The Boomerang Strategy
We are in a highly competitive labor market and shouldn’t overlook any possible source for new hires. Yet, many organizations still have policies to not rehire former employees. Some people are upset that someone would leave them to work for another employer.
Of course, it doesn’t make sense to rehire someone who was not a great employee, but what about people who did good work for you? Why wouldn’t you want them back?
We are beginning to see stories about people who left their employer during The Great Resignation who are now unhappy with their new employer or their new position. Many of them say they would consider returning to their former employer.
That could be great news for your organization. Here are some of the reasons why rehiring what are being called “boomerang” hires makes sense:
You already know them and their work.
You can save recruiting costs.
You can boost morale when current employees see former colleagues return.
They could be more productive quicker than an outside hire.
They would require less onboarding and training.
They may be more loyal to your organization since they tried something else that didn’t work.
They know your culture.
Nothing is without its challenges and that includes rehires. You need to think through how you will handle compensation and how you will deal with giving (or not giving) prior service credit. Also, carefully plan how you will announce the rehiring of a former employee. Don’t overlook the impact on your culture.
A key to a successful rehire program is how you treat good employees when they resign. Be sure to do a thorough exit interview. Don’t ask the employee to leave immediately after they resign or have security come and remove them from the premises unless there is a valid reason to do so.
Treat them with respect and ask if you can keep in touch with them so that if their circumstances change, they might consider returning to your organization. Some organizations have staff members who are tasked with keeping in touch with former great employees. They send periodic emails to maintain contact and forward press releases when the organization has a success.
Leaving the door wide open for great employees to return can be a valuable strategy in today’s job market, so perhaps the time is right to consider this idea.
If you haven’t already done so, consider getting a copy of The Big Book of HR 10th Anniversary Edition which is available at your local bookseller or from Amazon. It contains a lot of information on hiring, including rehiring former employees.