Would you rehire a former employee?

Employees come and go, and sometimes they return. You might hear them referred to as ‘comeback kids’, or ‘corporate alumni’, or ‘boomerangs’. According to Right Management, in 2010 nine out of ten employers were open to rehiring former employees and in this week’s blog post we want to explore this further.

Boomerang Recruiting

There was once a time when ex-employees – those who left their job for ‘greener pastures’ or were victims of downsizing – would never have been considered for rehire. Recruiters and managers would disqualify these ‘boomerangs’ assuming that they were traitors, or harboured grudges, or that if they were to return they could upset the current dynamic of the organisation.

Today, however, HR is evolving and progressive companies are recognising the value of boomerang recruiting, especially rehiring former top employees. Those that have specialised skills, competitive intelligence, or that previously held vital positions.

Here are some reasons why organisations today engage in boomerang recruiting:

• High ROI. “The cost to re-hire a boomerang employee has been reported to be 1/3 to 2/3 the cost of hiring a new employee to an organisation” says Ira Wolfe, president of Success Perfomance Solutions. “Research also suggests that re-hires are easier to recruit and retain long term than other hires.” Boomerangs offer an opportunity to acquire a top person quickly (the search and the assessment take little time). Depending on the time that the boomerang employee has been away, it may be necessary to give some training on new policies but intense training is unlikel. This typically saves both time and money.

• History & Known Skills. Former employees are familiar with the company culture, mission and vision. They also have a proven record so you will know in advance what skills and competencies you are obtaining.

• Browngrassers. Robin Schlinger, owner of Robin’s Resumes in Atlanta, says: “I have found that many employees who were let go from companies, or who left to gain more experience, return with a more grateful attitude and an understanding that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side." This could be because they’ve seen other businesses and worked with other people. The rehired employees want to come back where they like it better. They then become more appreciative of the company and the employers they work for.

Thinking of re-hiring a former employee? Ask these questions first:

Why did they leave in the first place?

Firstly, what were the circumstances when they left? This will you give a better overall picture for your decision. Was there a bigger problem at large at the time, and if so, has it been resolved since then? Employees quit their jobs for all sorts of reasons: personal reasons unrelated to the job (spouses got another job, to raise their young children which have now grown up etc.); better opportunities; more money; better benefits; corporate politics etc. Brad Harris, PhD and professor of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois, suggests that companies are better served if they would welcome back employees who were top performers or even those who made an honest mistake in leaving. But he does caution that if an employee left for more money and is coming back for monetary reasons, they may leave again.

Is this person the best candidate for the job?

The decision to re-hire an employee should be based on good job fit — that the employee has the right skills for the right job. Not every employee who voluntarily quit or was “dislocated” is a good candidate for re-hire. If anyone was fired or forced out, they shouldn’t be on the priority list, unless the person or people who forced them out turned out to be the cause of the problem and not the solution. In other scenarios, for some employees, it’s probably still a good thing they’re no longer part of your organisation and should remain that way.

If you give a former employee a second chance, you run the risk of:

• Bringing resentment to the rest of the office

• Upsetting the organisation as it is now and making it difficult for other employees to do their jobs

• Re-introducing a potential problem, even if the former employee says they’ve changed their attitude and ways about them

To many employers, the bottom line of reasoning is that they gave the former employee every chance to make a go of it with them the first time around, so what makes one think things will be different the second go around?

If you do choose to rehire a former employee, clearly communicate to your existing team your reasons for doing so. You also need to brief the returning employee on the company’s current situation and spell out your expectations. Following up, you should touch base regularly with the returning employee to be sure that they are adjusting back in okay.

Over to you:

What do you think about boomerang recruiting?

Have you or would you consider re-hiring a former employee?

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