An Employer’s Guide to Unlocking Wage Subsidies and Recruitment Support

Tap into wage subsidies while receiving expert and tailored recruitment support for your business with the help of this handy guide.

Hiring new staff can be a huge investment of time and money. From advertising costs to training and onboarding, those first few months can quickly add up.

The good news is that eligible businesses can access wage subsidies of up to $10,000 through Workforce Australia providers like Community Solutions. 

This can help you reduce costs and set your new employee up for long-term success.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how wage subsidies work, who’s eligible and how Community Solutions can help you make the most of this government-backed support.

What Are Wage Subsidies?

Wage subsidies are government incentives designed to help employers grow their team while reducing the financial risk of hiring new staff.

By offsetting some of the initial employment costs, wage subsidies give businesses confidence to take on new staff and help ensure employees succeed in their new roles.

When you partner with Community Solutions, you not only get access to funding, but you also receive personalised support to help you find, recruit and retain the right candidate.

How Wage Subsidies Can Help Your Business

Here’s what a wage subsidy can mean in practice:

• Reduce upfront hiring costs: Ease the financial pressure of recruitment and training
• Hire with confidence: Subsidies support new staff during the critical first six months
• Support workforce growth: Take on roles you might otherwise delay filling
• Access diverse talent: Providers can connect you with candidates you may not otherwise reach

With subsidies in place, you can focus on building your team and growing your business – not worrying about upfront costs.

Who’s Eligible for Wage Subsidies?

Your business may qualify for a wage subsidy if you:

• Have a current and valid ABN
• The position you’re hiring for is a new, ongoing job – whether full-time, part-time, casual or a traineeship or apprenticeship

But you can’t access a wage subsidy if the role is already receiving government funding, is commission-based, involves self-employment or subcontracting, is filled by an immediate family member or is held by someone you’ve employed within the last two years.

Quick Tip: Even if you don’t meet all the criteria, we can advise on other forms of recruitment support tailored to your business.

How to Access and Manage a Wage Subsidy

With Community Solutions, the process is simple and stress-free:

1. Discuss your needs: We’ll work with you to understand the role and find the right candidate
2. Check eligibility: We’ll confirm if both you and your new hire meet the subsidy requirements
3. Approve the agreement: We will send a wage subsidy agreement, which you can approve online within 28 days of your employee starting
4. Ongoing support: We’ll continue to check in to ensure your new hire settles in and the subsidy process runs smoothly

This simple process means you can focus on growing your business while we handle the paperwork and other details.

Maximise Your Support Beyond Wage Subsidies

In addition to wage subsidies, your business may also benefit from:

• Real Jobs, Real Wages program: Offering additional support, including potential secure work payments
• Apprenticeship incentives: Helping you cover the cost of hiring, training and retaining apprentices

Our team can help you explore which support is right for you.

Unlock Wage Subsidies for Your Next Hire

Wage subsidies are a practical way to reduce risk and cost when hiring new staff, but they’re just the beginning.

By partnering with Community Solutions, you’ll have a dedicated employment specialist on your side to make recruitment simpler, smarter and more sustainable.

Ready to get started? Contact us today. Or complete the form below, and one of our local employment specialists will be in touch.