Are Boomerang employees good?

Ex-employees offer a potentially untapped reservoir of talent for corporations, who continue to struggle to fill available positions in their organizations. In today's labor market, "boomerang" employees, often known as former workers who return to their previous companies, are a lot more common than they were in previous decades.

Even though no firm ever intends for a valued employee to leave, it is often to everyone's advantage — both for the company and for the person — when they come back to work after being out for a period of time. These personnel have been with the firm before, so they are familiar with its intricacies and subtleties, as well as the standards that their employer maintains and the culture of the business. When competition for available talent is at an all-time high, one way to get an edge in the job market is to hunt for candidates who are already acquainted with the business. There are many important reasons for this.

Speed of onboarding: Employees who have been let go and then hired back into the business often ramp up to their full potential considerably more quickly than new employees. If they are returning to the same job, then they are fully aware of what their function requires; nevertheless, they may need to learn about modifications to work patterns that have been adopted while they left the firm since they may not be familiar with such changes. Because of their familiarity with the organization, even if they are being employed for a different job, their learning curve will be far smaller than that of a new employee, which will make the transfer much simpler right from the beginning. In either scenario, the boomerang has a significant advantage over new recruits because of their fundamental grasp of the social systems that drive the company. New hires have to learn these intricacies from the ground up, while the boomerang already knows them. This is particularly the case with big businesses that have intricate hierarchies, divisions, and other organizational structures.

Performance-wise, boomerang workers are often happier and more devoted to their jobs than personnel hired from the outside. As a consequence of this, they also perform at higher levels than their non-boomerang counterparts, get better performance assessments in comparison to new recruits, and have a greater chance of being promoted than their peers who are not boomerangs. Additionally, rehired employees bring their own set of specialized abilities and experiences to the table, which may be of tremendous use to a business. For instance, the time they spent away from the organization, maybe even working for a rival company, can provide them with a new viewpoint and helpful insights on how the organization has developed and changed. It's also possible that they have a different perspective on the market as a whole. The priceless insights provided by a boomerang employee may provide a team with the vitality it needs to keep expanding in the future.

The costs associated with attracting, onboarding, and retaining personnel are significant. To take one example, the cost of replacing an employee making $60,000 per year might range anywhere from $30,000 to $45,000. In light of the present labor scarcity, it is more critical than ever to keep expenses associated with hiring to a minimum. Employers may save anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of the normal cost of recruiting new employees when they hire boomerang workers. This is another advantage of this practice. When a company hires new workers, they are taking a risk; however, that risk is mitigated when they recruit boomerang employees.

What's the Big Deal This Time Around?

The likelihood of the boomerang employees leaving the company once again and sending it back to square one is the most serious danger associated with rehiring former workers. Therefore, more preparation is required in order to ensure the success of a boomerang hiring. Both the employee and the employer need to have a crystal clear understanding of what has changed this time around, and both parties need to be willing to embrace each other's development and progress. When the person left their former position, under what conditions did they do so? If those reasons are being addressed with the new function, then the employee will no longer be a flight risk; but, if they are not, then the individual will remain one. It is of equal importance to ensure that the goals of the employee and those of the company are congruent with one another. Is this individual trying to get away from the job that they just quit to accept a new one? Do they have a firm grasp on the motivations for their return, and are they able to articulate those motivations with precision? Before rehiring, there are a few things to think about, including the questions listed above; the answers to these questions will assist drive the correct onboarding and reentry procedures.

A rehire will anticipate the same procedures, organizational structure, pay rates, and other such things to stay the same when they rejoin the firm; nevertheless, expectations that are not satisfied might generate unhappiness in the employee. Therefore, when you make a decision to rehire someone, make sure your expectations are crystal clear: You should encourage the former employee to ask questions about the changes that have been made to the firm's compensation, culture, and any other aspects since they left the organization. When discussing any modifications or enhancements that have been done following the boomerang's leave, be sure to be as detailed as specific as possible.

And don't skip onboarding. A reintroduction is necessary even if it could seem that the employee is already familiar with the organization already. This is because it is possible that the employee has been absent for some time. It is a terrific approach to reground the employee in your employment brand and get them enthused about what has changed in the company if you treat them as though they are new. A poor onboarding experience enhances the chance of losing the employee once again; as a result, the experience should be adapted to the individual's requirements, and the process should be personalized to detect and fill in any knowledge gaps.

Last but not least, don't overlook the fact that the remaining members of the squad need preparation as well in advance of the return of the boomerang. Take, for instance, the scenario in which a boomerang worker is reassigned to a drastically different team structure. In this situation, rather than clinging to "the way things were done in the past," it is important to have an understanding of how people would respond when confronted with a new dynamic. Also, if they are returning to a team that they have previously been a part of, you should investigate whether or not there were any past relationship difficulties that needed to be resolved. Depending on the specifics of the situation, a boomerang may harbor resentment against other workers or supervisors with whom they have previously worked, which may be detrimental to the morale of the team.

Traditionally, companies that are looking to fill internal jobs have two options: either they would employ from the outside or they will look inside the company. Boomerang workers are a potential third alternative that should be taken into consideration, despite the fact that this duality is typically viewed as an inescapable reality. Boomerang employees provide the advantages of both an external viewpoint and inside expertise. Because of how competitive the employment market is now, your greatest option for the next recruit may be an existing employee.