Not your average employment website.
For businesses committed to inclusive employment, what is the first step to connect with jobseekers facing barriers between themselves and the workforce?
And in the cut-and-dried world of online employment portals, how can those jobseekers be supported to showcase their skills?
To help create these vital initial links and ensure businesses focussed on diversity and inclusion can find and hire the right candidates, Jobsbank has been building a new web portal that enables business to see candidates’ true potential.
The Inclusion Hub is a platform implementing innovative software developed by the Australian social enterprise, Refugee Talent.
Designed to help capture candidates’ skills, experience, and aspirations, it will only be accessible to employers and referral organisations representing specific communities. When employers enter job opportunities on the platform, they are matched with appropriate candidates.
As Refugee Talent’s Chief Storyteller Andrew Keast puts it, what makes the Inclusion Hub stand apart from other employment platforms is that it allows supportive community organisations and employment agencies to be part of the process.
The Inclusion Hub, Andrew says, “is the first of its kind in the country that recognises the value of referral partners in inclusive employment, and the role they can play supporting candidates.”
On most job boards and career portals, only the candidate can submit their resume or address a job’s key selection criteria.
“We know what that means for those candidates who have English as a second language, or have any other perceived barriers to employment,” says Andrew.
“This community wrap-around piece is a method that ensures the candidate is seen, is screened and selected in the right way.”
The platform enables employers to meet specific diversity and inclusion objectives whilst removing some of the barriers many jobseekers face. “The employers registered with us are committed to inclusive employment and specifically, looking for hidden talent,” explains Suzanne Hewitt, Jobsbank’s Digital & Innovation Advisor.
“Our platform filters candidates and comes up with the best match. We have job-ready people who have been through a blind assessment based on their skills.”
Building the Inclusion Hub meant dealing with a series of challenges that emerged from the sheer complexity of the project.
“We had to coordinate many variables, well beyond the logic and the build of the actual platform,” explains Leigh Jones, Jobsbank Digital & Innovation Manager. “We also had to consider different end users. Practically, we have been building separate mini projects for each stakeholder – the employers, the community organisations, Jobsbank staff, the candidates.”
All this was made possible because everyone involved stayed focused on the endgame: Jobsbank’s vision to build an effective tool that will allow users, employers, recruiters, community organisations and jobseekers to get the best outcome: great placements, without the stress associated with the process.
“Think of it as a meeting place —or rather, as a meeting of the minds,” says Antonios Frangos, Technology Business Development at Refugee Talent, who has been working closely with the Jobsbank Digital & Innovation team.
“We share the same vision with Jobsbank, to build an inclusive world by employing diverse people,” says Refugee Talent CEO Anna Robson. “It’s an exciting partnership.”
Inclusive employment with peace of mind.
About Jobsbank
At Jobsbank we are passionate about inclusion and the difference it makes – not just to one person, but to teams and whole organisations. We believe in an Australia where everybody belongs. That’s why we’re helping to build more inclusive workplaces one business at time.
Whether you have specific focus areas or you’re looking to achieve transformational change – our services are tailored to meet your specific needs and provides you with the insights and tools to deliver sustainable solutions.
About Refugee Talent
Founded by Nirary Dacho and Anna Robson, Refugee Talent is a recruitment technology-driven social enterprise where companies can hire refugees internationally to fill skills gaps in organisations.
This story appears in Jobsbank’s forthcoming Annual Report 2020-2021. Keep an eye on the website or sign up to our mailing list in the footer below for more details.
Simplified Summary
Jobsbank is making a new online employment website that will help jobseekers who have barriers to finding work to find jobs. Jobsbank is building this website with a web developer called Refugee Talent.
