Novak attracts workers with signing bonuses, quality culture
This piece is presented by Novak Sanitary Service.
This is what companies do when they truly want to attract quality workers.
They offer them training.
They incentivize them to stay for a year with a significant bonus.
And once they’re fully on board, employees find a culture of strong pay and benefits mixed with a commitment to teamwork.
“It has a huge effect,” said Bob Novak, general manager of Novak Sanitary Service. “Our unemployment is so low, we don’t get unemployed people coming to us. We have to go out and find people. And it takes a big carrot to get them to move.”
Novak backs up that talk with a $5,000 signing bonus, paid over the course of a driver’s first year on the job.
Employees who lack a commercial driver’s license can go through training while working at Novak. It typically takes two to four weeks to get a permit. The first part of the bonus starts after 90 days and is paid throughout the first year.
That was more than enough to convince Rodrigo Interiano to leave a job in wiring to get his CDL while at Novak.
“I didn’t even have my permit. They helped me through all the processes. It was really good,” he said. “I heard it was a good company and so far so good.”
He has been with Novak for six months.
“I like it. The one thing I really like is I’m on my own all day doing my job with nobody behind me,” Interiano said.
“Management has made it easy. They are really good. When I got the job, I got a lot of help, and whoever’s done first every day always calls to the base and asks if there’s anything else to do. Everybody’s willing to help.”
While he has been learning his way around the routes, “we never get rushed to get our route done,” he added. “And that’s a good thing. They want us to do it in a reasonable time, but they want us to do the job right.”
He praised Novak’s complete benefits package – even down to company-issued uniforms with laundry service included.
“I’m really excited to be here,” he said.
Novak could use several more driver such as Interiano.
“We would probably take three more if we could find them. We really only have one opening, but I believe in hiring ahead because they’re hard to find,” Novak said.
It is physical work, he noted. On the plus side, there’s no need for a gym membership. And it’s well-compensated. A first-year driver can make up to $60,000 depending on overtime.
Novak is looking for people who are self-directed and highly motivated.
“Most people love this job and stick with it because they never have a supervisor breathing down their back. You leave the office at 6 a.m. and you’re on your own until you’re done.”
