The HR Secrets to Scaling Your Property Management Business with Sue Jones of HR for Vacation Rental Management Companies
August 25, 2025
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon sits down with Sue Jones, founder and owner of HR4VR, the vacation rental industry's first and only dedicated human resources support services provider. With over 30 years of experience in HR, Sue reveals the critical mistakes property managers make when scaling their businesses and shares her proven strategies for building teams that can grow with your company. From the revolutionary 20% rule for management time allocation to the hidden costs of well-intentioned policies, this conversation provides actionable insights for property managers looking to move from firefighting culture to strategic leadership while reducing HR liability and maximizing team engagement.
This episode is sponsored by RevMax.
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon speaks with Sue Jones, founder and owner of HR4VR and the vacation rental industry's premier HR expert, about transforming property management teams through strategic human resources practices.
What you'll learn:
- Why standardizing systems before scaling is crucial for sustainable growth
- The 20% rule that transforms managers from firefighters to strategic leaders
- How 6,000 hours of "generous" unpaid time off secretly cost one company 3 full-time employees
- The workforce planning strategies needed to prepare teams for 2028 and beyond
- Why the team you have today is the team you'll grow with
- How to shift from rewarding firefighters to building proactive cultures
- The generational workforce challenges facing property managers
- Remote work strategies that boost productivity without sacrificing accountability
- Employee handbook mistakes that create legal vulnerabilities
Sue Jones brings 30 years of HR experience, including her unique background as a Navy veteran who joined at age 17 as an electronic technician when only 4% of members were women. Her quick decision-making skills, honed in the military, have driven her success in helping property managers navigate complex HR challenges while building scalable, engaged teams.
This episode is sponsored by RevMax.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to:
- Subscribe, rate, and review
- Share this episode
The Vacation Rental Show is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Lisa Stinnett of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
- Vacation Rental Stories: Episode 63 - Driving Innovation and Partnership
- Homeowners Become Family with Michael Godfrey, Owner of Michael’s Vacation Rentals
- Life in Maui as a Property Manager with Scott Jordan, Owner of Maui Life Realty
Are you a vacation rental industry leader looking to share your expertise? We're seeking innovative voices to join our conversation about growing and scaling vacation rental businesses.
The Vacation Rental Show reaches thousands of property managers worldwide. We're particularly interested in perspectives on:
- Scaling your vacation rental portfolio
- Optimizing guest experiences
- Revenue management strategies
- Industry trends and market insights