My experience as a neurodivergent employee at AWS

As a neurodivergent woman in tech, I've worked in many settings where I didn't feel comfortable speaking openly about the challenges I face. When I joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2021, I found a culture of openness and a sense of belonging that helped me feel less intimidated and more confident in my career.

It all started with open and honest conversations about mental health with my team and manager. Having a safe space to talk about challenges we face outside of work made a huge impact on my psychological safety at work, and helped me improve my mental health.

Having been accustomed to keeping my neurodiversity a secret in the past, I now find myself feeling empowered to talk about it at AWS and no longer see it as a challenge or an obstacle at work. In fact, I’ve learned about all the ways I can harness it to contribute to my success and joined a fairly large community of neurodiverse people across the company. Many of us get together to build relationships across teams and act as subject matter experts for neurodiversity accommodations, trainings, and knowledge-sharing opportunities across Amazon. Our colleagues value our feedback and advice, and I appreciate having a seat at the table and setting the agenda when it comes to activities and knowledge-sharing related to neurodiversity.

For those considering a role at AWS who wonder what our culture is like for the neurodiverse community, here are four examples of how I’ve been able to thrive thanks to colleagues and leaders who embrace our collective differences.

We do a lot of training at Amazon on leading with empathy, and I see it put into practice across AWS through our day-to-day work. For example, my manager reached out recently to ask how I was doing after noticing I was unusually quiet during a team meeting. That small act of empathy really resonates across the team and allows people to be themselves.

I think a lot of companies get it wrong by trying to revolutionize their hiring processes to bring in more diverse candidates before first looking at their workplace culture. Is it psychologically safe for diverse employees? That should be the first step—ensuring you are leading with empathy and allowing people to be their authentic selves. We’re not perfect at AWS, but we’re striving to get there. I believe we have done a great job of building a supportive culture so people from all backgrounds feel included and welcome.  

Being totally comfortable to be myself at work took some time, but it was a game changer once I realized I could open up without feeling unsafe or afraid. It can be hard to imagine revealing parts of yourself you’ve traditionally had to keep quiet, but it’s truly liberating when you do.

With a supportive manager and work environment, you can be your authentic self and open yourself up to a world of new experiences and opportunities. At AWS, I can be comfortable in my own skin and recognize that it’s my uniqueness that makes me special.

From finding my voice and sharing opinions unapologetically to being recognized for my unique talents and feeling a genuine sense of safety, the environment at AWS has allowed me to thrive in ways I never thought possible. My experience highlights a work culture that not only values neurodiversity, but uses it as a cornerstone for learning, growth, connection, and empowerment. AWS is a place where being yourself isn’t just accepted, it’s celebrated.