When Marie, the owner of Bird’s Nest Restaurant, started chatting to one of her regulars Bevan about what he did for work she never imagined that it would result in changing someone’s life.
Bevan works at EPIC Assist (EPIC) as an Employment Advisor. He discussed with Marie the many benefits of hiring someone with a disability and the support that EPIC provides to both employer and the job seeker.
When a position became available at Bird’s Nest’s West End location Marie decided it was important to make diverse and inclusive hiring a priority and gave Bevan a call.
“I think there is a huge stigma hiring people with disability. However, we really wanted to give something back to the community,” said Marie.
Bevan began the process by taking time to understand the needs of the role and the values, culture, and challenges of Bird’s Nest to ensure he found the right person for the job.
He put forward a range of different people and explained why he thought each person would be fitting for the role. Talia was someone who stood out to Marie and was hired after her first interview.
“It was a really good experience for us because EPIC did a lot of the work and found someone suitable for the role – rather than just a hit and miss situation.”
Talia who has mild autism, depression, anxiety, and PTSD has now been working at Bird’s Nest for over 9 months. Marie could not be happier with Talia’s progress and how much she has achieved in such a short amount of time.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect to begin with, but Talia has been really fantastic. We have seen her grow in her role. She started as a dishwasher actually and now she has become a full-fledged kitchen hand and short-order cook,” said Marie.
“I’m really proud of her. It’s been amazing to see the growth that she’s had here over the last 9 months, and I can’t wait to see in the years to come what more she has to offer.”
Not only has Talia improved professionally but Marie was witnessed the impact meaningful employment has had on other aspects of Talia’s life.
Since she started working at Bird’s Nest, Talia has been able to gain her driver licence, buy a car, find stable accommodation, achieve her weight loss goal of 20kg and has just celebrated being one year sober.
“Everything has improved since I started working at Bird’s Nest. I am so much more confident and capable. I have turned my whole life around in a positive way. They have helped me grow as a person in so many ways,” said Talia.
Creating a working environment that focuses on making diverse and inclusive hiring a priority with an emphasis on community has helped all staff at Bird’s Nest become closer as a team.
“I think it is really important to see as a company that we are supporting different parts of the community. It’s actually been a really nice experience for the company to support someone with a disability,” said Marie.
“I like that Bird’s Nest value their staff. Everyone is different and it is good to talk to them about their past and their culture. I’ve learned a lot of things from all the different staff here,” said Talia.
If you are looking for hard-working and loyal staff, like Talia, contact EPIC today. We will help you find the right person for the role.