A recent campaign by global charity group Made By Dyslexia has successfully championed for the term “Dyslexic Thinking” to be a skill which LinkedIn users can add to their profiles. In a report made by the charity together with staffing firm ManpowerGroup, talent shortage is at a 15-year high, yet organizations are overlooking a specific pool of available talent: dyslexic individuals.
Dyslexia is a genetic difference in an individual’s ability to learn. However, they are also known to have strengths in creative, problem-solving, and communication skills. Considering that as many as one in five people is dyslexic, the chance of missing out on a talent due to this condition is quite large.
An interesting fact from the study states that three out of four (75%) dyslexic people surveyed believe the recruitment process puts dyslexic people at a disadvantage, and 79 per cent believe the process does not give them the opportunity to demonstrate their true abilities. That’s despite 47 per cent employers saying they do not consider dyslexia when recruiting and does not believe it is relevant.
Sir Richard Branson is a high-profile dyslexic who demonstrates just how capable people with the condition can perform. He has been quoted saying, “I know that I would not have been able to achieve what I have achieved in life if I hadn’t been born dyslexic, so I am very grateful for it.” He is currently one of Made By Dyslexia campaign’s most prominent partners, together with other celebrities which include Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly.
Vice President of Communications at LinkedIn, Nicole Leverich commented, “I’m proud to be dyslexic and a part of this movement to redefine what it means. By adding ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn, we can help recognize the creative, problem-solving and communication skills people with dyslexia bring to their work.”
