Boomerang Employees

What are boomerang employees?

Boomerang employees are individuals who leave their employer and later return to work for the same company again. They go for various personal or professional reasons, such as family circumstances, professional development, or career change. Boomerang employees may return to their previous position or to a new role within the company.

Recent research reveals that 28% of all ‘new’ employees are boomerang employees, leaving and returning within the last 36 months. In fact, 20% of employees who left their jobs during the pandemic have returned to work at their old company.

Why do boomerang employees return?

Boomerang employees come back for a variety of reasons, including: 

1. Disappointment in the new organization: Unmet expectations in the new role, employment terms, company culture, or new colleagues may cause disappointment with their new job. This realization can make employees feel better off in their old jobs, creating the desire to return.
2. Familiarity with the organization: Starting at a new company can be challenging, especially building new relationships. Employees who left on good terms often find it easier to return to a familiar environment and support network.
3. Better advancement opportunities: Some boomerang employees discover there were more professional growth opportunities at their previous company. They find that going back to their old employer can advance their career.
4. Financial incentives: Boomerang employees often receive a pay increase when they return (on average, 25% more than what they previously earned). This pay raise can make the return to their previous employer an attractive incentive.
5. Active alumni talent networks: Some employers actively keep in touch with employees who have left the organization through alumni talent networks. By cultivating a strong alumni network, organizations can actively share open positions or future opportunities to entice top talent back.

Pros and cons of hiring boomerang employees

Advantages

• Reduced training and onboarding time: Boomerang employees already understand the company’s culture, systems, and processes, leading to quicker integration and productivity.
• Awareness of employee performance: Employers are already familiar with the returning employee’s skills, work ethic, and fit within the company, reducing the risks associated with hiring a new employee.
• Skills transfer: Employees who return may bring new skills, experiences, and perspectives gained during their time away, which can be beneficial to the organization.
• Faster integration: A boomerang employee has prior knowledge and experience with the company mission, values, and culture, making it easier to integrate into the company again.

Disadvantages

• Overlooking better candidates: Employers risk missing out on potentially more suitable candidates by focusing on the familiarity of a boomerang employee, potentially bypassing fresh talent with new ideas and skills.
• Limited fresh perspective: Hiring boomerang employees may limit the infusion of new perspectives and ideas into the organization, as these employees are already accustomed to the company’s established ways of operating.
• Possible resentment: Current employees might feel overlooked or undervalued if a returning employee is given preferential treatment or opportunities.
• Repeating old patterns: A returning employee might fall back into previous, possibly unproductive, work habits or interpersonal dynamics. This can hinder progress and innovation, especially if those patterns were part of the reason for their initial departure.

Top 10 interview questions for boomerang employees

Despite prior knowledge of a boomerang employee’s performance, it’s critical for HR to determine if they are indeed the best candidate for the role. Most importantly, it should be clear what the employee can bring back to the company – identifying any new skills, capabilities, or perspectives gained.

By the end of the interview process, it should be possible to assess how well a boomerang employee compares to other candidates. Consider implementing some aspects of blind recruitment to make sure there is no unconscious bias in the recruitment process of boomerang employees.

Here are the top 10 interview questions for HR to ask boomerang employees:

1. What were your main reasons for leaving the company?
2. Why do you want to return at this time?
3. What did you enjoy most (and least) about working here?
4. Tell us about a challenging project/situation in your previous position. How did you overcome it?
5. What new skills did you gain in your previous position? How would you apply them to this role?
6. Are there any unresolved issues with your previous manager/management?
7. What can you bring to the team/company that you couldn’t previously?
8. What steps would you take to reintegrate into the team/company?
9. What are your future career goals within the company?
10. What are your salary expectations upon returning?

How HR can ensure a successful integration of boomerang employees

It’s important not to assume that boomerang employees will integrate more quickly into the company than new hires. Here are ways to ensure boomerang employees experience a more seamless transition:

• Ensure they complete the entire onboarding process, especially since it may have been a while since their first onboarding
• Pair them with a ‘buddy,’ a team member responsible for introducing them to current projects and any recent changes in company strategies, goals, processes, systems, etc
• Have them lead an onboarding session on the company mission, values, or culture during the onboarding process of new hires
• Re-introduce them in company newsletters and team meetings. If possible, have them introduce themselves at company-wide or team events.

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