The Business Council of Westchester and Historic Hudson Valley Blaze a New Trail in Search of Talent
More than 125,000 tri-state visitors to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will participate in one of the largest workplace talent searches ever held at a live event in Westchester County
With historically low unemployment levels across the nation, attracting workers to Westchester County has proven quite challenging for area businesses owners, so two powerful community organizations – The Business Council of Westchester and Historic Hudson Valley – have joined forces to creatively wield the mythical power of Halloween and the legendary Headless Horseman – the Ultimate Headhunter – in a search for talent to fill thousands of open positions.
Utilizing Historic Hudson Valley’s popular Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze® as a test laboratory for launching this unique concept, The Business Council of Westchester – the county’s largest and most prestigious business membership organization representing more than 1,000 members – has placed eye-catching signage at the event grounds featuring the Horseman as a “silent spokesperson” to encourage would-be applicants to scan a special QR code or go directly to a new web portal www.westchesterwantsyou.com. Once on the website, visitors can explore open positions with some of the area’s most prestigious companies who agreed to help pilot this concept in what will eventually become an on-going talent attraction and cultivation initiative.
For the initial launch, companies including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Maier Markey and Justic, LLP, Cuddy & Feder, LLP and Tompkins Excavating agreed to participate in the pilot, and more companies will be added over the coming months.
“Attracting talent is a major concern for Westchester business owners, because we are competing with companies in New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut who are all vying for attention within the same talent pool,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, CEO of The Business Council of Westchester. “Yet, when we thought internally about exploring new, powerful lead generation sources, the Blaze immediately came to mind as a unique opportunity to reach more than 125,000 visitors from within that same 150-mile radius with demographics similar to our target audience. So, we quickly seized upon the moment and went from idea to execution within 48 hours to capture the Blaze’s short event window from mid-September to late November.”
Dr. Gordon added, “We couldn’t have moved so quickly without Historic Hudson Valley believing in the concept and the importance of what a partnership between business and non-profit leadership could yield for the betterment of the area economy.”
“Beyond the historical, educational and entertainment value we provide to the community, we are equally an economic engine for the region, so to partner with a prominent business organization on something as important as attracting talent and utilizing the Blaze in such a unique and exciting way is truly an honor and we are thrilled to be part of this effort,” said Historic Hudson Valley President Waddell Stillman.
More information about The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is available at pumpkinblaze.org.
