A junk removal HR manager hires and keeps the loaders, drivers and call center staff the company runs on. They run benefits, write the handbook, help supervisors with problems before they become claims, and make sure pay, leave and driver testing follow labor and DOT rules.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, waste management companies · BLS, May 2025
Lead and manage the HR function for our growing junk removal division, ensuring compliance with labor laws and DOT safety regulations. Oversee recruiting, onboarding, and employee relations to cultivate a high-performing workforce. Enhance operational efficiency by aligning HR initiatives with corporate strategy and compliance mandates. Foster a positive work culture through strategic benefits management and effective employee communications.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage the full-cycle recruitment process, from job posting to onboarding, to secure top talent for critical roles.
Oversee administration of employee benefits, maintaining competitive offerings and compliance with regulations.
Develop and implement policies that adhere to labor laws and DOT safety regulations.
Provide guidance on employee relations issues, ensuring a supportive and compliant workplace environment.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and update employee records and legal compliance documents on a daily basis.
Conduct interviews and coordinate with department heads to understand staffing needs.
Liaise with payroll, benefits providers, and safety officers to ensure seamless operations.
Monitor and address employee inquiries and concerns to maintain a high level of workplace satisfaction.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Time-to-fill: Average of 30 days or less for each position.
Employee Retention Rate: Target of 90% or higher annually.
Compliance Rate: 100% adherence to labor and DOT safety regulations.
Employee Satisfaction Score: Achieve a minimum score of 4.5 out of 5.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of HR experience in a dynamic and regulated environment.
Strong knowledge of labor laws, benefits administration, and DOT safety regulations.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the home services or logistics industry with a focus on operational support.
Background in managing HR functions within a junk removal or similar service-based industry.
Familiarity with HRIS systems and data analytics for tracking employee performance.
Proven success in developing recruitment strategies and enhancing employee engagement.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office setting with occasional visits to on-site locations.
Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer.
Occasional lifting of documents or office supplies up to 20 lbs.
Exposure to varying weather conditions during on-site inspections.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with occasional extended hours during peak recruitment periods.
Minimal travel between office and field locations as needed.
Occasional on-call responsibilities during urgent HR matters.
A collaborative environment that supports cross-departmental projects.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range between $70,000 and $90,000 USD per year.
Performance-based bonuses with clear incentive targets.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision coverage.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company is committed to excellence, innovation, and fostering a work environment where every employee can thrive.
We pride ourselves on our collaborative culture, valuing transparency, professional growth, and community engagement.
Our leadership is dedicated to continuous improvement and mentoring, ensuring that every team member has the tools needed to succeed.
Join a company that is making a tangible difference in the home services industry, with ample opportunities for career advancement.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Most of the staff ride in trucks and spend their day in customers' houses. That brings federal driver rules, overtime questions tied to truck size, and a customer in the room for much of the day.
Drug testing follows the CDL
FMCSA's drug and alcohol rules cover drivers who need a commercial driver's license. Before a new CDL driver does safety-sensitive work, you need a verified negative drug test, unless a narrow exception applies, and a full Clearinghouse query with the driver's consent. Then run a Clearinghouse query on every driver in the testing program at least yearly. Check the fleet list first: if no truck needs a CDL, these rules don't apply. Source: eCFR: Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse queries (49 CFR 382.701).
Light trucks can bring back overtime
Some drivers, helpers and loaders fall under the Motor Carrier Act exemption from federal overtime. The Labor Department says the exemption doesn't apply in any week the employee's work affects the safety of vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less in interstate transport. A crew member who rides in a pickup for part of a week may be owed overtime that week. Have a labor lawyer review before you treat any crew as exempt. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #19, the Motor Carrier Exemption under the FLSA.
The customer may be the problem
EEOC rules say an employer may be responsible for sexual harassment of its workers by non-employees if it knew about the conduct, or ought to have known, and didn't take quick corrective action. Crews spend the day in customers' homes and offices. Give them the right to stop a job and leave, a number that gets answered, and a supervisor who follows up the same day. Source: eCFR: Sexual harassment (29 CFR 1604.11).
Short summer jobs and Vermont sick time
Vermont's earned sick time law covers employees who average at least 18 hours a week over a year. It leaves out workers under 18, and people whose job is set to last 20 weeks or fewer and who work 20 weeks or fewer in any 12-month period. If you add summer loaders there, put the season's end date in the offer and track who stays past it. Rules vary by state. Source: Vermont Statutes, 21 V.S.A. § 481: Earned sick time definitions.
