Numerous organizations strive to capitalize on the strengths of neurodivergent employees, embracing a “competitive advantage” narrative in recruiting from this population. However, significant theoretical tension remains over the implications of this narrative for including neurodivergent individuals in the workplace, specifically over whether it empowers this subpopulation of employees or reinforces existing stereotypes. In this paper, we advance a theoretical model that draws from uncertainty management theory (UMT) and self-verification theory (SVT) to build initial understanding of how neurodivergent individuals respond to organizational signaling that frames neurodiversity as a competitive advantage. We argue that this competitive advantage rhetoric may reduce uncertainty about an organization among neurodivergent applicants, but ultimately that this effect is qualified by how positively applicants view their own neurodivergent identity. An experimental study partially substantiates these claims, as an organizational diversity statement with a strengths-based neurodiversity clause induced significantly less uncertainty among jobseekers who expressed more pride in their neurodivergent identity, and such individuals in turn perceived the signaling organization more positively. This research advances the nascent literature on neurodiversity, draws novel theoretical connections that bolster research on diversity initiative effectiveness, and provides guidance for companies seeking to tap into the neurodivergent talent pool.
