Workforce Planning That Holds Up Year-Round

An Interview with Sue Jones
5/11/2026

Staffing has always been one of the toughest parts of running a vacation rental business, but for many operators, it’s becoming harder to keep up. Hiring feels constant, turnover is expected, and peak seasons still bring stress no matter how much planning goes into them.

In her session at VRMA 2025 in Las Vegas, Sue Jones, founder and managing partner of HR4VR and 2024 VRMA President’s Award recipient, challenged operators to move beyond the idea of a single, static workforce. Instead, she encouraged a more intentional approach—one that blends different types of roles, aligns with seasonality, and keeps compliance in check.

We followed up with Jones to go deeper on what’s changed, where operators are getting stuck, and how to build a workforce strategy that can actually hold up over time.

In a session at VRMA 2025 Las Vegas, you said, “It’s 2025 — we can’t keep playing the same hand.” Now that it’s 2026, what’s changed most about today’s workforce that makes the old “one workforce” model no longer workable?

The biggest shift is that the workforce is no longer one-size-fits-all, if it ever truly was. Employees today expect flexibility, clarity, and purpose, while vacation rental businesses navigate increased seasonality, tighter margins, and greater compliance risk. The traditional approach of primarily staffing with full-time employees simply doesn’t align with the realities of demand fluctuations in this industry.

Vacation rental operators need to think beyond hiring and focus on developing a workforce strategy that is an intentional blend of full-time, part-time, seasonal, fractional, contract, and remote roles. This diversified approach allows businesses to scale up or down without sacrificing service quality, burning out their staff, or exposing the business to unnecessary risk.

The old “one workforce” model forces operators to choose between overstaffing or burnout. Neither is sustainable.

What are the most common staffing challenges operators bring to you and where do they stem from?

Most operators come to me feeling stuck. They’re frustrated by constant hiring, high turnover, and the sense that staffing gets harder every year. Common questions include: Why can’t we find reliable people? Why does peak season feel so chaotic? Are we doing this the right way?

The root cause is almost always reactive staffing. Hiring decisions are made under pressure, without a long-term plan tied to seasonality, role design, or compliance. Without a workforce strategy, every staffing issue feels urgent and expensive. Staffing stress usually isn’t a people problem; it’s a planning problem.

From a compliance standpoint, where do vacation rental managers most often get tripped up?

Employee misclassification is the biggest issue. Operators often blur the lines between employees and contractors, especially when using fractional or remote talent. Some operators apply the same policies to very different worker types, which can create wage, overtime, and benefits issues.

Compliance doesn’t mean giving up flexibility, it means being intentional about how flexibility is structured, documented, and managed. When your workforce strategy and compliance are aligned, risk drops significantly.

You highlighted the 32-hour employee model. When does this work best?

The 32-hour model works well for experienced, high-performing employees who want benefits and stability but value flexibility. It’s especially effective in seasonal markets, allowing employees to scale hours up during peak season and down during slower periods.

From an HR perspective, success depends on clear expectations around scheduling, overtime, benefits eligibility, and performance standards. When implemented intentionally, this model improves retention and protects institutional knowledge. Flexibility only works when expectations are clear.

Why is turnover planning such a critical and often overlooked part of workforce strategy?

Turnover is a reality in hospitality, yet many operators plan as if their best people will never leave. When there’s no turnover plan, departures feel catastrophic and disruptive. Planning for turnover means identifying critical roles, documenting processes, and ensuring coverage options exist. It doesn’t prevent turnover, but it prevents panic.

What does realistic succession planning look like for small and mid-sized vacation rental companies?

Succession planning doesn’t have to be formal or intimidating. In many cases, it’s simply about cross-training, mentorship, and documenting key responsibilities.

The goal isn’t naming successors; it’s ensuring the business can keep running if someone steps away. Readiness matters more than certainty. Succession planning isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about being ready for it.

How do cross-training and diversified staffing reduce risk when employees leave unexpectedly?

Cross-training ensures knowledge isn’t trapped with one person. Diversifying your staffing using fractional, contract, or agency talent provides backup options when gaps appear. Together, these strategies turn unexpected departures into manageable transitions instead of operational crises.

You’ve said culture acts as an insurance policy for flexible staffing. How?

Culture creates consistency when workforce structures vary. When values are clear and reinforced, all workers, regardless of classification, understand expectations, decision-making, and service standards.

A strong culture supports compliance through consistency and improves retention by creating belonging, even for seasonal or nontraditional workers. Culture is what keeps a flexible workforce aligned.

How are employee expectations around flexibility continuing to shift?

Offering employees flexibility is no longer a perk; it’s expected. Workers want predictability, autonomy, and transparency. Operators don’t need to offer everything, but they do need to offer clarity and choice.

Alternative schedules, self-managed shift swaps, and seasonal agreements help meet these expectations without sacrificing control.

If operators take one step to strengthen workforce planning and compliance, where should they start?

Start by mapping your current workforce by role, classification, season, and risk. Most leaders are surprised by what they discover.

That clarity becomes the foundation for smarter hiring, stronger compliance, and more confident decision-making. You can’t fix what you haven’t clearly defined.

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