ABIC evolves DEI Strategy

The Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) hosted a workshop to highlight the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace. The June 15 event, which featured neuroplasticity expert Julia Harper, PhD, was part of ABIC’s drive to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Bermuda’s International Business (IB) community.

Neurodiversity describes variations in brain function that cause an estimated one in seven people to learn, communicate and behave differently from the neurotypical majority. Research has shown that neurodiversity in the workforce can improve productivity, profitability and talent retention.

Companies like Google, Amazon, EY and Deloitte, have adapted hiring processes and career development programmes to attract neurodivergent individuals, who include those with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, and social anxiety disorders.

Research shows that many neurodivergent people have higher-thanaverage abilities, especially in pattern recognition, memory, or mathematics, yet they are more likely to be unemployed than neurotypical people. Employers who invest in a supportive environment to attract and develop untapped neurodivergent talent stand to reap performance rewards.

ABIC’s DEI Committee has hosted sessions on topics like Bermuda’s employment data, Black women in IB, advancing racial equity and inclusion in IB, employee wellbeing and mental health, and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees.

ABIC incubated and continues to support the Association for Corporate Racial Equity (ACRE), which advocates for racial equity in Bermuda’s IB sector, and WeSpeak, which supports women’s professional development. ABIC believes that having a diverse IB sector at all levels is critical to Bermuda’s relevance and continued success.