Employees with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often work earnestly to be good employees and put in extra effort to meet their responsibilities, only to be perceived as not trying hard enough. This can put their jobs at risk, even when their creativity, energy, and initiative should make them valuable assets. As a manager, you can help employees with ADHD succeed at work, and help your organization gain the benefit of their strengths.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a condition, often lifelong, that can cause a person to be inattentive, impulsive, or hyperactive. ADHD can affect people in different ways, including which symptoms are present and how much those symptoms affect thinking and behavior.

Experts estimate that as many as 1 in 20 adults have ADHD. Many people with ADHD don’t know it, or perhaps suspect it but have not been diagnosed. Even when an employee has been diagnosed with ADHD, they may or may not choose to disclose that information to their manager.

Valuable Work Strengths of People with ADHD

Employees with ADHD often have exceptional abilities in areas such as

• Creativity and innovative thinking
• Energy and optimism
• Deep focus on activities that are of interest to them
• Willingness to take risks
• Functioning well under pressure or in a crisis

Common Workplace Challenges for Employees with ADHD

Employees with ADHD may find it difficult to

• Focus on work tasks, especially routine ones
• Follow discussions in meetings
• Manage their time
• Organize their work schedule to tackle priorities and meet deadlines
• Follow through on commitments

How You, as a Manager, Can Help an Employee with ADHD Succeed at Work

• Ask what would help. Whether the employee discloses their ADHD or not, you can have a conversation about performance issues and ask what changes would be helpful to them.
• Respect your employee’s confidentiality. If the employee tells you they have ADHD, ask whether they’d like you to share that information with any other members of the team. If they’d prefer to keep the information private, respect their choice. You may need to involve a Human Resources (HR) representative, with the employee’s permission, if the employee is seeking work accommodations relating to their ADHD.
• Assign work to align with employees’ strengths. Divide work in ways that let each member of your team shine.
• Help the employee minimize distractions. To the extent that you can, take steps to make the work environment less distracting for an employee with ADHD. That might be by finding a quiet space for them to work or allowing them to wear earplugs or noise-canceling headphones. Consider whether working from home might be an option.
• Consider greater flexibility. Might your employee’s start time be earlier or later than what’s standard, either to give them some quiet time before others arrive or to allow some leeway if they run late some days? Might they do some of their work in the evening if that’s when they’re the most focused and energetic? If you’re unsure about your organization’s flexible work policies, check with your HR representative. Consider how much flexibility you might apply to task deadlines, too. If a task is done well, but gets completed a day or two late, how much does that really matter?
• Have regular catch-up meetings. Meet with the employee regularly to review their progress, help them prioritize, and give them feedback, both on what they’re doing well and ways they could do better.
• Ask your employee about their communication preferences. It’s common for people with ADHD to have trouble processing spoken information and instructions. Ask how they’d like to receive work assignments, feedback, and other information. You might need to put more of your communication in writing. Written notes summarizing key points and to-dos from meetings can also be helpful to people with ADHD.
• Assign tasks in smaller and more manageable steps.
• Encourage frequent breaks. A person with ADHD can lose focus when they sit still for too long. Encourage them to stand up and move around for a few minutes every half hour or so, and to exercise or go for a walk in a longer break at lunch.
• Encourage the employee to use scheduling and reminder tools. Checklists, calendars, apps, and project management tools with alerts can all help the employee stay on track with work.
• Be supportive. Let everyone on your team know that they can come to you when they have questions about work. Manage in ways that encourage supportive teamwork, so that all employees accept each other for who they are and help each other when needed. Make sure all employees know how to access the employee assistance program (EAP) or employee wellbeing program for help with emotional issues, relationship problems, or work challenges.

Morgan, H. (Revised 2025, April 25). Managing an employee with ADHD (B. Schuette & E. Morton, Eds.). Raleigh, NC: Workplace Options.