Three Reasons Why You Need to Take Another Look at Former Employees
Posted November 28th, 2017
Often, companies shy away from rehiring a person who left from a permanent position to pursue a new opportunity. But, with the labor market being particularly tight, considering a boomerang employee, a person who left but is interested in returning, can actually have a number of benefits.
Here are three reasons why you need to take another look at former employees when you are hiring.
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Faster Onboarding
If a former employee has only been gone a relatively short time and company policies have remained largely the same, a returning worker can often be onboarded quite quickly. Typically, boomerang workers still remember a significant amount of what it’s like to work for the business, so they don’t require as much guidance to reach a point of productivity.
A shorter, less intensive onboarding can also save the company money, as it doesn’t require as much time and resources to get the returning hire up to speed. This means not only is a smaller financial investment needed upfront, but the employee can begin providing value faster too.
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Morale Boost
Not every employee who leaves the organization does so on bad terms. In some cases, a top performer headed out the door to explore a new opportunity, and many of their team members would be thrilled to see them return. In these cases, having a great worker come back can actually boost the morale of other staff members, as they’ll appreciate having access to the person’s skills and abilities. It also demonstrates that the company is a great place to work, as few professionals boomerang to organizations that don’t measure up against the competition.
It is important to note that hiring a boomerang employee who wasn’t liked can actually be harmful to morale, especially if they take a promotional position that current employees were competing to land. Such a move can create a toxic environment, so it’s important only to allow a worker to come back if it will be seen universally as a positive.
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New Skills and Experiences
Few boomerang employees will return without some additional skills or experiences that can benefit the company. They’ve likely learned a few things as they pursued their career, and their greater level of expertise can be a benefit.
They may have also gained a new perspective that can help you shape business policies or update procedures to increase efficiency and productivity. Every company does things slightly differently, and the rehires insights can be particularly valuable.
While you don’t have to forgo an internal or new candidate if they are the right person for the role, you shouldn’t automatically discount a former employee just because they left the company, especially if their exit was on good terms. Otherwise, you could be missing out on a great addition to your team, and that just isn’t smart business.
If you are looking to hire a new worker, the professionals at Bayside Solutions can connect you with some of today’s top talent. Contact us to see how our customizable program can work for you.
