Who are the boomerangs, and why should you hire them?

Would you like to hire someone who’s already familiar with your company and has actually done the job before? Then hire a boomerang!

A boomerang employee leaves Company A, works for Company B (and possibly Company C) for a period of time, then returns to Company A and begins working there again.

In the past, this was somewhat of a rare occurrence. Giving notice was the same as burning a bridge, and leaving a job was often considered disloyal or even traitorous, especially if Company B was a competitor. Rehiring former employees was sometimes even forbidden by company policy.

Today, as employers struggle to fill positions in a tight, candidatedriven job market, they are showing a greater willingness to consider options they may have brushed aside in the past.

The tight job market, coupled with lower expectations of long-term loyalty on both the employer and employee side of the relationship, has resulted in employers becoming more accepting of hiring boomerang employees than in the past.

Asking “Who are these boomerang employees?” is really asking, “Why did they leave in the first place, and why would they want to come back?” Here are some common scenarios:

They left to further their careers. Maybe they saw few opportunities for advancement when they were first employed by your company, so they went to a company where they could grow. Now they see the experience they gained as their ticket back through your door.

They felt a need to switch careers or industries altogether. Sometimes people just like to try out different things to see if the grass is greener elsewhere. Maybe they found out it’s not.

They left because of a life event unrelated to their job. Maybe they had to move temporarily for a spouse’s job or take care of an ill family member for a time. Maybe they wanted to be a stay-at-home parent for a few years.

They are intentional boomerangs such as seasonal workers, college students, or snow birds.

BOOMERANGS >> PAGE 2

J.J. Keller & Associates

Judy Kneiszel