Hero Foundation targets one million jobs for disadvantaged Australians

Hero Foundation has confirmed its first job placements as part of its aim to generate one million employment opportunities in Australia by 2034 for individuals facing barriers to entering the workforce.

Created and funded by Ben Thompson, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Employment Hero, Hero Foundation utilises Employment Hero's technology platform, including candidate matching capabilities and a network of over 300,000 businesses, to connect social-purpose bodies and disadvantaged job seekers with employment opportunities.

The Foundation's mission responds to national challenges, with more than 600,000 people unemployed and nearly two million underemployed in Australia. Its focus is on groups often underrepresented in mainstream employment, including people with disabilities, migrants, women affected by domestic violence, those with caring responsibilities, frontline workers, and neurodivergent individuals.

Addressing systemic barriers

Alexandra Goodenough, General Manager of Hero Foundation, said that while some progress has been made in large corporations' recruitment practices, small and medium businesses still face barriers in accessing holistic support for hiring from alternate talent pools.

"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," said Goodenough.

It's not about simply filling a role; we're filling areas of the existing employment support system that are currently lacking 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," added Goodenough.

In its first six months, Hero Foundation has established partnerships with seven social purpose employment partners in Australia, including corporate supporters such as Canva Foundation. The Foundation has provided educational and mentoring programmes to over 100 candidates, facilitated interviews for more than ten individuals, and placed four candidates into employment in the past month.

Employer perspectives

Businesses participating in the Foundation's recruitment ecosystem have highlighted the benefits of engaging with diverse talent pools. Ed Milne, General Manager of People and Culture at Air-Met Scientific, was among the first to recruit through the programme.

"For people that 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 to people that can provide unique skills. We need to look beyond labels and barriers, because is it a barrier or a superpower?" said Milne.

Amber Aged Care was the first business to hire via the Hero Foundation. Its Chief Executive Officer, Dominique Evele, emphasised the programme's value for smaller organisations.

"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 significant burden to their existing recruitment," said Evele.

Building an ecosystem

Melanie Greblo, Founder of Humans of Purpose and Hero Foundation's first social purpose employment partner, noted the potential wider impact of the organisation.

"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," said Greblo.

Currently, the Foundation's operations are financed solely by Ben Thompson, though future funding options are under active consideration. Employment Hero also supports the initiative as a member of Atlassian's pledge 1%, with staff volunteering hours towards the Foundation's work.

Thompson said, "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 faces barriers to employment.

"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," concluded Thompson.