From invisible candidate to hired in days – the Hero Foundation effect

About the candidate

Amelia had spent years working as a commercial and residential cleaner. Outside of work, she was a primary carer, supporting her brother-in-law through severe disability and caring for her niece. She knew this was where she was meant to be. What she lacked was a pathway into the support industry.

After enrolling in Generation Australia’s Disability Support Worker Foundations Programme, she was introduced to Employment Hero and the Hero Foundation, and everything changed.

The challenge

For years, Amelia had applied for support worker roles on Seek and Indeed. She had real experience supporting a family member with severe disability, but without a formal credential, her applications disappeared into silence.

“It was hard to get a call back when I applied for work. There are so many people applying for jobs on them and you just don’t get a reply.”

The mainstream job boards aren’t built for candidates like Amelia – people who bring lived experience, personal values and genuine motivation, but whose backgrounds don’t fit a standard template. 

The solution

After enrolling in  Generation Australia’s Disability Support Worker Foundations Programme, Amelia was introduced to the Hero Foundation, Employment Hero’s charity that connects purpose-driven employers with skilled, motivated candidates from underrepresented talent pools.

Setting up her profile was different from anything she’d experienced before. Amelia could upload her certifications, showcase her lived experience, and see exactly what each role required, such as first aid certificates, specific licences, even car insurance, before applying.

“With Employment Hero’s job board, I stopped running around applying for jobs I’m obviously not matched to. When I apply for jobs on Employment Hero, I can see exactly what I need for each role. Little things that aren’t visible in other job networks.”

The platform also showed her a match percentage for each role. This gave her a clear, honest signal of how well her profile aligned before even clicking apply.

“The ability to see my match percentage to a role really built my confidence in looking for the right job and showing that I was a good match for it.”

The impact

Amelia applied to All About Caring, a Sydney-based NDIS provider delivering complex disability support services across New South Wales. Within two days, she received a call.

The interview went well, and Amelia now supports multiple clients for All About Caring, and it’s had a huge impact on her life.

“This job has made me really happy. I feel fulfilled and it’s exactly where I’m meant to be. My brother said, ‘You sound so different – you sound so happy. You’re right where you need to be.’ And I know I am.”

The Hero Foundation highlighted Amelia’s profile directly to All About Caring’s HR Business Partner, Natalia Gubbay. Once highlighted, Amelia’s profile wasn’t a faceless application in a pile of hundreds, but visible as a high-potential candidate whose values and background made her a great fit.

The employer perspective

Natalia Gubbay, HR Business Partner at All About Caring, shortlisted Amelia entirely on the strength of her video screening, communication, values and her answers. She had no idea Amelia was a Hero Foundation candidate.

When she found out, it came with an added benefit: a discount on her Employment Hero subscription, and an ongoing pipeline of high-quality, values-aligned candidates from Generation Australia and other Hero Foundation partners, surfaced automatically as they apply.

What AAC gained:

• A hire they would never have found through Seek or Indeed
• A discount on their Employment Hero subscription as a Hero Foundation employer
• An active, ongoing pipeline of purpose-driven candidates as new cohorts complete training
• Reduced coverage gaps across two support programmes

“Judging by the fact that she never had support worker experience, her answers were just as if she had it.” Natalia Gubbay, HR Business Partner, All About Caring

Why it matters

The NDIS sector depends on people who show up with more than a resume, but with a genuine desire to care. The Hero Foundation was built to make sure those people can actually be found. It gives candidates like Amelia – motivated, values-aligned and previously invisible in a crowded market – a genuine path through.

“I wouldn’t have got this job without the Hero Foundation and Employment Hero. I wouldn’t have known where to go, or what to do.” 

The Hero Foundation is currently focused on placing candidates into roles in the Care Sector across Australia. You can learn more, and reach out to the team here. 

As a Hero Foundation employer partner, this employer accessed a platform discount in association with placing a candidate and providing a testimonial about that placement.