Known as "boomerangs," they're a reflection of the
unpredictable workplace of today—employees who leave a
company and then come back in the same or another position. And
they can be a very smart hiring decision.
Gone are the days when either employer or employee expected a
mutual lifetime commitment. And gone, too, are the days when
companies could afford a standard policy of refusing to rehire
former workers.
"Hiring is always a gamble," explains Kaye Morgan,
vice president of corporate offices in the Cleveland location of
Management Recruiters International (MRI), an
international search and recruitment firm. "You want to
minimize the risk. If you've got someone who has been with your
company before, knows the culture, has skills you need and wants to
come back, your chances of success are much greater than they are
with someone who's brand new to your organization."
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When people leave and come back, they often return with
additional skills and experience that make them even more valuable
than before. And they probably aren't any more or less likely
to leave than anyone else you might hire.
"Never lose touch with good past employees," advises
Morgan. Not only might they return in the future, but they could
even turn into customers. And though your ego may have been bruised
by their resignations, put your personal feelings aside. "If
they're good, they're people you want to be a part of your
future, regardless of the capacity," says Morgan. "Stay
in touch through e-mail, phone calls, cards, whatever."
Before you make an offer to a former employee, Morgan recommends
carefully reviewing the individual's old personnel file and
talking to his or her former supervisor. "You don't want
to rehire a problem employee, and that could happen very easily if
there's been turnover in the department or people weren't
aware of performance issues with that employee," she says.
You also want to take care of the employees who didn't
leave. Be aware that there might be resentment of boomerangs who
come back at higher positions or salaries. Morgan suggests being
open and honest about what you're doing and why, and being
proactive in rewarding the loyalty of long-term employees and
developing strong employee retention programs.
Jacquelyn Lynn left the corporate world more than 13 years
ago and has been writing about business and management from her
home office in Winter Park, Florida, ever since.