How much junk removal HR managers make
The closest BLS group for junk removal HR managers is human resources managers. Human resources managers who work for waste management companies earned a median of $137,030 a year ($65.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $149,280 median for human resources managers in all industries. About 220 of the 220,660 human resources managers in that survey work for waste management companies.
Salaried, usually with a yearly bonus. BLS reports higher pay for HR managers across waste management than the template's range; weigh it against what local employers offer.
Waste management companies
$137,030$137,030 median Middle half $111,060–$168,070 10th–90th $91,380–$230,260
All industries
$149,280$149,280 median Middle half $111,110–$199,290 10th–90th $88,200–$267,810
$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Waste management companies
$91,380
$111,060
$137,030
$168,070
$230,260
All industries
$88,200
$111,110
$149,280
$199,290
$267,810
BLS counts too few human resources managers at waste collection companies for a steady figure, so these figures cover waste management companies. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has hired hourly field crews at volume, not just office staff
Knows FMCSA testing rules or has worked beside the person who runs them
Reads a pay plan and spots an overtime problem
Handles a complaint about a customer or co-worker quickly and in writing
Keeps records clean enough for a Labor Department or insurer audit
Teach these on the job
Your truck list and which drivers need a CDL
Your state's leave, break and final-pay rules
Your HRIS and payroll setup
Your bonus plans for crews and call center staff
Your benefits carriers and enrollment calendar
An HRIS with applicant tracking, onboarding and time records, plus payroll and benefits portals. If you employ CDL drivers, the HR manager or the safety manager also needs a login to FMCSA's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
Junk removal HR manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Harassment complaints
A loader reports that the crew leader makes crude jokes about them in front of customers. What do you do?
A strong answer: Takes it seriously, documents it, protects the loader from retaliation, investigates promptly with witnesses, acts in proportion and follows up.
Behavioral · Policy rollout
Tell me about a policy you wrote or changed to meet a law or safety rule. How did you roll it out?
A strong answer: Names the rule, the policy, the training, the sign-offs and how they checked it was followed.
Use the template's targets as examples. Set yours by role, since loaders and office staff come and go at very different rates, and review them each quarter.
Time-to-fill
Count the days between a manager's approved request and the candidate's yes, kept separately for loaders, drivers, the call center and managers. Note where each hire came from.
Employee Retention Rate
Compare the people who stayed through the year with headcount at the start, by role and by hire month, so spring hires who quit before fall stand out.
Compliance Rate
Run a quarterly checklist audit of I-9s, required postings, CDL testing records, leave records and handbook sign-offs. Track how many pass without a fix.
Employee Satisfaction Score
Results from a brief, unsigned survey of crews and office staff, reported by branch so each supervisor sees their own.
Career path
RecruiterFills crew and call center openings and learns the hiring rules.
HR generalistHandles leave, benefits, files and everyday questions.
HR ManagerOwns HR for the company and advises the COO.
HR director or vice president of peopleLeads HR across several branches or a larger hauling group.
Should HR or the safety manager run DOT drug testing?
Either one can, but name a single owner in writing, including the Clearinghouse login, the testing vendor and the random testing pool. HR often keeps the hiring steps: consent forms, the pre-employment test and the query before a CDL driver's first shift. Keep results locked away from the regular personnel file.
How much does a junk removal HR manager make?
Human resources managers who work for waste management companies earned a median of $137,030 a year ($65.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $111,060 and $168,070 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How should the HR manager ad describe yard and site visits?
List the tasks. The HR manager walks the yard at the morning start to meet crews, stops by a job site now and then, and may stand outside in rain, cold or sun during those visits. Office days mean long stretches at a computer. Lifting is limited to boxes of files or onboarding kits, up to the template's 20 pounds.
What are the signs a junk removal company has outgrown part-time HR?
Branch managers handle discipline in different ways, spring hiring falls behind the trucks, nobody owns DOT testing, or overtime questions land on the bookkeeper. These problems grow as the company adds branches and a call center. Until then, a part-time generalist and an outside payroll firm can carry the load.
How do I test an HR manager candidate?
Bring two cases from this trade. First, a loader worked two days in a pickup and three in a box truck, logged extra hours and wasn't paid overtime. Second, a crew leader reports that a customer made sexual comments to a helper. Ask what they'd check first, whom they'd bring in, and what goes in the file.
