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Employer engagement and capability building

Building Block

Build strong, long-term relationships with employers so their workforce needs can be effectively matched with the skills and aspirations of jobseekers with disability.

Last updated: 30 Oct 2025

Two workers in an office setting have a conversation. One worker has glasses and has a smile on their face.

“Remember that employers are a key ‘customer’ of your service just as jobseekers are. Remember that your service is not about simply placing jobseekers in a job. Rather, your dual aims are, firstly, to support jobseekers into well-matched, sustained employment and, secondly, to build long-term relationships of mutual trust with local employers so that your service can help them on an on-going basis with their workforce needs.” 2

Researcher

“Effective employer engagement is about growing trusted relationships with employers for mutual benefit.” 1

British Association of Supported Employment
Slide 1

Overview

Employer engagement refers to the actions and strategies used to build sustained relationships with employers to create job opportunities for people with disability, maintain these jobs, and to meet employer needs. A key aim is to ensure employers know that people with disability are actively seeking work and bring a wide range of valuable skills and talents. 

Employer engagement can take two forms: 

  1. jobseeker-focused engagement, tailored to a specific individual
  2. general engagement, which builds an understanding of an employer’s needs without referring to a particular jobseeker.3

Employer engagement includes many activities ranging from short term to long term.  While approaches vary, successful strategies generally focus on two key elements: 

  1. understanding the employer and business
  2. developing tailored solutions.4

Activities may include: 

  • learning from employers about their business, workforce needs, and challenges
  • offering specific services to employers
  • arranging workplace tours, work experience placements, and job trials
  • advising on job design, customisation, and reasonable adjustments
  • providing effective job matching
  • recruitment and placement support
  • partnering on large-scale recruitment strategies
  • delivering disability awareness and responsiveness training and advice
  • supporting employers to develop inclusive workplaces
  • contributing to large-scale workforce planning across industries or a region
  • connecting employers to talent pools, such as graduates from vocational training or universities.5

Employer engagement is carried out by both employment services and jobseekers themselves. For example, a large disability employment service may focus on long-term partnerships across industries, while an individual jobseeker might focus on a specific employer or role aligned with their career goals. Engagement strategies will also vary depending on the size and complexity of the business.6

A key focus is helping employers understand the benefits of hiring people with disability and supporting them to take practical steps toward inclusive recruitment and workplaces. However, research shows that employment service providers often do not spend enough time on this critical work.7

“Listening and making an offer to employers before asking for something from them is often an effective way to engage employers and start to build the relationship. Be clear what your offer to employers is, try to build a strong general employer engagement offer, and use that to engage and grow relationships with employers.” 8 

British Association of Supported Employment
Slide 1

Key strategies for success

Successful employer engagement strategies are based on trusted, reciprocal relationships that are grounded in understanding and responding to business needs. In this sense, employer ‘engagement’ can also be thought of as being employer ‘responsive’. 

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