Tamlyn White is Restaurant General Manager (RGM) at our Pizza Hut on Miller Road in Scottsdale, AZ. She’s been with Desert De Oro Foods (DDO) for five years (one year in her current position).
Tamlyn admits she didn’t think she’d be at Pizza Hut this long. She started out as a crew member in high school. She says she had no idea there would be opportunities to move up at DDO. It just didn’t dawn on her at the time.
Right around the time that she was promoted to Shift Lead, she realized this is, in fact, a great place to work.
“This company’s been really good to me.” – Tamlyn White, Pizza Hut RGM
“The environment was so welcoming,” she says. In Tamlyn’s opinion, not a lot of other companies have this type of culture. At DDO, we aim to go out of our way to make sure every person feels appreciated.
Topping off a Great Year
We sat down with Tamlyn in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where she was enjoying her all-expenses paid Estrellas de Oro reward trip. This was the first time our Pizza Hut business was represented. Way to go, Tamlyn!
When she initially heard about our new reward trip, Tamlyn admits she made it her personal goal to be invited. “I wanted to be at the top,” she says, confessing she’s always been a competitive person.
Well, her hard work paid off! Estrellas de Oros is about recognizing our top restaurants and managers companywide, so it was a natural fit for this ambitious manager to be there with us. She also snagged this year’s creativity-in-Cabo style award.
When asked how she’s gotten to this point in her career, she responds, “I think it’s following the shadow that’s cast by my leaders.”
In turn, Tamlyn says she tries to recognize her own team by checking in, celebrating individual wins — ultimately, she tries to be the manager she would want.
As for how to secure a spot at Estrellas de Oro, Tamlyn offers this advice to others: “I would say start by leading from example … be the change.”
Support Abounds
At DDO, Tamlyn has received substantial support from her supervisors and a comprehensive benefits package. She references our health insurance, retirement benefits, life insurance, paid time off (PTO) and of course, the reward trip.
“This is honestly one of the best companies I’ve ever heard about.” -Tamlyn White, Pizza Hut RGM
Tamlyn recalls a time recently when she needed additional support. “I had some health issues,” she shares. “I took a great amount of time off and they were super flexible, willing to cover shifts. They [were] willing to come in, help me out with a lot of things I had to do as a store manager, and that was super helpful.”
The situation was nerve-wracking. “You don’t want to ask for help,” she continues. “The fact that I had to — needed to — it was very reassuring [when] the answer I got was, ‘Of course.’”
Even in normal times, she says, “Anything I ask for [from] my higher ups, they’re willing to provide.”
College Made Possible
Tamlyn discovered she could work and take college courses, and even apply for the scholarships offered by Pizza Hut and tuition assistance through DDO. She recently started school online through Colorado Tech University in pursuit of an associate’s degree in business administration. Eventually, she plans to get her bachelor’s degree, too.
“DDO gave me the opportunity to go to college,” she says. She explains how we’re trying to get some of her on-the-job training to count towards college credits through Pizza Hut’s Life Unboxed EDU program.
So what’s next for Tamlyn? Once she’s finished with school, she hopes to move further up the career ladder. If you think a job with great benefits and opportunities for advancement sounds attractive, then you should join our Pizza Hut team, too!