Broadview Sees Abilities, Not Disabilities in Recruiting

When Julie Cangro stepped into the gym at the Diverse Abilities Job Fair at the Westchester County Center recently, she was prepared to answer many of the same questions she had at other job fairs.

Questions like: What are the work hours, is there public transportation, and what are the benefits? But at the Diverse Abilities Job Fair, there were also other questions about the company’s accessibility and culture. Differently abled people want to know that their employer can look past the obvious and see potential.

“I’ve done this fair before, so I knew what to expect,’’ said Cangro, who was recently hired as Broadview at Purchase College’s new Human Resources Director. “We are looking for candidates who are interested in an inclusive environment. We are looking for people who will bring new energy into our family and our community,’ she said.

People like the young college student with autism who is on his college’s swim team and was interested in a job as a lifeguard, said Cangro, who is fluent in American Sign Language and spent many years working with the deaf community.

The fair, organized by Westchester County, has matched more than 1,500 job seekers with employers from the region since its inception. From major corporations to small businesses, the fair attracts employers like Broadview who see abilities and not disabilities.

Broadview at Purchase College is no stranger to inclusivity. In fact, Broadview’s entire reason for being is about being inclusive. The senior living community on the campus of Purchase College was founded with the idea of bringing people from different age groups and backgrounds together to form a rich and interesting melting pot.

Some of Broadview’s 160+ employees are students from the college who work as servers in the dining hall, lifeguards, or teach classes. They also spend time with residents who serve as mentors and advisors. Broadview residents have also taken employees under their wing. Retired teachers at Broadview have organized ESL classes for environmental staff looking to improve their language skills.

“It’s refreshing to see such incredible collaboration,” said Cangro. “The residents really do care for the people who work here, and the employees really do care for the residents.’’
That’s one of the reasons why Broadview has such high job satisfaction ratings among its workforce. Cangro said approximately 80 percent of the company’s environmental staff have remained with the organization since it opened in 2023 and have been part of the community for most of that time.

But like any senior living employer, turnover can be high at Broadview. As commencement approaches, many of the students will be leaving so replacements will be needed.
Cangro said Broadview is currently looking for staff in its food and beverage department, environmental services department, part-time lifeguards, and a Director of Nursing.

The Diverse Abilities Job Fair was a step in the right direction with recruitment. “We received more than 30 resumes and have already called at least 10 people for interviews,’’ she said.
In search of more recruits, Cangro also recently attended the Westchester Education Opportunity Center – an adult education and workforce training program administered by SUNY Westchester Community College.