You’ve passed them in the halls, seen their faces on Teams calls, and exchanged e-mails. You know their job title and department and might even know their extension by heart. But do you truly know who you are working with? Get to know our Executive Vice President of Tandym Health, Wendy Barton!
Who are you?
I lived in a few different places when I was younger, but Utah is home. As a kid, I was really sporty and loved gymnastics! My claim to fame is my ability to do a backflip on a trampoline. I can still do it today!
Growing up, I wasn’t one of those kids who knew what they wanted to be. When I was at the University of Utah, I got my degree in Finance because it felt like the safest bet at the time. I got a job in sales in the financial sector while I was in college. I had a great experience, so that encouraged me to continue in the finance sector and eventually I got into leadership. Through those experiences, I grew passionate about helping people find meaningful careers. This led me to the world of healthcare staffing. I’ve been at it for 14 years, and absolutely love it.
I currently live in the suburbs of Salt Lake City with my two children and two dogs. Outside of my family and career, travel is my biggest passion. I have a map of the world hanging in my office and I pin the places I have visited. There’s a ton of pins on it now, but there are still have plenty of more places to go and things to see! I’ve also become an avid hiker since the pandemic, so I spend a lot of time hiking near my home but also started traveling to hike new places.
What would you rather eat for the rest of your life: hot dogs with unlimited condiments / toppings or plain cheeseburgers?
Easy: hot dogs with condiments and toppings. As long as it’s an all-beef hot dog then I’m going that route because ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions and all that are amazing. I’m all about the sauce. That’s why I had such a great time when I went to Sticky’s with Jill Bragg when I was in the NYC office. We got at least 10 different sauces!
What is your hidden talent?
I don’t know if it’s necessarily a hidden talent, but my friends and family refer to me as Dr. Barton. If anyone is ever sick or hurt, they always call me. I’m not a WebMD fiend or hypochondriac, I’m just that friend who has had tons of random life experiences. I guess it’s just a combination of practical knowledge and solid commonsense. For better or worse, I just know random things.
How did you get into the healthcare staffing industry?
A longtime friend of mine got into the industry a couple of years before I did and kept trying to convince me to apply to her company. One day, she just took my resume and submitted it without me knowing. A few days later, I got an interview. She convinced me to just go for it by telling me that if I didn’t like it, I could always say no. Turns out I loved it and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I will always be grateful she believed in me and encouraged me to try a new industry.
If you could give any animal wings, which one would you choose and why?
I always wanted a unicorn to be real when I was growing up, so let’s say a horse and make it be like a Pegasus type of thing. I love to ride horses and I love to travel, so I’d fly all over if I had one of those.
Did you find Tandym or did we find you?
A recruiter that Tandym Group had partnered with in their search for an EVP found me, and when I initially met with Kyle Mattice, our CCO, we hit it off immediately. From there, things went fast. I met with a majority of the executive leadership team when I came to New York and got to sit down with Katie Niekrash and Jill Bragg to discuss their goals for the healthcare vertical and what qualities they were looking for in their future EVP. All things considered, the hiring process was pretty quick!
You are stranded on a small island. Do you think you could survive? If so, how?
No. My will to survive is very high, but my survival skills and experience are very low. I was never a girl scout growing up. Listen, I am not very handy, but I’d fight really hard to survive. I just fear for my ability to fight off any wild animals or even find food. I also feel like I would be the person who would just stumble upon the wrong bush and eat a bunch of poisonous berries. I don’t even know how to start a fire, so I’d just mimic everything I’ve ever seen on tv shows or movies. That should get me pretty far, right?
What’s it like to manage a predominantly East Coast-based team from the West?
I love it… except it can sometimes be a pain when I log on from Salt Lake City and I’m already two hours behind! I kid, I kid. I’ve led remote employees before; I’ve even had remote bosses. Working through the pandemic, we all got used to not being in the same room but working together. At times, it can be challenging like when I mentioned that the East Coast team is up and running before I’m up. But in return, my afternoons are a lot quieter, and I can get tons done. If you would’ve asked me if I would have taken this job pre-pandemic, I would’ve easily said no. The world has changed a lot since then and I didn’t even think twice about it when it was offered to me. I’ve got to say though: the thing that makes this job a bit easier is our team. We’ve got a great group of motivated, hardworking, good people. That’s why I do love to be in the offices in New York, Boca Raton, and Culver City ever so often. It’s always a pleasure to be with everyone in person.
What are your goals for the Healthcare vertical for 2023 and beyond?
We have a number of goals. First is to exceed our 2022 growth. Second, we’re really focused on running a tighter, more efficient ship. We want to do a better job of documenting processes and being consistent about them, as well as improving training and onboarding for our current and future team. And third, just building a great team culture where everyone works hard together to succeed.
If you could invent a new flavor of ice cream, what would be in it, what would it taste like, and what would you call it?
I might be in the minority, but I’m not a big ice cream eater. But if I had to create a whole new flavor, it would have to be a combination of a Chocolate French Silk pie and a Coconut Cream pie. Those two flavors would be amazing together. I don’t know about the name though. Maybe Cocoa Chanel?
