HRM Five: Rehiring boomerang employees

The era of the “lifetime job” is over. People, especially millennials, are more interested than ever in career progression and growth – and this is not necessarily a bad thing. Attend any business conference, and you’ll hear that it’s all about the change mindset these days.

But just because an employee decides to move on to another organisation, it doesn’t mean that they’re closing the door forever. After taking the time to develop their skills and experience elsewhere, they might decide they want to return to your organisation.

Every situation will be different, so it will be important for HR personnel to work with line managers to figure out what’s best for the team, and for the company.

To help you figure out your approach, here are some of the pros and cons of hiring such workers – also known a “boomerang employees”.

PRO: They know your organisation.

The boomerang employee already knows your business. Unless extreme change occurred in between their departure and potential return, they will probably be able to get back on the horse fairly quickly.

PRO/CON: You know them.

You already hired this person once, and with any luck, did not have any “buyer’s remorse” after the fact. You’ll know exactly what to expect from them in terms of the type of team they will fit into, their working style, their performance levels – you’ll also know their weaknesses, and if they are something the company can work with or not.

PRO: They have (probably) progressed in their skills and competencies.

The boomerang employee probably gained experience while they were away from your organisation – and they hopefully have new ideas, skills, training, or certifications that they can bring along with them upon their return.

Conversely, it would be prudent to take it as a warning if they have none of these things.

CON: They may not be able to keep up with changes

Nostalgia is a powerful thing – and it might very well cause your boomerang employee to unfavourably compare the current organisation with the “old” organisation of their memory, and struggle to keep up with things that have changed in the interim. These could be policies, procedures, organisational structures, or even business goals.

CON: If they left once, they might leave again

Your boomerang employee might very well decide once more to move on – after all, they’ve already done it before. Of course, as discussed, this might be inevitable for any employee, and you’ll need to decide if that’s a risk you’re willing to take. It would also be advisable to better understand why they want to come back, and ensure that the new arrangement will be a good fit for both sides.

Yamini Chinnuswamy offers five important points on everything you wanted to know about HR practices today, but were too afraid to ask. Check out previous editions of HRM Five here.