Detroit Ramp Agent Earns Title of "America’s No. 1 Hourly Worker"
SnagAJob.com and "The Apprentice" select winner of $10,000 prizeNEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2006 – A 21-year-old FedEx® ramp agent at the Detroit Metro Airport got an extra fat paycheck today – a $10,000 payday and the title "America's No. 1 Hourly Worker."
Daniel Woods, who plans and supervises plane loads for FedEx in Detroit, was selected for the honor by "The Apprentice" Bill Rancic – a former hourly worker himself – on behalf of SnagAJob.com, the No. 1 source for hourly employment. Woods bested four other nationwide finalists in SnagAJob.com's second contest to find America's top hourly worker.
"I read his book, I kept in mind everything I do at FedEx and I kept in mind the leadership things I do as far as being a ramp agent," Woods said of his meeting with Donald Trump's original "Apprentice." "I'm very blessed, and I'm very thankful for it."
Woods has several plans for the $10,000 from SnagAJob.com.
"I'm going to give some to my church," said Woods, who also is taking a class at Wayne County Community College. "After that, I have to talk to my stockbroker about buying some bonds for the future."
Woods was named the grand-prize winner following his one-on-one interview with Rancic at New York's Grand Central Terminal. The other finalists, who received a $1,000 prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to New York and also sat down in the boardroom with "The Donald's" original protégé, were:
- Sidney Karr, an 88-year-old courier for Employee Leasing Solutions®, an employee benefits and payroll company in Pompano Beach, Fla.
- Christine Burghardt, a 19-year-old full-time student and restaurant manager for Chick-fil-A® in Montgomery, Ala.
- Marianna Jessee, a 43-year-old cashier at a CVS/pharmacy® in Houston
- Dennis Mehrer, a 34-year-old employee of Caribou Coffee® in Minneapolis who creates mail-order baskets for holidays and special occasions
In addition to today's interview sessions, Rancic also was guided by people from across the country who selected their top choice in an online poll at SnagAJob.com. The poll received about 250,000 votes from across the country in the month leading up to Rancic's final decision, and Woods finished a close second to Chick-fil-A's Burghardt.
"Daniel has a bright, bright future ahead of him," Rancic said. "He has the hunger to learn more, and he embodies the spirit of the hourly worker. He has passion, desire and an eye toward the future, and I'm confident he will continue to excel."
Throughout the judging process, the criteria included passion, commitment, flexibility, resourcefulness, and innovation and likelihood of advancement. The contestants became nationwide finalists after writing a 250-word essay and being chosen by a panel of human resource experts from among thousands of entries received by SnagAJob.com.
"The five nationwide finalists who competed for the second 'America's No. 1 Hourly Worker' title are a fine example of the true span of the hourly workforce in America," said Shawn Boyer, chief executive officer and founder of SnagAJob.com. "I thank each of them for giving SnagAJob an opportunity to highlight their efforts in a nod of appreciation and respect for all hourly workers."
History of America's No. 1 Hourly Worker Contest
The mission of America's No. 1 Hourly Worker contest is to recognize the dedicated efforts of hourly workers across the nation. It began as the punctuation of the company's Campaign to Hire America, a 10-month campaign that placed more than 124,000 people in hourly wage jobs throughout the United States. The 2005 inaugural competition began with more than 1,000 entries and was narrowed down to three by a panel of human resources executives. The three finalists traveled to New York City, where they met face-to-face with Rancic for the ultimate job interview. In the end, Edward "Eddie" Elvira, a Chuck E. Cheese® employee from Yuma, Ariz., was awarded a grand prize of $5,000 and the coveted title of America's No. 1 Hourly Worker.
SnagAJob.com began accepting entries for its second contest on June 26, 2006, and a panel of human resource experts from Burger King Corporation, Domino’s Pizza® and Restaurant Management Careers® selected five nationwide finalists announced in October 2006.