16 June 2025
3 min
A group of our colleagues recently participated in the GAIN (Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity) Adjustments & Accessibility Hackathon in London - a high-energy, design-led day focused on accessibility and inclusion in the workplace, alongside five other firms.
The team were asked to use the 5-step design-thinking framework – empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test to answer this question:
'How might we support neurodivergent colleagues to identify and implement personalised adjustments to enhance their work?'
After hearing from neurodivergent colleagues and sharing challenges openly, the team launched into focused sprints against the clock to come up with a solution.
In response, the team designed a digital service for all employees that offered tailored reports on how to get the most out of their workplace, based on their answers to a questionnaire. The report could recommend where to find in-house tools and resources, make recommendations to working practices and even put you in touch with a Hymans ‘expert’ if you needed something more bespoke.
A key highlight reflected across the team was working in collaboration with colleagues, playing to each other's strengths to create something meaningful – and realising just how much can be achieved in a single day.
The event acted as a reminder, as allies to our neurodivergent colleagues, that inclusion and accessibility isn’t just about policy – it’s an opportunity to embrace innovation, creativity and collaboration.
GAIN is a Community Interest Company started in 2021 by a group of organisations and people within the insurance, investment and financial services industry. Its mission is to improve employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.
We joined GAIN in 2024 to help us build a more inclusive environment for our current and future neurodivergent employees. Partnering with GAIN is one step in our ongoing effort to make sure every employee and candidate has the support and resources they need to succeed.
If you’d like to find out more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Hymans, visit our hub.
If you’d like to learn more about GAIN, click here.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further, please get in touch.
The GAIN Hackathon was brilliantly run and thought-provoking. The highlight for me was sitting with my Hymans colleagues and getting to know people I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. A special thank you to those who shared their experiences and the challenges of being neurodivergent in the workplace — it was incredibly valuable to hear.
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