AXA Me Anything: I have ADHD and work at AXA

I’m Jessica and I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult while working at AXA. My diagnosis began with years of back and forth with medical professionals for investigations into everything from anxiety to hormonal imbalances. I ended up being put in touch with a counsellor through the AXA Employee Assistance Programme, and it was through the counselling process that I began the self-reflection that so often leads to diagnosis.  

Has your ADHD provided you with any strengths that help you at work?

I’m quite an outside-the-box thinker and can easily spot patterns in data. Also, over the years I have developed very detailed strategies to help me stay organised at work and not forget things, so someone looking from the outside would say I’m extremely organised, but this is a coping mechanism that has been developed over many years — I didn’t start out this way. But I suppose over the years this has turned into a strength.

Does your ADHD present any challenges for you in work?

I often find it hard to see a way forward without a detailed plan, and that makes it difficult to work with people who like ambiguity. I often find myself being able to visualise the end result, but struggle with breaking it down into manageable steps. I don’t like grey areas so can struggle with uncertainty and decision paralysis when the way forward isn’t abundantly clear.  

I also struggle socially at work, I come across as very social and friendly when talking about work with colleagues, but I do struggle when the subject matter is more personal, like at team building events and coffee mornings for example. It’s not that I visibly struggle, I do my best, but it takes a lot of effort, and it’s just something I struggle with personally. 

There are lots of stereotypes around ADHD. From your experience, are there any in particular that stand out to you?

I think personally the stereotype about the way ADHD manifests particularly in men and boys has been damaging to many women and girls as it quite often meant that people didn’t get a diagnosis until later in life and had to struggle through school.  

There’s this idea that ADHD is naughty boys throwing chairs around classrooms, and for many years you were far more likely to get a diagnosis if you were disruptive. Having been through my own diagnosis process, it’s clear the diagnostic criteria for ADHD is still heavily weighted to the way it presents in men and boys. I really hope in the future the medical community will catch up, to ensure we can help women and girls at the earliest possible opportunity. 

Do you have any tips or tricks that help you manage your workload at work as a neurodiverse person?

I have a very detailed system of flagging, colour coding and categorising my emails. It probably seems like a mammoth task to organise to someone with ADHD, but as a person who is always looking for the perfect organisation system, having everything in its place is absolutely worth the effort. I just wish I could recreate something similar in my personal life!  

Also, it’s really important to ask for help when you need it and be honest about the things you struggle with. It definitely helps if you have a supportive manager and team. 

In what ways has AXA supported you through your diagnosis journey? 

Post-diagnosis, AXA was very helpful. My manager immediately arranged a workplace assessment which led to some adjustments, like ear plugs for when I’m in the office and access to Lexxic coaching which has massively improved my wellbeing at work. Also access to the Able employee network (which provides support for colleagues who are disabled or neurodiverse), has been invaluable. I enjoy being part of something supportive. 

As you only received your diagnosis later in life, what advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself that there’s a reason you feel the way you do, and that it’s not a personal failing on your part that you haven’t managed to achieve the things you set out to do (like many failed attempts at courses, GCSEs dropped, uni drop-outs etc).

Would you recommend a career at AXA?

I would — AXA has been extremely supportive post-diagnosis, and I was really happy to see that they’ve also implemented neurodiversity cover so that others can be better supported. Aside from neurodiversity, it’s just a nice place to work! 

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