Inclusion is  proven to have a positive impact on your bottom line. Accenture found that not only are net revenue and profit margins significantly greater for inclusive companies, but their net income is double that of non-inclusive companies.Here are 5 ways it happens.

1. Greater productivity

This is the obvious one when it comes to your KPIs. With greater productivity, you can make and sell more stuff. And inclusion is key to that improved productivity.

Harvard Business Review found that neurodivergent workers are 30% more productive than their peers. With autistics alone, this figure went up to 140% at JP Morgan Chase. Why? Well, the reasons are as varied as neurodivergent people themselves, but at its core is that many of us harbour significant skills and talents. For some that will be an amazing ability to strategise, for others, an enviable attention to detail. For still others, it could simply be that we work ridiculously fast.

For us neurodivergents, being incredibly productive at our job is normal. What is not normal is finding a workplace that doesn’t shame us for our challenges, and isn’t weird about the way we work (yes, we even get shamed for being good!). So inclusive companies are benefiting from our greater productivity, not just by helping us manage our challenges, but also by empowering us to thrive. And it’s this culture that enables us to be productive. That’s right, it’s not just our skills, but being valued and confident at work that makes us shine.

2. Larger talent pool

When you start creating an inclusive culture at work, this extends to how you recruit. And an inclusive hiring process means you attract a wider pool of talent.

This isn’t limited to neurodivergent people though. According to the organisation Neurodiversity in the Workplace, a neurodiverse-friendly recruitment process reduces other hiring biases. What does that mean? By making a concerted effort to attract neurodivergent people, you’ll also be opening the way to global majority people, women and gender minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals and other marginalised groups. And we know that more diversity, across the board, is a good thing for businesses.

The other benefit of a neurodiverse-friendly hiring process is that it’s easier for everyone. Including you. Inclusive recruiters tell us they spend less time on the hiring process, find the right people quicker and also see employee retention go up. Makes sense doesn’t it? After all, when a candidate finds a role where their differences are seen as an asset, they’re going to stay.

3. Understanding customers

The majority of companies don’t understand neurodivergent customers. They have challenging processes, difficult environments, and often give a general air of just not caring about people who are different (even though we are estimated to make up 1 in 5 of the population).

Neurodivergent employees are the essential link between you and the customers you’re trying to reach. They understand, quickly and easily, where problems might appear, and how to resolve these. They also have a first-person view of the difference that inclusion makes. It’s not just about the lighting, or the forms, or the conversations. It’s about showing that neurodivergent clients are important. Feeling valued increases customer loyalty and satisfaction – which I know sounds obvious but given the number of companies who still treat their neurodivergent customers as an inconvenience (or worse) I think it bears saying.

As an added bonus, addressing the needs of neurodivergent customers makes the experience better for everyone. After all, none of us wake up in the morning desperate to have a rubbish experience that we’re paying for!

4. More innovation

If you want to stay stuck in your ways while your competitors steam ahead with new products, new services and new cool stuff, inclusion is not for you.

Because inclusion leads to more innovation. In fact, Deloitte found it increased innovation by a staggering 83%. Key to this is an inclusive culture – one where people aren’t afraid to share new ideas, new processes or a different way of looking at things. When you have a workplace where all kinds of different people and their strange brains are welcomed and supported, you have a workplace that generates new ideas faster than you can keep up with.

Along with having an inclusive culture is building a diverse team. It’s no good having a bunch of people who all think the same way, doing things the way they always have. With a neurodivergent team, you’ll have people who look at the big picture, those who examine the details and some rando who looks at everything sideways and comes up with exciting, workable, lucrative ideas.

5. Look awesome

It doesn’t matter what your mum says, looking cool is important. And as businesses, we know that looking good has an impact on the bottom line.

Brand perception is important for all businesses. It can make your customers more loyal, give you a bigger chunk of that all-important market share and ultimately increase your profits.

When you do inclusion properly – going beyond box-ticking and actually helping your staff and customers feel valued and supported – people will start to notice. It’s not just about doing the right thing either, it shows you understand the business benefits of inclusion and that you know how to run a company. It also marks you out as an organisation that is progressive and forward-thinking.

Doing the right thing and making some serious money are not mutually exclusive. Being inclusive is how you make more money. And just by reading this article, you’ll have taken an important step forward in being more inclusive. Well done.

Rachel Morgan-Trimmer is a neurodiversity consultant and founder of FireBird.