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Should You Hire Boomerang Employees?

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The grass is always greener at a different company…right?

Wrong.

Job hopping has been an increasingly discussed trend in recent years due to the influx in number of Millennials that have entered the workforce. However, this trend is not aligned with what we are seeing across all demographics. In fact, US workers had an average job tenure of 4.6 years in 2014, up from 3.5 years in 1983.

So what is a company to do with these job hoppers, also known as boomerang employees, who have short job tenures, leave an organization for whatever reason, and desire to return at a later date?

Do you…

  • Allow them into the hiring process?
  • Formulate a policy that won’t allow any former employees into the hiring process?
  • Treat each individual on a case by case basis?

 The answer isn’t black and white.

What I can tell you is that nearly half of HR professionals claim their organization previously had a policy against rehiring former employees. However, 76% say that their companies are now more accepting of hiring boomerang employees.

But, why would a company hire a boomerang employee?

Minimal risk: Former employees have a leg up on other applicants because they understand the work structure, are familiar with the organization’s culture and require minimal training to get them up to speed.

Increased commitment: Employees that have departed your company for supposed greener pastures once before are more likely to have longer tenures of employment than those that have not.

Cost reduction: The cost of losing an employee and hiring/training a new one is expensive. Studies suggest that hiring a boomerang employee has one of the highest returns on a recruiting investment1/3 to 2/3 the cost of hiring a new employee. 

Improved morale: Re-hiring an individual can boost employee morale - when high quality talent returns it sends a message to other employees that their workplace isn’t as bad as they had possibly thought. 

Productivity levels: Potential boomerang employees who check off ‘all the boxes’ are a gold mine for employers because they can reach high productivity levels quicker than a new employee could.

The above is great and all but…there has to be reasons why companies aren’t hiring all former employees.

So, why wouldn’t a company hire a boomerang employee?

Needs of the company: One of the best things to consider before analyzing the possibility of a candidate re-joining the team is whether or not your company even needs the skill sets that this individual embodies.

Assess past performance: No one wants to hire a former employee who has a history of performing poorly. Make sure to chat with former coworkers and managers to understand if the employee was a great contributor or easily replaceable.

Original reason for leaving: Dig into the reasons why the employee left in the first place. Was it a financial issue? Restricted growth? A poor cultural fit? Understanding the issues , and whether or not you now have solutions, is very important to predicting the future satisfaction of this individual.

Reason for returning: There are ‘right’ reasons to return to a job and there are most definitely wrong ones. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with the individual to figure out his/her motives.

I am not trying to persuade your hiring practices to include, or not include, boomerang employees.

Instead, I would encourage you to research both the pros and cons and make the best choice for your company. You never know, your next top performer could come knocking at your door (again!).

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