We recently caught up with Kamile Zvykaite, who has just completed a year in industry position in the SPR Control team, as a Finance Assistant. This was part of her third-year placement at university, where she studied Economics.

What has been the highlight of your placement?

The opportunities I have been given to highlight Diversity and Inclusion to my colleagues and the wider business stand out as a highlight. I’ve really appreciated my managers having faith in me to educate others and I realise that they wanted me to do this so that I could give others the chance to understand some of the struggles I face and educate them on how they can support other neurodivergent employees. Supporting the ‘Breaking Barriers’ program has also been a highlight as I’ve been given the opportunity to be a mentor to young people who face barriers to employment, whether that be through physical disabilities or learning difficulties.

You’re clearly a strong advocate for people with disabilities or learning difficulties, can you tell us a bit more about the work you’ve been doing to support this?

I have been raising awareness about neurodiversity, with a focus on what reasonable adjustments can be made to help people with autism feel more comfortable in the workplace. I’ve developed a variety of resources that I have been presenting to different teams, which include examples of neurodivergent characteristics and the daily challenges that some people may face.

I’ve actually had many individuals open up to me about their diagnoses and struggles and in some cases, these individuals had not felt comfortable enough to share this information with their own team. I hope that by delivering these sessions, I can educate managers to recognise these characteristics in their team members and provide support to those who need it. Especially since small changes can make the biggest impact -wearing my headphones significantly improves my concentration allowing me to work to the best of my ability.

What  advice would you give on how to better support neurodivergent colleagues.

Take a moment to listen and understand their needs with a view to putting in place the support they may need.. People should be understanding, sometimes we don’t do things in the orthodox way, but it doesn’t mean that it is the wrong way if it works for the individual. Be mindful when giving feedback or advice, as it can be interpreted differently than intended. We are fully capable in our own way; it just takes a few adjustments to processes to reach our potential, which can exceed expectations if we are given the opportunity to do so”.

One conversation can go a long way. One moment of vulnerability is better than a career of hiding who you are.

What could SPR do to improve its approach to D&!?

SPR has defied my expectations in terms of the openness and willingness to learn about neurodiversity, but there is always things that could be improved. For example,providing anchored desks for all neurodiverse employees, as not having the same seat and the same routine can cause issues and affect the way in which we work. Additionally introducing a quiet, informal room or space on the 9th floor would offer a place to go when things get too overwhelming in the open plan office.

What’s your next step in your career?

I’ve been accepted into a five-year graduate apprenticeship incontrol, which will involve rotating through each of the control teams while working towards a degree in Accountancy and an ACCA qualification. I hope to learn more about the business, develop my technical skills and continue to promote diversity and inclusion through in the Breaking Barriers programme and delivering D&I presentations to raise awareness about neurodiversity.