My experiences as a neurodivergent person in finance.
As part of Neurodiversity Celebration week, we spoke to Olivia Embling, a trainee auditor at NatWest Group, about her experiences as a neurodivergent person working in the Financial Services industry. She has some fantastic insights into the different ways it affects her life at work, and how her organisation has supported and helped her embrace her neurodiversity.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career to-date
I’m Libby, I’m 23 and I grew up in a town near York before moving to Newcastle over 4 years ago to study Business with Accounting at Northumbria University. Since graduating in September, I’ve been based in Edinburgh working as a Trainee Technology Auditor at NatWest Group on their Internal Audit Graduate Programme, which I gained a place on after completing the internship in 2020.
In terms of my role, I’m responsible for assessing internal technology controls in relation to the Bank’s applications, to ensure they’re operating effectively to mitigate key risks. I’m also studying towards the ICAEW ACA professional qualification, which takes up most of my spare time at the moment, however I enjoy attending the gym and socialising with friends when I get the chance.
Tell us about your neurodiversity and the different ways it affects your work life
I have combined type ADHD, which means I present both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive behaviours. In terms of how this negatively affects my work life, I struggle with areas such as focus and concentration - which makes sustaining attention on long Zoom calls difficult (whoops!), following verbal instructions, and the planning and prioritisation of tasks. ADHD also impacts my verbal communication, as I struggle articulating myself verbally which means I have trouble when I’m put on the spot during a meeting. In addition to this, I speak at a fast pace and struggle with tangentiality, which often makes presenting in meetings a challenge.
In terms of positive aspects, although ADHD decreases my ability to concentrate, if I’m interested in a task or topic, I’m able to hyper-focus. This means I can intensely concentrate for prolonged periods and get absorbed in my work, which as a result increases my productivity and efficiency when completing tasks and enables me to notice minor details- which is especially useful in audit! I’m also able to multitask and work well under pressure, which means I’m able to respond effectively and adapt my approach when faced with unexpected challenges or events at work.
Can you tell us about your experience at NatWest, and are there any initiatives at the organisation that you found helpful/beneficial?
As this is my first ‘real’ job, after receiving the offer I was worried how I would cope in the role and how my neurodiversity would be perceived within the organisation. However, I cannot fault my experience to date as there are several initiatives at NatWest that have not only made me feel supported as a neurodivergent employee, but also enabled me to embrace my neurodiversity. In addition to implementing workplace adjustments tailored to my requirements, such as coaching and assistive technology, the Bank have created various E-Learning modules and documents to promote greater awareness of neurodiverse conditions and create an environment where neurodivergent employees can thrive. I found these particularly beneficial to share with my manager and team as they facilitate an understanding of how ADHD may present at work and how colleagues can help.
The Bank also has an Employee Led Network focused on disability, with a specific Neurodiversity Alliance stream, which has created a sense of community within the organisation. The network has also provided me the opportunity to meet other neurodivergent employees with similar experiences who I am able to resonate with, and I have recently agreed a mentor-mentee relationship with a senior neurodivergent employee which will commence in April. This will be beneficial in terms of guidance and navigating my career with ADHD from someone who has experienced it first-hand. Moreover, NatWest frequently host neurodiversity panel and speaker events, which have been insightful and encouraged me to shift my perspective and focus on the positives of my condition, rather than the negatives.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone who is neurodivergent and looking to begin a career in Financial& Professional Services?
In terms of advice for someone who is neurodivergent and looking to begin a career in Financial & Professional Services, knowing your strengths is important and I’d advise researching roles that align with your skills and abilities.
How can neurodiverse people help the financial services sector to flourish?
Despite the challenges that may be experienced due to neurodiversity, there are several strengths that neurodiverse individuals bring to the workplace, creating the need to build diverse workforces that promote inclusivity within the financial services sector. For instance, neurodiversity means individuals are able to offer fresh perspective to situations and think outside the box, resulting in unique insights in the workplace. Another common neurodiverse strength is creative thinking, which in turn facilitates effective problem solving, novel idea generation and is a pre-requisite to innovation. Within the financial services sector, innovation is vital to enable institutions to differentiate from competitors and respond effectively to the pressures of the market.
In addition to this, embracing creativity and innovation can help firms improve their efficiencies and product offering, thus enhancing the customer experience also. Another strength of some neurodiverse conditions relates to the ability of thriving under pressure, which is beneficial to the financial services sector due to the fast-paced, high-pressured nature of the industry. In addition to this, neurodiverse employees are able to understand what it’s like to experience banking and financial services as a customer, therefore this insight could be used within the financial sector to increase accessibility of products and services for neurodiverse customers.
The SFE Young Professionals are promoting career confidence in March - what's your top tip for career confidence?
My top tip for career confidence is to seek opportunities that are out of your comfort zone and continually challenge yourself and treat any setbacks you may encounter as learning opportunities rather than negative experiences.
