n 2024, Maine’s Department of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) partnered with Broadreach to address a critical shortage of Direct Support workers—essential professionals who help older adults and individuals with physical, intellectual, behavioral, and cognitive needs remain safe, independent, and connected to their communities. As demand for care grew and the available labor pool shrank, HCBS needed to increase awareness of these careers and attract new talent to the workforce.
Broadreach developed Careers with Purpose, a statewide recruitment campaign designed to elevate the profession and inspire people to explore meaningful career opportunities. Grounded in authentic stories from Direct Support professionals, the campaign helped audiences see themselves in the work and understand available career pathways. The campaign included a new brand identity, website, social media presence, paid advertising, and outreach to more than 100 community partners.
The campaign transformed awareness into measurable recruitment momentum. Audiences didn’t just engage with content—they explored career pathways, connected with workforce resources, and entered the talent pipeline, helping HCBS address critical staffing shortages across Maine. By elevating authentic voices from the field, Broadreach helped Maine residents see Direct Support work as a meaningful and attainable career path, creating stronger engagement than traditional recruitment advertising alone.