Situated at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains, surrounded by old country stores and taffy shops, is a theme park that, for the staff who work there, operates like a self-contained community.
Dollywood Parks and Resorts is a destination for families — “guests,” as they are better known by staff — to play, celebrate and be charmed by the Southern hospitality that the park’s namesake, entertainer and icon Dolly Parton, grew up on and has come to embody.
But someone has to do all that charming, and not everyone has the magic touch, explains Tim Berry, vice president of human resources for the Dollywood Company. To attract the very best “hosts,” as resort staff are called, the company must be a great place to work, with excellent benefits and an environment where people feel comfortable and supported bringing their full selves.
“We have to be more to them than just a job,” Berry says, noting that the Dollywood Company views its staff as its “differentiator.”
For years, Dollywood has been building out a suite of benefits for its employees, which includes an on-site family health center, a park chaplain, and full tuition coverage for anyone interested in furthering their education through the company’s partner program GROW U.
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