Service Driver – Greener Options
£13.50 an hour (£26,325 a year), rising to £14.00 (£27,300) after successful probation
37.5 hours | Monday to Friday | Based in Hartlebury, Worcestershire
Local routes, home in the evening
Come out on the van with us for a paid morning before either of us decides anything.
We're Greener Options. We're a family-run sustainable washroom and clinical waste company based in Hartlebury, and we've been doing this for 20 years.
We're looking for a Service Driver to join us.
Before we get to the job itself, here's the thing that matters most to us.
Our drivers are the people our customers actually see. Once a customer joins us, their driver becomes the person from Greener Options they see most often, week in, week out. They learn your name and you learn theirs.
So we care far more about the sort of person you are than we do about your CV.
If you're straight with people, take pride in doing a job properly and you're the type who'll tell us when something's gone wrong rather than hope nobody notices, we can teach you everything else.
We've trained people who came from care work, hospitality, warehouses, farms, cleaning and building sites. If you've never done anything like this before, that's genuinely fine.
We're not constantly recruiting drivers. One of ours is retiring at Christmas and another has been with us for nearly 14 years. So when we say we're looking for someone who wants somewhere to settle, we mean it.
You'll take on some of our retiring driver's runs alongside some of your own, learning them with him before he goes.
You won't be thrown the keys and left to figure it out. You'll learn the routes alongside the people who know them.
The honest version of the job
You'll be handling clinical and offensive waste, including sanitary bins and sharps containers.
There's lifting, bending and carrying throughout the day, and probably more flights of stairs than you'd like. Some sites are lovely, some aren't.
It's physical, it isn't glamorous and it isn't for the squeamish.
Starts are early, usually somewhere between 5.30am and 8am depending on your route.
If that's all fine by you, keep reading, because there's a lot to like about the job too.
What makes it a good job
We don't micromanage you. You've got your route and your day and, once you're trained, we trust you to get on with it. If you've spent years with a supervisor on your shoulder, that independence is worth a lot.
You build proper relationships with customers. You see many of the same people every week or month. They know you, they're pleased to see you and a fair few will have the kettle on. That's very different from dropping a parcel at a door and moving on.
You're trusted to use your own judgement. If something isn't right on a site, you're usually the person who spots it first. We want you to sort what you can, tell us what you can't and know that we'll back you when you've made a sensible call.
You matter here. There aren't hundreds of us. When somebody does a good job, it's visible and it gets noticed. You're a person, not a route number.
What you'll actually be doing
You'll be:
- Driving one of our vans on a daily route across Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Birmingham and surrounding areas
- Servicing washroom units including sanitary bins, air fresheners, soap and hygiene dispensers
- Collecting clinical and offensive waste, mainly from care homes, hospices, GP and dental surgeries, schools and nurseries
- Delivering hygiene products
- Logging your jobs on a tablet as you go
- Talking to customers and building good relationships with them
- Noticing when something isn't right and letting the office know
- Looking after your van, your route and the customers you're responsible for
Our customers range from care homes and hospices to pubs, hotels, restaurants, schools, nurseries, offices and gyms.
Different sites, different people and plenty of variety.
Most days you're home in the evening. Now and then we take on a dedicated transport job that means an overnight stay, but that's the exception rather than the rule.
The hours
This is a full-time role working 37.5 hours a week, normally Monday to Friday.
That's two and a half hours a week less than the standard 40-hour week you'll find with many of the bigger hygiene firms, while still paying a competitive hourly rate.
Most routes start somewhere between 5.30am and 8am.
Finish times vary depending on the route you're covering and what customers need that day. It's not the sort of job where every day finishes at exactly the same minute, so a bit of give and take goes a long way – and we'll do the same for you.
The normal role is Monday to Friday.
If you'd actually prefer to work a weekend day as part of your week, we can sometimes accommodate that because we look after hospitality customers at weekends too.
It's an option, not an expectation.
What you'll get
£13.50 an hour (£26,325 a year), rising to £14.00 (£27,300) once you've successfully completed probation.
We pay above the real Living Wage. We think a physical job with this level of independence, responsibility and customer contact is worth more than simply paying the minimum.
You'll also get:
- 28 days' holiday a year including bank holidays
- Once you've been with us for a year, your birthday off as standard – because who wants to work on their birthday?
- Company van and fuel card for work use – the van lives at our Hartlebury office
- Workplace pension
- ADR training paid for by us once you've successfully completed probation if you don't already have it
- Enhanced DBS check paid for by us
- Any injections required - as a precaution for you
- A thank you in your pay packet if you spot us a new customer
- Two office dogs to greet you when you're back at base
The sort of person we're looking for
You'll probably fit in well here if you're:
Dependable. If you say you'll be there, you're there.
Good with people. You don't need to be polished or salesy. Friendly, genuine and able to have a conversation is much more important. Our customers should be pleased to see you.
Honest. Including when you've got something wrong. Everybody makes mistakes. We just need to hear about them from you rather than from the customer.
Able to use your own head. You're on your own for much of the day and things come up. We need someone who can think rather than wait to be told what to do every time.
Happy to muck in. We're a small business and "that's not my job" doesn't really work here.
Someone who takes pride in doing things properly. Particularly when nobody is watching.
Looking for somewhere to settle. We'd rather find one good person who stays with us for years than keep recruiting replacements.
And practically:
- You'll need a full UK driving licence. Some points on your licence won't necessarily rule you out – we'll just need to check them as part of the process
- You'll need to be comfortable with the physical side of the role, including regular lifting, carrying, bending and stairs. We're happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that would help
- You'll need to be willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS check as part of the role. We'll arrange and pay for this
- You'll need to be able to get yourself to Hartlebury for early starts, as there's no public transport at that time of the morning
- If you can use a smartphone, you'll be able to use our tablet. We'll show you how
What we're not fussed about
An overly tidy CV. This is a job you learn by doing. We're much more interested in what you're like than whether your CV looks impressive.
Gaps in your work history. Life happens. Just be straight with us about them and we won't hold them against you.
Being brilliant at interviews. Most people aren't, including some of us. If you're nervous, that won't count against you.
Previous experience in waste, care or multi-drop driving. It's useful if you've got it, but it isn't essential. We'd rather train the right person.
How it works – so you know what you're saying yes to
1. Apply here
Answer the few questions honestly. We're not looking for perfect answers.
2. We'll give you a call
If it looks like we might suit each other, we'll have a chat for around ten minutes. It's a conversation, not a test.
3. Come and meet us
If we both still like the look of things, come to our Hartlebury office. We'll have a proper conversation over a brew about the role, the company and what we'd expect from you – and you can ask us whatever you want too.
4. Come out on the van
Before either of us makes a final decision, you'll spend a morning out with one of our drivers.
We'll pay you for your time.
You'll see exactly what the job involves before you commit to it, and we'll get to see how you are with the work and with our customers.
If either of us decides it isn't right, no hard feelings. You're still paid for the morning.
We'd rather both know what we're signing up for.
And we read every application. We'll come back to you either way.
To apply
Hit apply and answer the questions.
Be straight with us and we'll be straight with you.
If you need any adjustments during the application process, just let us know and we'll sort it.
Pay: £13.50 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Paid training
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a full UK driving licence?
- This role requires an Enhanced DBS check. Are you willing to undergo one as part of our recruitment process?
- The job involves servicing sanitary bins and collecting clinical and offensive waste, including sharps containers. It also involves regular lifting, carrying, bending and stairs. Having read the advert, are you comfortable with this being part of your normal working day?
- We don't expect a perfect CV. Tell us briefly what you're doing at the moment and why you're looking for a change.
Work Location: In person
