A leading hospitality recruitment firm is calling on businesses to make their hiring processes more inclusive as part of this year’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Pineapple Recruitment, which specialises in placing professionals and support staff in the hospitality and catering industries, has launched a new checklist aimed at helping employers recognise the potential of neurodiverse candidates.
The global awareness week, which runs from 17 to 23 March, seeks to challenge stereotypes around neurological differences. As part of its support, Pineapple Recruitment is encouraging companies to simplify job descriptions, remove jargon, and ensure interview processes are accessible for neurodivergent candidates. The Midlands-based agency is also advocating for greater support during onboarding.
Inclusive hiring practices
Speaking on the initiative, Pineapple Recruitment’s business manager, Kasia Krieger, said the aim was to help businesses unlock the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an opportunity to highlight the challenges neurodivergent job seekers face and show employers how simple adjustments can make a big difference,” she said.
“Many hiring managers apply unconscious bias during recruitment, focusing on perceived challenges rather than the strengths neurodiverse individuals bring to a workplace.
“Our checklist is designed to help employers make small but meaningful changes before, during, and after the recruitment process to ensure they attract and retain neurodiverse talent.”
Challenging misconceptions
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an international initiative that aims to reshape public perception of conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Advocates argue that businesses with a diverse workforce benefit from increased innovation and fresh approaches to problem-solving.
Pineapple Recruitment believes neurodiverse individuals bring valuable skills, including heightened attention to detail, pattern recognition, and strong concentration levels.
“By fostering a culture of inclusion, businesses can create a more innovative and dynamic workplace,” Krieger added.
The company’s efforts align with broader calls for increased workplace accessibility and support for neurodivergent employees. Campaigners have highlighted that traditional hiring methods, such as vague job descriptions and rigid interview formats, often disadvantage neurodiverse applicants.
Supporting workplace diversity
As well as raising awareness, Pineapple Recruitment hopes its checklist will encourage long-term change across the hospitality and catering industries.
The agency, which recruits for professional catering, senior management, and administrative roles, said it would continue to promote inclusive hiring practices beyond the awareness week.
For more information on Neurodiversity Celebration Week, readers can visit www.neurodiversityweek.com.
Further details about Pineapple Recruitment’s work in the sector can be found at www.pineapple-recruitment.co.uk.