HGV drivers, healthcare nurses, chefs: thousands of jobs paying new staff welcome bonuses

New research shows thousands of jobs are offering new joiners a cash bonus.

There are all sorts of reasons that you might want to take up a new job. It might be a higher regular salary, more paid holiday, or even a more straightforward commute.

But for some job hunters, there’s also the prospect of a ‘golden hello’, a cash bonus payment just for saying yes to the job offer.

This sort of signing on bonus isn’t the exclusive preserve of footballers either ‒ according to new analysis from jobs website Adzuna, there is now a host of employers trying to tempt new staff over with the promise of a golden hello.

Welcome to the business ‒ have some cash

A big factor in these cash bonuses is the fact that employers are desperate to recruit staff quickly.

The idea is that, by promising new employees a healthy golden hello, it means they are more likely to take up the opportunity and fill that slot.

A good example here is HGV drivers.

Anyone who has seen empty shelves at their local supermarket will have come face to face with the current reality of the shortage of qualified drivers, which is resulting in some supermarkets having issues refilling their stock.

And one way to solve that issue is to offer a cash bonus to drivers to come and work for you.

That’s what Asda and Tesco have done, advertising £1,000 golden hellos to new joiners.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a similar drive to add staff numbers within the healthcare industry. 

The Priory Group is offering a £1,000 welcome bonus to a care assistant recruit, while a mental health nurse will receive £5,000 upon joining.

If you’re a registered night nurse and join HC One, then you could pocket a whopping £10,000 as a golden hello.

In total, Adzuna suggests there are the best part of 5,000 jobs that currently offer a golden hello.

The ‘pingdemic’

It’s worth reflecting on the role of the ‘pingdemic’ here, the catchy term coined to cover the chaos that employers are facing when their staff are suddenly told to isolate because of being a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid. 

For some bosses, it’s no big deal. The staff member can simply work from home. But there are an awful lot of jobs where that simply isn’t possible.

As a result, bosses are forced to take on more staff, build a wider workforce so that if the Covid app does in fact ping, the business doesn’t unduly suffer as a result.

It’s no coincidence that it’s roles like HGV drivers or healthcare providers where bosses are turning to cash bonuses as a way to recruit would-be staff.

The shortage of candidates means they are highly in demand, and a cash bonus is as good a way as any to make your position stand out from the competition.

What can you do for me?

Clearly, we are in unprecedented times and we can only hope that the ‘pingdemic’ is soon a thing of the past. But the situation does highlight the importance for all of us to look beyond the headline salary when it comes to working out what job is best for us.

There are times when a job may offer far more in additional perks that make the role much more appealing than a simple straight cash offer, from increased flexibility over work hours to paying for additional learning.

There can be other financial perks too, beyond a welcome bonus, like a higher rate of pension contributions or subsidised childcare. 

All of these additional elements add up, so it’s worth including them in your calculations when debating whether to take up that job offer or stick with your current role.