Despite recent noise around DEI, inclusive workplaces still remain a top priority for many organisations across the world.

And one thing needs to remain the same when it comes to achieving this: an understanding of what diverse talent needs in the workplace.

Candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent employees strongly prefer remote work over traditional office setups.

Our data reveals that remote working is a strong favourite with neurodivergent candidates, showing an 8.7% higher preference for remote work compared to the average job seeker.

What's particularly striking is their significant aversion to traditional office environments. Neurodivergent candidates are 38.4% less likely to prefer office-based roles compared to the general population. This suggests that office environments, with their sensory stimulation, social demands, and potential for interruptions, may present particular challenges for neurodivergent employees.

Hybrid arrangements fare only slightly better, with neurodivergent candidates showing 29.3% less interest in this model compared to average. This shows that even the partial office requirement in hybrid models may be deterring neurodivergent talent.

For employers looking to attract neurodivergent candidates, offering genuine remote work options appears to be a crucial strategy.

When we examine the location preferences of candidates with disabilities, an equally clear but slightly different pattern emerges. Remote work is strongly preferred, with disabled candidates showing a 10.2% higher preference for remote arrangements compared to average—even higher than neurodivergent candidates.

Interestingly, their aversion to office-based roles (-17.9%) is less than for neurodivergent candidates, but their rejection of hybrid models is stronger (-35.7%). This suggests that while some office presence might be manageable, the back-and-forth nature of hybrid work may present particular challenges for those with disabilities.

What candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent employees prioritise in their job search

While salary remains the top priority across all groups (with neurodivergent candidates rating it slightly higher than average), our data reveals nuanced differences in what matters to candidates with disabilities, and neurodivergent candidates.

Location flexibility ranks as the second-highest priority across all groups, reinforcing what we discussed earlier. However, benefits play a significantly more important role for both candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent candidates compared to the average candidate.

Particularly noteworthy is that candidates with disabilities prioritise diversity 59% more than the average candidate when considering their next role. This echoes what we saw in our Evolution of Work Report 2024-2025, where diversity was identified as a top priority for candidates who identify as having a disability.

The benefits that matter most to candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent employees

This graph shows us some fascinating insights into specific benefit preferences. While Work From Anywhere schemes dominate across all groups (nearly reaching 80% for candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent candidates), several other benefits show interesting variations.

Mental health support stands out as particularly important for both groups, ranking second only to work location flexibility. This aligns perfectly with the 7% rise in demand for mental health support we've seen over the past year, as highlighted in the Mind Matters More section of The Evolution of Work Report 2024-2025. This statistic doesn’t come as a surprise, with a third of employees (33%) saying their experience at work of their neurodivergence has had a negative impact on their mental well-being. This can be the result of several causes, such as a lack of awareness in the organisation, managers who are not equipped, and reasonable adjustments not being made. Organisations need to understand the challenges neurodivergent employees face and work to address them to help them thrive at work.

The four-day work week shows significantly higher appeal among neurodivergent candidates (around 50%) compared to the general population (around 35%), suggesting that alternative work schedules could be a powerful attraction strategy for this talent pool.

Part-time options appeal more strongly to candidates with disabilities (around 38% compared to 32% average), while neurodivergent candidates show less interest in job sharing and compressed hours compared to other groups.

Location flexibility is just as important as salary for candidates with disabilities 

Our final graph reveals perhaps the most significant trend: location flexibility is rapidly catching up to salary as the top priority for candidates with disabilities. The data shows that while salary remained the dominant consideration throughout much of 2024 (hovering around 75-78%), location flexibility has steadily gained importance.

By early 2025, the trend lines have nearly merged, with location flexibility at approximately 75% and salary trending downward to around 68%. If this trajectory continues, location flexibility is likely to become the number one consideration for candidates with disabilities in the coming months.

Key Takeaways for HR and Talent Professionals

1. Prioritise genuine remote work options for candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent candidates, as both groups show strong preferences against traditional office and hybrid models.
2. Highlight your commitment to diversity when recruiting candidates with disabilities, who value this 59% more than average.
3. Invest in mental health support to appeal to both candidates with disabilities and neurodivergent candidates, for whom this is a top-tier benefit.
4. Consider alternative work schedules like four-day work weeks, which hold particular appeal for neurodivergent candidates.
5. Position location flexibility front and centre in your employer value proposition, as it's quickly becoming as important as salary for candidates with disabilities.