National recognition reinforces company’s unique culture
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Wednesday, March 20, 2024) — Dollywood Parks & Resorts has been named a 2024 USA TodayTop Workplaces USA award winner. Dollywood placed 86th on the national list of organizations with more than 2,500 employees. The company was the only one from the theme park industry to make the list.
The Top Workplaces program has a 15-year history of surveying more than 20 million employees and recognizing the top organizations across 60 markets for regional Top Workplaces awards. Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that have built great cultures. More than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey. Companies were chosen based on the results of surveys taken over the course of 12 months in 2023.
With growth at the nationally-recognized Dollywood Parks & Resorts properties occurring at an unparalleled pace, a number of positions are available throughout the company. Awards like the Top Workplaces recognition reinforce the brand’s strong reputation for stellar customer service and attract top talent to work in the company’s thriving culture.
“The awards we’ve received during the last several years really are humbling,” said Susan Loveday, Dollywood Vice President of Human Resources. “We take pride in our host culture, and we seek to provide our team with great benefits that show them we appreciate the work they do to make Dollywood the most unique and welcoming theme park experience in the entire world. When you consider that the results of this award are derived from survey results of our own hosts, it illustrates their belief in our host culture and their pride in the place they work.”
Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to help build top workplaces, administers the survey. Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 “culture drivers” that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.
“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”
Dollywood’s award-winning host experience translates directly to the guest experience. In December 2023, Forbes ranked Dollywood Parks & Resorts in the top 1% (#27) or more than 3,000 US brands rated for exemplary customer service. Dollywood was the second-highest ranked travel company on the Forbes Best Customer Service 2024 list, placing two spots behind Hawaiian Airlines. The only other theme park in the top 300 was Legoland parks (#179).
Positions are available on several teams including Dollywood’s award-winning culinary and merchandise teams, park operations positions including ticketing, transportation, house and grounds, and more. Among the openings at Dollywood’s Splash Country are house and grounds, lifeguards and culinary services positions. Dollywood’s lodging properties also have a number of openings available including food and beverage, front desk, bell/valet and housekeeping positions.
Interested applicants may view opportunities, as well as job descriptions and basic requirements for each position, at dollywoodjobs.com.
Dollywood Parks & Resorts employees receive a variety of unique benefits including 100% free tuition through Herschend’s GROW U. program, access to the Dollywood Family Healthcare Center, and complimentary Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country admission for family and friends. Hosts are provided a free lunch every working shift and also take part in Dollywood’s Park Perks program, which provides free or reduced admission to a large number of regional attractions, theaters and experiences. A comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision, is available for qualified full-time employees. Dollywood also pays a portion of childcare costs for hosts whose children are cared for at an Upwards-affiliated provider. Numerous opportunities also are available to help employees develop leadership skills, including an apprenticeship program in conjunction with Walters State Community College.
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About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and the newly opened Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 58 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. In 2022, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. It also has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides and attractions, shows and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to Labor Day. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]
Jennifer Webb: Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or [email protected]
Josh Sauer: Publicist, (865) 428-9891, (865) 323-2653 or [email protected]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Room