Should you rehire an employee who leaves your business and then asks to come back? These are called Boomerang employees, and apparently, they’re pretty common.
One study by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) shows that 28% of “new hires” were former employees who had resigned within the last 36 months.
As Grant Aldrich, Founder of Preppy, shares, “Rehiring boomerang employees is a common practice for good reasons. Typically, these employees already know the culture and operations of their previous employer and are able to slot in seamlessly. In many cases, they return with fresh skills and insights gained from working for rival companies or in other sectors of the same industry.”
In this article, we’ll explore this trend and offer some advice. Let’s dive in!
Why Employees Return When They Leave
Boomerang employees may have different reasons for wanting their old jobs back. However, here are some of the more common ones:
Unmet Expectations
According to the HBR report, unmet expectations at the new employer are by far the most common reason why boomerang employees return to former employers.Â
Just as the old saying goes, the grass may appear to be greener on the other side, but once in a new company, many people find that their former employer was much better than they thought.Â
Improved Work Environment
In many cases, it might be an unconducive work culture that drives people to leave a company. Naturally, improvements to leadership, policies, or company culture may lure them to return.Â
3. Changes in Personal Priorities
For many people, a return to a former employer may make sense due to certain life changes. For instance, a person who left a job to start a business may feel the need to seek stability if that business struggles or they have new responsibilities like a family to think about.
Why Companies Welcome Back Boomerang Employees
The reasons why former employees may seek a reunion are clear, but what about the employers?Â
Apparently, many welcome back boomerang employees. In fact, they often go out of their way to poach them, with the HBR report showing that former employees are most open to poaching attempts after about a year away.
Samuel Charmetant, Founder at ArtMajeur by YourArt, explains, “If people leave on good terms for reasons such as career growth, they’re more likely to be welcomed back. If they burned bridges by leaving abruptly over a conflict or due to underperforming, re-hiring is unlikely and wouldn’t even be advisable.”
If the conditions are right, here are some of the potential advantages of hiring boomerang employees:
Lower Hiring Costs
Hiring can be a costly exercise both in terms of direct costs like training and indirect costs like the time spent supervising a new hire. In most cases, since re-hires won’t need an extensive onboarding process, you may not have to incur these costs.Â
Faster Onboarding & Productivity
Most boomerang employees need little or no time to get back into the swing of things. Depending on how long they’ve been away, they’ll likely already understand the company’s workplace culture and expectations.Â
Expanding Skills Base
Former employees often return with new skills and industry insights. However, this may only be true if they’ve been employed in a relevant position or within the same industry.
How to Use Boomerang Employees to Your Advantage
Welcoming returning former employees can be a strategic move for your business. However, you have to approach this carefully. Here are some steps to follow:
Create an Alumni NetworkÂ
Creating an alumni network is a great way to stay in touch with old employees. You can do this by keeping an open chat group or inviting them to company events. The benefits of doing this extend beyond just having a recruitment pool to call upon.Â
According to Enterprise Alumni, companies that invest in alumni networks see a 2.8x increase in Revenue per Employee, a 4.5x increase in Product Innovation, and a 6x increase in Employer Attractiveness.
Positive OffboardingÂ
Creating a positive exit experience is an important offboarding best practice. Your goal should be to learn why exactly they’re leaving and let them know they’re welcome back if they have a change of mind.Â
Flexible Rehiring PoliciesÂ
Set simple rules for rehiring, like checking their past performance and ensuring there’s a good reason to bring them back. This keeps things fair and prevents bad hires.
Final Thoughts
So, should you re-hire your former employees? Joe Schaeppi, CEO & Co-Founder at Solsten, offers this insight: “While there are clear benefits to rehiring former employees, you’ll need to approach each rehiring decision carefully, as you only want your best performers back. Stay in touch with them when they leave, and periodically let them know you might have a place for them if they’d like to return.”
Guest writer
