Overview

Most workplaces don't set out to exclude people. They set out to be efficient, predictable, and consistent. Over time, those priorities become systems; and when those systems don't work, the explanation is usually individualised: ""They're not a fit"". ""They're struggling"". ""They need to adapt"". Designed for Humans is a practical rethink of modern work through a simple lens: many ""people problems"" are actually design problems. The friction isn't random; it's predictable, repeatable, and built into how we hire, onboard, manage, communicate, and measure success.This book is written for leaders, managers, HR and talent teams, and anyone who cares about building workplaces where people can thrive; especially as AI and automation accelerate the consequences of bad design.Inside you'll learn how to: - Spot where efficiency-driven systems quietly filter out capable people before they even get through the door. - Understand why interviews often reward performance and confidence, not real ability; and what to do instead. - Fix onboarding as the ""quiet point of failure"" that creates management problems months later. - Manage difference without patronising people; with clarity, outcomes, and support that doesn't require someone to ""prove"" they're struggling. - Reduce conflict by making the hidden rules of communication visible, so people don't have to guess what ""good"" looks like. - Design progression systems that don't quietly reward sameness and call it ""potential"". - Use AI responsibly; not to scale old assumptions, but to remove invisible labour and widen participation. This isn't a checklist book. Each chapter ends with a ""Designed for Human Action"" section; not rigid instructions, but prompts that help you notice where the system is asking humans to bend, stretch, mask, or compensate. You don't need to fix everything at once. You just need to decide where to start. If you want a workplace with high standards and lower friction; designed for humans, not just for efficiency, this book is for you.

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9781036954857

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Author Information

Theo Smith is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and founder of Neurodiversity at Work. A recognised voice on inclusive design and the future of work, he advises organisations on redesigning hiring and people systems to better reflect how humans actually work. A LinkedIn Top Voice and host of the Neurodiversity with Theo Smith podcast, Theo combines lived experience with senior leadership insight to challenge outdated assumptions about performance, potential, and progress.

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