Our Employee Spotlight Winner this month is a respected colleague, beloved mentor, and inspiring friend! "I love our team and the support and mutual respect we have in this company."
Any custodial worker knows they are more than "just" a janitor— and we agree!
At Accurate Building Maintenance, our team members are the backbone of our team and the heartbeat of our purpose: creating clean, healthy, safe communities. They take care of our customers, so we take care of them like family—the best kind! We are so grateful for all they do each day and love to see them grow and succeed.
Our monthly Janitorial Employee Spotlight series features one of our amazing team members, showcasing what it’s like to work in the cleaning industry at Accurate, where we #keepitfun.
This month, we are thrilled to spotlight Manuel "Manny" Santana, a dedicated and energetic member of our team since 2015! Manny's unwavering commitment to his work has made him a beloved figure among colleagues and clients alike. Known for his warm welcomes and genuine interest in others, Manny exemplifies the values of hard work and camaraderie, making him an invaluable asset to our team.
I had the privilege of getting to know more about Manny during a recent Question & Answer session. His story is one of dedication, warmth, and a genuine interest in building meaningful connections. Manny’s colleagues describe him as kind, honest, and always ready to help. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, he has a very unique accent-- New York layered over Hispanic-- and speaks very quickly, with obvious insight and intelligence. Read on for the inspiring insights of this cherished member of our team!
Special thanks and kudos from creator/author Erin Williams (Marketing) to our dedicated Customer Service Manager Dee Perez for her assistance in carrying out this month's article!
WHAT OTHERS HAD TO SAY ABOUT MANNY
Manny has been on our list of Employee Spotlight nominees for the past several months. Our leadership and management team, crew members, and customers were pleased to share their respect and admiration for him for this article.
"Manny has been with us since 2015 and has spent the last six years taking care of the same building. When you see Manny, you know he’s giving it his all – he’s always working up a sweat! Whether there are two people or 200 in the building, Manny keeps himself busy and ensures everything is in tip-top shape. I love seeing Manny because I know I’ll get a warm welcome and he’ll ask about my family before talking business. That pause in the day is always humbling and reminds me of what’s important. Everyone at the building he cleans has only good things to say about him, and they trust him completely. Manny’s dedication is amazing. I don’t think he ever takes a day off, and his loyalty and discipline are inspiring. Thank you, Manny, for being awesome to work with and for always taking care of our clients without us having to worry. We really appreciate everything you do!" -Alex Finken, Accurate CEO & Visionary, Las Vegas
Bonnie Miller, Accurate's Director of Workplace and Employee Experience, observed that every interaction she's had with Manny has been pleasant.
"He is always polite and respectful. Our clients rave about how attentive he is and how he is always willing to go above and beyond for them!" - Bonnie Miller, Accurate Director of Workplace and Employee Experience, Las Vegas
Manny's coworkers highlighted his unique qualities and the positive impact he brings to their team.
"The experience of working alongside Manny is unique. He is an extraordinary human being! Kind, honest, punctual, cheerful, enthusiastic, and hardworking with a gift for serving and helping others with his knowledge and experience. Manny arrives to work every day with a characteristic smile that makes him loved and respected by everyone. He carefully attends to every detail, giving his best every day, and achieves excellent work!" - Julia Duran, Accurate Crew Member, Las Vegas
Mirna Galindo also works with Manny at the same building and expressed her appreciation for his team player mindset and helpful perspective.
"Having Manuel as my coworker is a good experience. He teaches you what you need to do, helps you, and knows how to work as part of a team! As a person and friend, Manny is very special and very respectful. He always says things as they are, doesn't beat around the bush, and I like his honesty." - Mirna Galindo, Accurate Crew Member, Las Vegas
Cindy W. is a company executive in the corporate building where Manny works for Accurate. She was thrilled to see him nominated and recognized for his excellence. "I cannot say enough great things about Manny!" Cindy enthused, and forwarded several additional positive comments about Manny from her colleagues.
"[Our company] loves having Manny as part of our team! We consider him part of our [work] family. Manny cares about his work and takes great pride in our buildings. He cares about our staff that he supports and makes a point to greet and speak with everyone he comes into contact with. Manny respects our leaders and their quirky wishes… this is not always easy, but he does this with a smile and without concern or opinion. He is a friend to many in this building. Manny has a wonderful personality and such a positive attitude. He goes above and beyond his job responsibilities all the time. We are proud of where we work, because of the care he takes of our building! Manny is a great team member to the others from Accurate who work in our building. He is thoughtful and kind to them. You are so lucky to have him as part of your staff, and we are so lucky to have him as part of our team!" - Cindy W., VP of Construction/Development and Accurate Customer, Las Vegas
WHAT MANNY HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE JANITORIAL INDUSTRY AND WORKING AT ACCURATE
What makes you proud of being an Accurate team member? Being part of a team. I love working with my coworkers; the mutual respect we have for each other, the accountability we have to ourselves and each other, being punctual, and respecting each other’s time. A lot of our customers at Accurate are very appreciative of us. Also, the company trains us well, asks for and respects our input, and doesn’t put too much pressure on us. They try to find a good-fit position for us.
