Neurodiversity will be at the heart of Gen Alpha's workplace needs and expectations according to research
Generation Alpha may still be in school uniform but their expectations are already knocking on the doors of today’s employers. According to new research presented by Benenden Health at the CIPD Festival of Work the oldest Gen Alpha members will begin entering the workforce within the next four years. That means organisations with five-year people strategies already need to be thinking about what this cohort values and whether current policies are fit for purpose.
Meet generation alpha
Born from 2010 onwards Generation Alpha is the first cohort raised entirely in the 21st century. They’re the children of millennials, digital natives from birth and the most globally connected generation to date. They’ve never known a world without smartphones, AI assistants or on-demand everything. And crucially they’re emerging from formative years shaped by pandemic disruption, rising mental health concerns and unprecedented exposure to personalised tech.
Benenden Health’s survey of 500 UK teenagers (aged 13–18), 500 parents and 500 HR leaders set out to understand what really matters to the next workforce and whether workplaces are ready.
Priorities with purpose
It may not surprise HR professionals that salary still ranks highly: being highly paid topped the list of job priorities for teenagers surveyed. But it’s what follows that reveals the values shift:
- 49% said flexible working was the most important workplace feature
- 37% prioritised generous annual leave
- 33% said professional development was key
This is not a generation content to sit at a desk for five days a week, waiting for incremental promotions. They want autonomy, investment and space to grow, even if they don’t yet use those exact terms.
More striking still: 77% of Gen Alpha teenagers said mental health support was critical in their future workplace. And when asked to choose between high pay or mental health support more than half said both were equally important.
The implications for HR teams are clear. Flexibility and wellbeing aren’t perks for Gen Alpha but expectations. Any employer not actively investing in them will struggle to attract or retain this generation.
Neurodiversity moves to the forefront
One new insight from the research? Neurodiversity is likely to define Gen Alpha’s workplace experience in a way no previous generation has seen.
Benenden found that 70% of Gen Alpha surveyed identified as neurodivergent in some way, a figure vastly higher than the commonly cited UK average of one in seven. This reflects a combination of greater awareness, better diagnosis (especially among girls and women), and the normalisation of different cognitive profiles.
For Gen Alpha neurodiversity is a mainstream workplace consideration. And it connects directly to their prioritisation of mental health, flexible conditions and tailored learning experiences.
From an HR standpoint, this means revisiting everything from office design to management training. For example:
- Open-plan spaces can cause distress due to sensory sensitivity
- Nuanced language and social cues may be misread or misunderstood
- Neurodiverse employees may mask their traits, which increases stress and reduces engagement
- Generic L&D programmes won’t serve their diverse processing styles.
As Dr Amy Pressland, head of talent and performance at Benenden Health, notes: “From an L&D perspective, no sheep dipping, no one size fits all.”
How education is changing expectations
Gen Alpha is already experiencing inclusive educational models built around assistive technology, personalised learning plans and differentiated support. These tools help neurodiverse students thrive but they also set a new baseline for what these young people will expect from work.
Employers that fail to carry this inclusivity into the workplace risk creating an immediate disconnect. If neurodiverse-friendly tools and environments are the norm in school, why would they disappear at work?
At Benenden Health, simple adjustments have made a big impact:
- Interview questions are shared with all candidates in advance
- Fidget toys are provided in meeting rooms
- Noise-cancelling headphones are available for those who need them
As Pressland points out these changes don’t just benefit neurodiverse colleagues but improve focus and comfort for everyone. “When we’ve made adjustments for neurodiverse people it actually benefits everybody,” she said.
What Gen Alpha want from work
The teenagers surveyed aren’t just looking for perks. They’re asking for support, fairness and meaningful inclusion:
- 78% said everyone should feel supported at work
- Almost half said they want to work for a company that supports neurodivergent people
- A quarter said they don’t want to work in an office
- One in five expect to have up to three distinct careers, not just jobs, in their lifetime.
That final point is especially notable. Gen Alpha is entering the workforce expecting variety, reinvention and skill mobility. Static career ladders, one-size-fits-all development plans and long-term retention assumptions may quickly become outdated.
Is HR ready for Gen Alpha?
The good news is that many HR teams are already adapting. In the same study:
- 77% of HR leaders said they’ve taken steps to support neurodivergent individuals
- 64% reported an increase in neurodiverse employees requesting reasonable adjustments
- Over half believe the workplace must become more suitable for neurodivergent employees.
Common steps include:
- Quiet spaces for concentration
- Clear and consistent communication protocols
- Regular breaks and flexibility in work structure
- DEI training focused on neurodiversity awareness.
But there’s more to do. Pressland challenges HR leaders to examine their own ‘neuroconfidence’. Do you know what masking, stimming or rejection-sensitive dysphoria are? How familiar is your organisation with the term ‘spiky profile’? Are hiring managers equipped to have inclusive interviews without neurodivergent applicants needing to disclose? If not, now is the time to upskill.
A generational handover
There are also intergenerational dynamics to consider. Gen X still holds most senior leadership positions and, while they bring experience and resilience, they may also default to workplace norms that don’t align with Gen Alpha’s expectations. Generational friction is inevitable unless employers invest in mutual learning and co-creation.
This is about designing environments that allow each generation to contribute, challenge and adapt together.
As Pressland notes: “Generations working together, listening to one another and understanding their strengths is really critical.”
Three things to do now
So what should HR leaders be doing today to get ready for Gen Alpha?
- Audit your workplace environment
Look at physical spaces, meeting norms and communication styles. Are they neurodiverse-inclusive by default? If not, what would it take to get there? - Invest in mental health and wellbeing
Gen Alpha expects this to be visible, credible and embedded, not hidden in a benefits booklet. That includes manager training, accessible services and a culture that normalises emotional wellbeing. - Update your EVP and onboarding
Ensure your employer brand and early talent experience reflect Gen Alpha’s values: flexibility, fairness, development and support for individual needs. Show, don’t just tell.
Looking ahead
Generation Alpha will challenge the workplace to be more responsive, more inclusive and more human. But they’ll also bring strengths: digital fluency, adaptability, a comfort with ambiguity and an expectation of continuous learning. The organisations that thrive will be those that take these insights seriously now rather than when Gen Alpha shows up at the door because, by then, they’ll already be judging whether your workplace is worth joining.
So the question isn’t whether Gen Alpha is ready for work. It’s whether work is ready for them.