Rosendin Electric has been doing some creative thinking about recruiting and retaining talent. The Phoenix office of the San Jose, Calif.-based electrical contractor recently introduced a new benefit to help employees save money, time and stress. Rosendin partnered with vanpool operator Valley Metro to provide a van for a project commute at no cost to workers.
The company’s first vanpool started in July with nine workers who share a commute from the Goodyear Park and Ride to Intel’s Ocotillo Campus in Chandler – almost 90 miles roundtrip. Rosendin workers are up early, meeting at 4:00a.m. each weekday with their hard hats, safety equipment and reflective vests needed on the job site. But many start their commute much earlier coming from Phoenix, Avondale, Buckeye and Peoria.
In this program, Valley Metro provides the van and covered parking (a huge benefit in Phoenix where summer temperatures are often over 105°F) in a lot with security cameras. Rosendin Electric covers the cost of gas, insurance and vehicle maintenance – a huge savings for employees. Workers rotate driving duty with each trip, giving their co-workers time to talk, sleep or catch up on email.
“Rosendin Electric is thrilled to provide this benefit to our employees to help them save time and money. Since launching the first vanpool, we’ve had so many employee requests we plan to add two more vans in the coming months,” said Mike Greenawalt, senior vice president. “Providing the vanpool is one more way Rosendin Electric shows commitment to our employees, the environment and serves as an excellent recruiting tool.”
Although the Phoenix program is only a few weeks old, Rosendin said it has proven so popular that the company already has two more vans scheduled to start up soon.
