent employees.

According to Deloitte, 1 in 5 people worldwide are neurodivergent, which includes individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD, and other neurological differences. These employees bring invaluable perspectives and talents, but they may experience traditional workplace recognition very differently.

So how can we ensure that peer recognition is truly inclusive—not just in theory, but in everyday practice?

This article explores why inclusive recognition matters for neurodivergent employees and offers actionable strategies for designing systems and cultures that acknowledge everyone’s contributions in ways that feel meaningful, safe, and empowering.

Why Peer Recognition Often Misses the Mark for Neurodivergent Employees

Peer recognition programs are designed to foster a positive, appreciative workplace. But what happens when these well-meaning initiatives:

• Center around public shoutouts that might feel overwhelming?
• Reward socially visible behaviors rather than deep work?
• Use ambiguous or overly emotional language that feels confusing or insincere?
• Fail to accommodate different communication preferences?

For neurodivergent employees, these dynamics can turn recognition into a source of stress rather than motivation.

For instance:

• An employee with autism might feel deeply uncomfortable receiving praise during a team meeting.
• A person with ADHD may do incredible work but struggle with task organization, leading peers to overlook their contributions.
• Someone with dyslexia may avoid written feedback platforms that feel inaccessible.

That doesn’t mean neurodivergent employees don’t want or need recognition. Quite the opposite: they often crave clear, sincere feedback—but in formats and contexts that feel safe and authentic.

The Cost of Exclusion: Why Inclusive Recognition Matters

Failing to account for neurodivergent needs in recognition systems isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a risk to retention, engagement, and psychological safety.

A 2022 study from Harvard Business Review found that neurodivergent employees are 40% more likely to feel excluded from workplace culture—and lack of recognition is a major driver of that feeling.

When neurodivergent employees feel overlooked or misunderstood:

• Morale suffers
• Turnover risk increases
• Team cohesion weakens
• Innovation slows down

By contrast, when recognition is inclusive and intentional, it can:

• Reinforce a culture of equity and belonging
• Boost engagement and retention
• Highlight the diverse ways employees contribute value

Building a Recognition Culture That Includes Everyone

Here’s how to adapt your peer recognition practices to better support and celebrate neurodivergent employees:

1. Offer Multiple Recognition Channels

Not everyone wants a shoutout in a meeting or a flashy post in Slack. Some may prefer:

• Private messages
• One-on-one recognition
• Written notes or emails
• Visual or symbolic acknowledgments (e.g., badges, tokens)

Tip: Use a tool like Karma that allows both public and private recognition in Slack or Microsoft Teams, giving employees control over how they give and receive praise.

2. Celebrate Diverse Types of Contributions

Traditional recognition often centers on traits like enthusiasm, sociability, or visibility. That can sideline employees whose strengths lie elsewhere.

Make space to recognize:

• Quiet focus
• Pattern recognition
• Problem-solving
• Reliability
• Empathy or deep listening

According to a report by EY, neurodivergent employees often outperform neurotypical peers in roles that require precision, memory, or creative problem-solving—but those strengths are frequently underappreciated.

3. Create Safe Spaces for Recognition

Some neurodivergent employees may have experienced bullying, exclusion, or misinterpretation in past workplaces. They might hesitate to give or receive recognition out of fear of being misunderstood.

Build psychological safety by:

• Clearly outlining what recognition is and isn’t
• Encouraging authenticity over formality
• Training employees to use clear, respectful, and inclusive language
• Making it okay to opt in or out of public recognition

4. Use Clear and Specific Language

Vague praise like “Great job!” or “You’re amazing!” can be confusing or feel hollow—especially for autistic employees who prefer direct, literal communication.

Encourage specific feedback:

• “Thanks for reorganizing that spreadsheet—it helped the team move faster.”
• “Your detailed testing caught three bugs we would have missed.”

The more tangible and actionable the feedback, the more useful it becomes.

5. Design Recognition to Minimize Sensory Overload

For some neurodivergent individuals, sensory input can be overwhelming. Bright graphics, loud applause, or unexpected interruptions—even positive ones—can cause discomfort.

Ensure your recognition platforms and processes:

• Allow for customization (e.g., muting notifications, adjusting visuals)
• Give employees advance notice for any public praise
• Avoid pressuring employees into participating in ceremonies or events

6. Educate Teams on Neurodiversity and Inclusion

A recognition tool is only as inclusive as the people using it. Invest in team-wide education on:

• What neurodiversity is
• How to give inclusive, bias-free feedback
• Why different people prefer different forms of recognition

Tip: Host a Lunch & Learn or share bite-sized guides in Slack to keep the conversation going.

7. Collect Feedback and Iterate

Inclusion isn’t a one-and-done effort—it’s a process. Use anonymous surveys, suggestion boxes, or one-on-ones to ask:

• Do employees feel seen and appreciated?
• Are recognition tools accessible and comfortable?
• What would make recognition feel more meaningful?

And most importantly: act on that feedback.

Inclusive Recognition in Action: A Micro-Example

Let’s say an employee named Sam, who is autistic, contributes an outstanding process improvement that saves the team hours of work.

Here’s how inclusive peer recognition could play out:

• A teammate sends a direct Slack message: “Sam, your new template saved me 2 hours today—thank you for thinking that through so clearly.”
• The manager uses Karma’s private praise feature to award points with a note: “Your contribution streamlined the whole process. Quiet excellence in action.”
• Sam’s contribution is mentioned in a weekly team update, without putting them on the spot.

In this model, Sam is celebrated in a way that aligns with their comfort zone and communication style. That’s inclusive recognition in practice.

Final Thoughts: Inclusion Is the Future of Recognition

Inclusive peer recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for any organization that values equity, belonging, and performance.

By expanding how we recognize contributions—and who gets recognized—we unlock the full potential of neurodivergent talent, boost team morale, and build workplaces where everyone feels seen and appreciated.

After all, recognition is most powerful when it reflects the full spectrum of human brilliance—not just the loudest voices in the room.