What is one thing you wish people knew about your work? A lot of new workers don’t know how the job is done, or how to properly clean. This job is not easy! I wish people would pay more attention to the details. I appreciate when people are patient and can recognize that our job takes time and skill to complete with excellence; for example, stain removal. It looks easy, but you have to learn your tricks! I love helping my coworkers out and learning from each other. I take pride in my work.
Which of Accurate's core values resonates most with you, and why? (We Keep Our Word, Opportunity, Respect, Solutions, and Keep It Fun). All of them! It’s an important mix. I like how the leadership of our company is right there alongside us and always supporting us.
What keeps you motivated at work? The praise and recognition I receive for my work. I appreciate that the company says, "Thank you, you’re doing a great job!" It makes me work harder.
What’s your WHY on being a cleaning industry professional? In other words, what brings you to work each day besides needing to earn a paycheck? It’s a job I’ve been doing for a very long time for other companies. I feel comfortable with it. I don’t mind doing it, although some people don’t like to do this type of work. I also enjoy getting to meet people while I'm working. Janitorial is the right mix of task-oriented work where your effort is measurable and valued, yet still offers human interaction. I also like to share cleaning tips and tricks with my coworkers.
How do you balance career with personal/family life? Set clear boundaries inside and outside of work. With the type of work I do in janitorial and the good, consistent shift, I’m able to be fully present when I'm with my family and friends in my personal life and not have to worry about work. That’s a good balance for me. If I have problems at work, I keep them at work; same for problems at home—leave them at home. That's an important mindset for clarity and balance. When I worked at a casino, I saw people struggle with doing this all the time. Keep your head where your feet are.
WHAT MANNY SHARED ABOUT HIMSELF
You’re happiest when _______ (fill in the blank). When I come home and see my girlfriend! We’ve been together for a year, and she’s a beautiful person. I enjoy being with her.
What is the biggest challenge you've overcome in the last 5 years? Surviving COVID. I was very sick and developed pneumonia. I ended up hospitalized for 8 days.
What job would you do if you were not doing this job? When I lived in New York, I wanted to be a police officer or a fireman.
What did you always want to try and never did? Play professional baseball. That was my dream when I was young. Unfortunately, being a shorter person, I wasn’t as successful. I played many positions, but especially second base, short stop, and outfield. I was very fast and did well, but the fact that I’m not taller was a drawback. My favorite team is the New York Yankees.
What was your first job? I had multiple jobs in New York City... glass and window installation, working in the kitchen in both a hospital and a nursing home, and as a plumbing assistant. A “Manny” of all trades.
How do you define success? Success is getting my job done, being happy, earning my money the right way... being able to work to get up in the morning and go to work, to show up and be present for your own life. I think that to still be able to walk at my age (60 years old) is an achievement!
What is your favorite family tradition?
Any type of family gathering... holiday gatherings, birthday celebrations, and weddings. Most of my family lives in New York, but I also have a brother that lives in Florida, a sister in Ohio, and a nephew in Utah. My girlfriend is Mexican, and I’m Puerto Rican, and she has a large family. Her family is mostly in Texas, but her son lives here with his kids.
What advice would you give to your 13-year-old self? Concentrate on school, you’ll have time for more fun later! Don’t chase all the girls or play hooky. Graduate from high school and then go to college or get some type of higher education, and get it done before you have a family. (I had my first child when I was 19.) Establish yourself first with a home and make sure that you are financially well taken care of so that when you retire, you’re going to be okay. Set yourself up for success!
What is your favorite place to vacation or travel? Anywhere there’s a beach! I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn. California and Florida beaches are great.
What brought you to Las Vegas? I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn. I lived in the New York City are before I moved to Las Vegas in 2004. I had visited Vegas when I was vacationing in Arizona. There were opportunities for jobs, and I wanted something different than New York. Las Vegas has a slower pace, and it's more peaceful. My kids ask, "When are you going to come back to New York?" I answer, "When I am in the box!"
What was the first thing you bought with your own paycheck? I gathered up all the guys in my neighborhood-- there were 8 or 9 of us-- and we took all the girls in the neighborhood out to the movies and to eat with my first paycheck. I was 14 or 15 years old then and working part-time as a janitor.
Do you collect anything? TOOLS! Also, I like electric scooters and hydro scooters that go really fast, up to 65mph. I like speed. I also like electrical bicycles.
What is your #1 pet peeve? 1. People who don’t use their turn signals. 2. People with bad manners. It seems like there’s very little “class” or common courtesy anymore, i.e. men who don’t open the door for others or help ladies with their bags.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you?
Tom Cruise isn’t Puerto Rican, but he’s about my height. He’s one of my favorite actors. And he dances salsa!
Thank you, MANNY, for being a highly valued team member and an inspiration! We are so glad you’re part of The Accurate Family.
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