Taxonomy

The taxonomy is a way of grouping indicators into themes. Each theme — called a domain — covers a coherent area of organisational practice. Domains help you see which parts of your organisation the framework is assessing and where gaps or strengths cluster.

The taxonomy is separate from the indicators themselves, which means a single indicator can appear in more than one domain without needing to change its definition.

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Active Taxonomy (NDT-1.0.0)

This is the current stable taxonomy. It contains six domains covering the 13 Standard indicators.

Administrative Accessibility (NDT-zk3lhx)

How easy is it for employees to navigate internal processes without specialist knowledge?

This domain covers indicators related to the design and clarity of routine administrative tasks — expense reporting, approvals, scheduling, and other internal processes. Organisations that score well here have documented, streamlined processes that employees can complete without relying on informal guidance or undocumented social knowledge.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-2cdbgj

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Performance Evaluation (NDT-wcjtfz)

Are employees assessed on what they produce, or on how they present themselves?

This domain covers indicators related to how performance is measured and communicated. Organisations that score well here use explicit, documented criteria focused on outputs and results — not on communication style, social presentation, or behavioural conformance.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-hgbbzn, NDI-fumd3q

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Organisational Clarity (NDT-znf2v5)

Do employees know what they’re responsible for, who they report to, and how the organisation makes decisions?

This domain covers indicators related to how clearly roles, responsibilities, and authority structures are defined and documented. It also includes how the organisation manages transitions — particularly changes in management — that restructure the working environment for employees.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-nl3yam, NDI-iuc2r5, NDI-ow2t74, NDI-su335j, NDI-eohpdo, NDI-mmp2kt

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Sensory Environment (NDT-xyrxwd)

Is the physical and auditory work environment designed to support concentration?

This domain covers indicators related to how the organisation manages noise, sensory input, and physical workspace conditions. Organisations that score well here take deliberate, structural steps to reduce sensory disruption rather than leaving employees to manage it individually.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-ztoto2, NDI-w2b3yw

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Governance & Justice (NDT-6zfsxi)

Are workplace processes — including complaints, investigations, and disciplinary matters — handled fairly and consistently?

This domain covers indicators related to procedural fairness in how the organisation handles grievances, conduct issues, and disciplinary processes. Organisations that score well here have documented, consistent processes that apply equally regardless of who is involved.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-fkbdsm

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Support Infrastructure (NDT-dxjmnq)

Can employees access support — coaching, mentoring, work-style guidance — without having to disclose their neurodivergence?

This domain covers indicators related to how coaching and professional development support is provided. Organisations that score well here offer universally accessible support, not gated behind disclosure or formal accommodation processes.

Indicators in this domain: NDI-rfdub6

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Developing Taxonomy (NDT-0.1.0C)

Community review

This taxonomy is under community review. The domains and their indicator assignments haven’t yet reached the stability threshold for a standard release.

March 2026 update: The first major community review cycle is complete. 6 indicators were promoted to Standard and 11 redundant candidates were retired. The developing taxonomy will be consolidated in an upcoming release to reflect these changes.

This version of the taxonomy contains fifteen domains, developed alongside the original candidate indicator set. Several of these domains map directly onto the active taxonomy above; others represent finer-grained distinctions that may be consolidated in NDT-2.0.0.

Administrative Accessibility (NDT-p3wupm)

How easy is it for employees to navigate internal processes without specialist knowledge?

This domain focuses specifically on the procedural load of routine administrative tasks — the number of steps required, documentation burdens, and how deadlines are managed.

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Performance & Evaluation Fairness (NDT-o4kzv6)

Are employees assessed fairly, consistently, and on the basis of their actual work?

This domain covers the full range of evaluation practices — from the structure of evaluation criteria to the design of multi-rater processes, the specificity of feedback, and the safeguards in place to reduce evaluator bias.

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Role Clarity & Boundary Governance (NDT-d4vwtp)

Are roles, responsibilities, and work intake channels clearly defined and respected?

This domain covers indicators related to how clearly role boundaries are defined and enforced — including protection from unsolicited interruptions, the existence of formal work intake pathways, and the management of overlapping responsibilities between teams.

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Decision Governance (NDT-cqb523)

Is it clear who makes decisions — especially when informal influence and formal authority don’t align?

This domain focuses specifically on situations where informal influence may diverge from formally designated authority, and on who holds authority over competing priorities.

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Predictability & Change Management (NDT-gwkyu4)

Are changes to the working environment communicated with enough notice to allow preparation?

This domain covers indicators related to how the organisation manages transitions — changes to work arrangements, planning rhythms, and manager relationships. Organisations that score well here treat predictability as an organisational responsibility, not an individual coping strategy.

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Sensory Environment & Noise Management (NDT-fe7di5)

Is the physical and auditory work environment actively managed to reduce disruption?

This domain covers structural noise mitigation and the configurability of digital notification systems.

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Workspace Stability & Continuity (NDT-mcvv7l)

Do employees have stable, predictable access to a consistent physical workspace?

This domain covers the stability of an employee’s physical work environment — whether they have a designated workspace home base, and how the organisation manages changes to workspace or location.

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Cultural Norms & Conformity Signalling (NDT-z57uk7)

Does the organisation’s public messaging signal that behavioural conformity is required to belong?

This domain covers indicators visible in how the organisation presents itself publicly — particularly through culture messaging, employer branding, and hiring communications.

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Hiring & Structural Pathway Diversity (NDT-fuctyf)

Do hiring practices and employer signals avoid filtering out neurodivergent candidates?

This domain covers observable signals in how the organisation recruits — including job description language, hiring patterns, and employer branding.

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Methodological Integrity & Evidence Grounding (NDT-6ji4xt)

Are the assessments and indicators the organisation uses grounded in sound evidence?

This domain covers whether the people-related assessments the organisation relies on internally have documented methodological validity.

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Support Infrastructure & Advisory Access (NDT-3h2fny)

Can employees access coaching and professional development support without disclosing their neurodivergence?

This domain covers the accessibility of coaching and advisory support.

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Procedural Justice (NDT-qawrjs)

Are complaints, inquiries, and conduct matters handled fairly and consistently?

This domain covers procedural fairness in how the organisation handles grievances, conduct inquiries, and disciplinary matters.

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Experiential Signals — Visible from Public Sources (NDT-z4wtbl)

What patterns are visible in public employee reviews that indicate structural problems?

This domain covers indicators derived from patterns in public review platforms (Glassdoor, Blind, and similar sites). These indicators capture signals visible from employee experience that point toward structural gaps.

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Communication Modality & Processing (NDT-bw4uzj)

Does the organisation support diverse communication styles and processing needs?

This domain is defined in the developing taxonomy but does not yet contain any active indicators.

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Cognitive Load & Work Structuring (NDT-wnu65q)

Are work processes designed to minimise unnecessary cognitive overhead?

This domain overlaps with Administrative Accessibility and is included to house future indicators specifically focused on work structuring and cognitive overhead.

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For technical specifications including domain IDs, edge relationships, and taxonomy version history, see the Taxonomy Reference.