As Employment Hero’s social impact arm, Hero Foundation kick-starts its mission to unlock one million job opportunities for people facing barriers to work by 2034.
With more than 600,000 people unemployed and close to two million underemployed in Australia, Hero Foundation was created to break down systemic barriers and combat underutilisation in the workforce, particularly amongst underrepresented groups facing barriers to entering mainstream employment. This currently includes people with disabilities, migrants, women with lived experience of domestic and family violence, frontline workers, those who have been forced to take career breaks for caring responsibilities and neurodivergent job-seekers.
Leveraging Employment Hero’s recruitment platform, including candidate matching technology and direct access to over 300,000 businesses, Hero Foundation connects social-purpose organisations and people facing barriers to work with employment opportunities, on its mission to bring together all aspects of the employment ecosystem to change lives.
Alexandra Goodenough, General Manager of Hero Foundation, said corporate Australia has made some headway in shifting recruitment practices to provide alternate pathway programs for underrepresented job seekers, but there remains a gap when it comes to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“The reality is that SMEs, which the majority of Australian businesses are, often don’t have the time, resources or ability to consider alternate talent pools, which means both businesses and job-seekers alike are missing out on employment opportunities. We know that employment status is one of the key drivers of inequality, and it is our mission to provide a pathway to employment for those who have been overlooked, underestimated or excluded from the workforce,” Goodenough said.
For her, it’s not about simply filling a role but filling areas of the existing employment support system that currently lack funding and resources.
“Ultimately, we want to create a global platform where everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has an equal opportunity to be prepared and job-ready to find meaningful work, thus creating a more inclusive, resilient and skilled workforce,” she added.
In under six months, Hero Foundation has partnered with seven Australian social purpose employment partners, provided education and mentoring for businesses and over 100+ candidates with philanthropic partners such as Canva Foundation, helped over 10 people secure interviews and, in the last month, successfully placed four candidates into employment.
Ed Milne, General Manager of People and Culture at Air-Met Scientific, most recently hired a Hero Foundation candidate and talked about the significant benefits of looking at different recruitment channels.
“For people who have faced constant barriers to entry or heard ‘no’ more than any word in their life, there is an innate loyalty and commitment when you provide an opportunity that is supported and enriching. Ultimately, it is getting harder to find people, and if we are not searching all avenues, then we’re limiting our access to talent and cutting ourselves off from people who can provide unique skills. We need to look beyond labels and barriers, because is it a barrier or a superpower?” Milne said.
Dominique Evele, CEO at Amber Aged Care, was the first business to hire a candidate through Hero Foundation, recognising the strengths that diversity and lived experience can bring.
“Having been born with a congenital disability, I am a passionate advocate for equal opportunities, and it is something I have always incorporated into my recruitment practices. The benefit of Hero Foundation is that it also provides an avenue for SME organisations, like Amber Aged Care, to meaningfully contribute to social impact and community-building without having to add a significant burden to their existing recruitment,” Evele said.
Melanie Greblo, Founder of Humans of Purpose and the first social purpose employment partner for Hero Foundation, noted the power of the ecosystem it has begun to build and the good it can create.
“We’re really proud to partner with Hero Foundation as our missions are so complementary when it comes to providing upskilling opportunities for women facing barriers to work, aiming to catalyse opportunities for thriving employment. There are so many organisations doing great work in the employment support sector, all individually out there looking for great employers for our talented members, but Hero Foundation is the missing piece of the puzzle and can add the fuel needed to accelerate our work,” Greblo said.
Despite its infancy, Hero Foundation’s initial traction highlights its huge potential. While operations are currently funded solely by Employment Hero CEO and founder Ben Thompson, its leadership is actively considering future options for the organisation. Employment Hero is also a member of Atlassian’s Pledge 1%, a commitment that drives ongoing investment into the foundation through significant dedication of volunteering hours by Employment Hero staff.
“At the heart of Employment Hero has always been a profound belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to access employment – our mission is to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone, and the Hero Foundation is simply an extension of this, with an innovative approach to addressing the challenges of finding work for people facing barriers to employment,” Thompson said. “Never before has there been a bigger opportunity for the Hero Foundation to create real change in employment in Australia. We’re grounded in the belief that one job can change a life, and we’re on a mission to change a million of them.”
Read also: Social enterprise partners with restaurant tech leader for youth employment pathways
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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