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Curious about inclusive hiring? See how it can be simple, practical and impactful for your business.
Many employers are interested in inclusive hiring but are unsure how it works in practice.
Questions often arise. Who employs the person? What does the business need to provide? What kind of support is available?
However, inclusive employment can be much simpler than many businesses expect.
One of the most practical ways to get started is for a business to host an employee with disability while an employment provider manages the employment and support structure.
This model allows organisations to experience inclusive hiring with clear responsibilities, built-in support and minimal risk.
In this article, we break down how hosted employment works and why this model is a low-risk way to start inclusive hiring.
Who Employs the Person?
In a hosted employment model, the individual is employed by an employment provider, like Endeavour Foundation, not the host business.
For example, as part of our Supported Hosted Employment model, we remain the legal employer.
The employee works within the host business’s workplace, contributing as part of the team while the provider manages employment responsibilities such as payroll, compliance and support coordination.
This structure removes many of the administrative barriers that can make employers hesitant about inclusive hiring. For businesses, this means:
- No direct employment administration
- Reduced compliance responsibilities
- Expert support to manage the placement
The host business can focus on what matters most: providing work and integrating the employee into the team.
What the Host Business Provides
While the employment provider manages the employment relationship, the host organisation provides the workplace and the opportunity. This usually involves:
Providing Suitable Tasks or Roles
Businesses identify practical tasks that contribute to their operations. These can be existing responsibilities within the team or tasks designed through ‘job carving’ to match the employee’s strengths.
Welcoming the Employee Into the Team
Like any new hire, the employee becomes part of the workplace culture and daily operations. Inclusion often works best when colleagues treat the individual as a valued member of the team.
Providing Supervision Within the Workplace
Managers or supervisors oversee day-to-day work tasks, just as they would with any other employee.
In many cases, employers discover that supported employees contribute across a wide range of roles, including logistics, administration, hospitality, production and retail environments.
Often, these roles focus on tasks that help improve efficiency for the wider team.
What Support Is Available?
One of the key reasons businesses choose a hosted model is the strong support structure behind it.
Endeavour Foundation works closely with employers at every stage of the process to make the experience simple and successful. Typical support includes:
Workplace Consultation and Planning
Before a placement begins, specialists take time to understand the business, its culture and the types of roles available. They identify opportunities where an employee can contribute effectively.
Candidate Matching
The provider connects the business with job-ready candidates whose skills and interests align with the role.
Team Preparation and Training
Many employers appreciate guidance for their teams. Training may include disability awareness, communication strategies and practical inclusion techniques that help everyone feel confident.
On-the-Job Coaching
Support does not stop after placement. Employment specialists or job coaches provide ongoing guidance to both the employee and the host business to ensure the role is working well.
Ongoing Partnership and Check-Ins
Regular check-ins help address challenges early, celebrate successes and ensure the placement remains valuable for everyone involved.
This ongoing partnership is designed to make inclusive employment sustainable, supported and successful for the long term.
A Step-by-Step Process
For businesses considering hosting a supported employee, the process is usually straightforward:
- Consultation: Endeavour Foundation learns about your workforce needs and business goals.
- Role identification: Together, we identify tasks or roles suitable for inclusive employment.
- Candidate matching: A job-ready candidate is identified based on their skills and strengths.
- Workplace preparation: Your team receives guidance or training if needed.
- Placement and support: The employee begins work with on-the-job coaching and ongoing support.
This structured process ensures the placement is carefully matched and well supported from day one.
Why Businesses Choose the Hosted Model
For many organisations, hosting an employee is the easiest way to begin their inclusive employment journey. The model works well because it:
- Reduces employment administration and risk
- Provides professional support for both the employee and the workplace
- Helps teams build confidence in inclusive hiring
- Creates meaningful employment opportunities in the community
Businesses also gain access to motivated employees who bring strong commitment, loyalty and new perspectives to the workplace.
Research and employer experience consistently show that inclusive teams often see improvements in morale, engagement and retention while also strengthening their brand and social impact.
Take the First Step
Inclusive employment does not require major changes to your organisation. Often, it starts with one role and the right support around it.
Hosting an employee with intellectual disability allows businesses to explore inclusive hiring in a practical, low-barrier way while contributing to a more inclusive workforce.
For organisations that are curious about inclusive employment but unsure where to begin, hosting an employee through Endeavour Foundation can be a powerful first step.
Interested in learning how hosting a supported employee could work in your business?
Speak with our team to explore how inclusive employment can strengthen your workforce.
