People with disabilities are too often an overlooked talent pool in the hospitality industry but a Melbourne-based café is proving that inclusive hiring isn’t just possible — it’s profitable and transformative.
Research shows that companies with strong disability inclusion practices experience 28 per cent higher revenue and double the net income compared to their peers.
Inspiring societal change, All Things Equal (ATE) is building a diverse team environment through innovative hiring practices.
Their training framework offers people with disabilities an opportunity to learn transferable skills as a stepping stone towards mainstream employment. The pathway model provides professional development training, supported by hospitality trainers at the café.
Emphasising how inclusive hiring reduces turnover and builds stronger teams, ATE’s general manager Bianca Stern tells Women’s Agenda that the training model has allowed them to create a culture of “respectful curiosity”, where every team member is excited to work together and support each other’s unique abilities.
“All our training is very person dependent, and it’s individualised,” says Stern. “So that means that we really get to bring out the best in every single person.”
“We absolutely have to collaborate and work really, really well as a team, and every person that works with us in the organisation is on the same page. We are here for the same reasons. We want to see societal change.”
Sarina Marrollo, one of the dedicated kitchen hands at ATE, is a shining example of the positive impact of the program.
She specialises in food preparation and creating delicious treats, in particular the Basque cheesecake- her favourite.
“I work in the back of house, which is mainly cooking and baking at the same time,” Sarina tells Women’s Agenda, noting that this work has supported her to become “more confident”.
Sarina says the work she does at ATE has improved her skills, such as punctuality and verbal responses. She adds that she enjoys working with all of the people at the café.
“It took me seven years, nearly close to eight, looking for work before [I found ATE],” says Sarina, who aspires to someday become a TV actress- a dream that she’s building up to by honing her skills in hospitality and gaining greater independence.
Having worked with Sarina since that very beginning, Bianca says she has seen Sarina’s confidence and skillset grow immensely.
“I’ve seen Serena get a lot better at communicating and being able to essentially self advocate and be able to share what is needed in order for [her] to be able to do a really good job at work,” says Bianca.
“I’ve also seen other trainees absolutely develop their social skills [and] their connection to the community. So now they go out in the community, and our customers all know them.”
Bianca explains that ATE’s overall purpose is to see this impact expand and for more inclusive workplaces to open within the hospitality industry.
“If people are interested in learning more about what we do, they are absolutely welcome to reach out to us,” she says.
“We’re really keen to work with other employers who also believe that employment is a human right, and [that] purpose employment and award wage employment should just be the norm.”