Turning the Tide on Turnover: How HVMG Stays
Ahead of Hospitality's Biggest Staffing Challenge
By Mandisa Brown
de González
In today's labor market, even a fractional improvement in turnover can yield massive results for guest satisfaction, team morale, and the bottom line. That's why, at HVMG, we don't settle for keeping pace with the industry. We stay ahead of it.
As of May, turnover in the hospitality and leisure sector
stood at 5.9%. Ours was 5.3%. A difference of just over half a percentage point
may sound minor, but when you factor in the costs of vacancy, recruitment,
training, and disruption, it's anything but. And if history is any indication,
we're on track to close the year with a rate even further below the national
average.
The key? Foresight.
Rather than reacting to workforce challenges after they
happen, we design programs, policies, and experiences that anticipate them. And
we anchor everything in our Be Excellent culture, a shared mindset that
connects every associate, from the front desk to the boardroom.
This culture isn't just a set of ideals. It's a daily
practice rooted in action. For example, we conduct wage surveys twice a
year for key hotel roles and adjust pay to reflect local market shifts. This
proactive approach means our associates don't have to ask whether they're being
fairly compensated because they already know.
It also means creating systems that support retention
from the very beginning. Our Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence (TACOE)
streamlines hiring and onboarding so hotel teams can focus on what really
drives engagement: building relationships, providing training, and optimizing
the work environment. And because great ideas don't stop at the hourly level,
we've expanded TACOE to support exempt-level recruiting as well.
We listen, too—really listen. Our confidential Associate Listening Survey gathers insights on engagement, well-being, and belonging, which leadership teams use to create property-specific action plans. We also promote a robust open-door policy, making it easier for associates to raise concerns and collaborate with leaders on solutions.
Our benefits strategy reinforces that same sense of
support. Associates have access to affordable health coverage for themselves
and their families, and we've expanded paid time off and holiday policies to
provide more flexibility and peace of mind. Wherever possible, we also
offer non-traditional schedules and remote or hybrid options for eligible
roles.
These efforts create real outcomes. For example, one of
our top-performing Corporate Talent Acquisition Specialists, Lauren Stolarski,
began as a student in our college partnership program, rotated through various
hotel departments, and eventually landed a corporate role. Now, she is a
respected leader who embodies our values and shows others what's possible at
HVMG.
Our turnover results don't stem from one magic
initiative. They come from our ongoing commitment to people. We build
inclusive, intentional systems that evolve with changing associate needs and
business realities.
