Participate Australia uses SmartMatch to streamline recruitment of Disability Support Workers

About Participate Australia

Participate Australia is dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual, cognitive, and developmental disabilities, and their families and carers. From respite programs that provide crucial relief for carers to independence programs to help individuals acquire life skills, Participate Australia is committed to creating an inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities to grow and thrive.

The challenge…

Recruiting qualified Disability Support Workers (DSWs) is critical to delivering exceptional care at Participate Australia. However, finding the right candidates who align with their organisation’s values and meet the specific needs of clients has been a significant challenge. Although traditional job boards like SEEK and Indeed delivered a high volume of applications, the quality of candidates fell short.

We spoke to Ronald Kwok, HR Business Partner at Participate Australia. Ronald recalled,

“Historically, I would utilise recruitment platforms such as SEEK and Indeed. Until recently, this was a huge pain point, specifically the quality of candidates.”

The solution…

Participate Australia turned to SmartMatch, a revolutionary AI-powered recruitment tool integrated with Employment Hero’s HR platform. SmartMatch provided a game-changer for their recruitment process.

As Ronald says, “My experience with SmartMatch has been positive. I was able to overcome the challenges I’ve had with previous recruitment platforms like Indeed, SEEK and Ethical Jobs.”

Quality candidates in an instant

How does SmartMatch work? SmartMatch provides access to an existing database of candidates actively looking for roles and automatically matches candidates to roles that employers are looking to fill. Employers can find top talent instantly, without having to put out a job ad and wait for candidates to apply – cutting down average hiring time by at least two weeks.

For Participate Australia, this was a game-changer. They were matched to qualified support workers quickly through SmartMatch, and were given access to their resumes. Ronald could quickly filter through candidates that would best meet Participate Australia’s business needs.

The right people for the roles

Beyond offering quality candidates, SmartMatch also proved invaluable for meeting the diverse needs of Participate Australia’s clients.

“Our clients sometimes have specific needs. For example, some might request a female driver for a trip as a personal preference,” Ronald says.

SmartMatch’s customisable search filters proved invaluable, allowing Ronald to customise his search filters to provide him with the most relevant candidates for the needs of the specific role.

The efficiency boost that SmartMatch provided also allowed Ronald to focus on building relationships with potential candidates and quickly moving them through the hiring pipeline.

“I really appreciate how efficient the turnaround time is with SmartMatch, allowing me to continue with my work.” 

Apart from sourcing for candidates with SmartMatch, Ronald also leverages the ‘Interested Candidates’ tab. Through the Swag by Employment Hero app, candidates can express interest in working for an organisation. When they have shown interest, they will be listed under the ‘Interested Candidates’ tab, where employers can view their profile and reach out to them.

As Ronald points out, using the tab “significantly increases the hire rate.”

A seamless hiring and onboarding experience

SmartMatch’s user-friendly interface and integration within Employment Hero enhanced the recruitment experience. Ronald was impressed by the ability to manage the entire recruitment process within SmartMatch, from initial candidate screening to final onboarding.

“What I really liked is how deeply integrated SmartMatch is with the HR system, which allows me to go through the whole recruitment process directly from the Employment Hero platform.” 

With access to candidates’ contact details in SmartMatch, Ronald could send shortlisted candidates a tailored message directly through the platform, where he usually provided his contact number for candidates to reach out to.

“Within the day, I would get a response, and I would schedule an interview with them.” 

Not only has Ronald leveraged SmartMatch to streamline his recruitment process, by using Employment Hero’s recruitment module, he was also able to “cut down time on manual documentation of candidates.”

The future of hiring with SmartMatch

SmartMatch has proven to be a valuable tool for Participate Australia, streamlining their recruitment process while providing both speed and quality.

Looking ahead, Ronald is excited about the potential of SmartMatch to further revolutionise Participate Australia’s recruitment strategy.

“I am very excited to continue utilising SmartMatch as more and more candidates join the platform. All in all, I’m looking forward to what’s more to come for SmartMatch.” 

SmartMatch is an exclusive feature for Employment Hero users. If you’d like to explore how Employment Hero can transform your HR and payroll processes so you can focus back on doing what you do best, connect with one of our business specialists today.