Much like the hotel industry, the timeshare business wrestles with employee turnover. Developers say a strong training program, incentives and opportunities for internal growth are powerful tools that foster an environment that will attract and retain talented employees.

Susan Milanese,

"We have a rich company history and culture and a product that speaks for itself," Milanese said. "We offer a fantastic environment with opportunities for growth, plus competitive compensation and benefits."

With about 5,000 employees, Las Vegas-based Sunterra Corp. strives to balance its work force with growth-seeking insiders and fresh talent from the outside, according to Nick Benson, Sunterra's president.

"Our philosophy in terms of attracting employees is having a mix of people from the outside of the company and properly training people within the company to move up," Benson said. "If you are good, you will succeed within this company. We will constantly stretch you and see if you can rise to the challenge."

A solid training program gives new hires the tools to succeed in this business.

When it comes to advancement, Bluegreen traditionally favors existing employees more than outside candidates. According to Milanese, 65 percent of its sales and marketing management positions were promoted from within.

Bluegreen also makes an investment in its 2,700 timeshare employees via a comprehensive training program. The goal is to keep employees with Bluegreen for the long haul. The newly re-designed Bluegreen Leadership Institute is a training center offering professional development, leadership courses and technical seminars. In addition, Bluegreen offers a tuition-reimbursement program.

Ongoing training is a critical initiative with a guaranteed return back to the company. A wide selection of leadership seminars, management training and technical courses are available to employees on an ongoing basis. "Training is a critical investment," Benson said. "It is essential."

Milanese said Bluegreen believes it's crucial to devote resources to ongoing training, develop leadership skills and create opportunities for advancement for candidates within the organization.

"We are developing future managers from within the labor force," she said. "It is our goal to be the employer of choice."

Recognizing employees

Charles Martin, v.p. of human resources for Gold Key/Professional Hospitality Resources Hotels and Resorts in Virginia Beach, Va., a timeshare and hotel owning and managing company, said the company taps too heavily into the existing labor pool for management positions. All of the company's recognition and reward programs are carefully designed to motivate people to stay with the organization.

"It's easier to attract and retain employees trying to make this a career choice as opposed to a 'here today, gone tomorrow,' mentality," Martin said.

Bluegreen's leaders recognize the importance of acknowledging and rewarding key contributors. They rolled out an employee recognition program that evolved from the book "Gung Ho," which was written by motivational speaker and best-selling author Ken Blanchard. Each letter of Gung Ho represents a key value or expected attribute of Bluegreen employees. For instance, G is for guest focus, U for unity and N for net efficiency.

"It's not about the big bucks," Milanese said. "It's about the recognition and exposure."

Sunterra also has made a significant investment in its rewards and recognition programs. Incentives vary from plaques and certificates to vacations and airline flights.

Retention

Sunterra's international component has been a strong recruiting tool.

"The fact that we're truly an international company--the cross-over of skills, ideas and talents--attracts people," Benson said. "There are constant opportunities to move between regions."

Bluegreen's Milanese said staffing challenges can vary depending on the geographical region of a respective resort. The depth of the labor force, competition in the area and remoteness of the property are all variables that can impact a company's ability to draw and maintain quality people.

Although Bluegreen's turnover is relatively low, attrition sometimes can have a positive effect on the labor force by weeding out underperformers.

"We have seen turnover come down year after year," Milanese said. "There's always going to be turnover, as costly as it can be. But sometimes it can be positive. It ensures us that we're bringing in the best talent."

hmm@advanstar.com