Should you hire ‘boomerang’ employees?

With the economy adding several thousands more jobs than economists anticipated, most recently in June, according to The Wall Street Journal – less-than-satisfied workers are on the employment hunt, seeing what other options are available. While these same individuals are finding success landing positions for which they apply, they don't always pay dividends, causing workers who left their original positions to reconsider and reapply with their former employer.

They're called "boomerang employees," or individuals who return to their previous workplace after things don't work out at the positions they left for. Business owners who find themselves in these situations are contemplating whether rehiring those that left is a smart move.

Boomerang workers aren't a newfangled denomination, nor are hiring managers just recently seeing an uptick in former employees looking to come back. In a 2016 survey conducted by staffing and recruitment firm Accountemps, more than 95 percent of human resource managers said they'd have no problem rehiring individuals who left the company once before, as long as the parting of ways was amicable.

Bill Driscoll, a district president at Accountemps, indicated signing on boomerang employees often makes a lot of sense for business owners because they typically don't need to receive much in the way of training, having already worked with the company.

Toby Haberkorn, senior recruiter and principal at the Ayecer Group based in Houston, told the Society for Human Resource Management that boomerang employees give business owners another option for talent in a labor pool that's getting increasingly smaller.

"In this tight market right now where there don't seem to be enough workers to fill needs, I think that employers are looking very seriously at former employees," Haberkorn explained.

Less guesswork with boomerang employees
She added return employees are "known quantities," thereby reducing the chances of hiring someone who doesn't fit. The vast majority of business owners have been adversely affected by bad hires at one point or another. Indeed, according to a study conducted by CareerBuilder, underperforming workers cost employers around $15,000 in 2016 for every person that didn't pan out. Meanwhile, good hires who decided to take their talents elsewhere cost businesses $30,000 each.

Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of staffing firm LaSalle Network, told SHRM that the value of hiring former employees are best determined on a case-by-case basis.

"Look back at their exit interview and refresh your memory on why they left," Gimbel advised. "There are many reasons an employee could have left an organization, like wanting to try out a new industry, having to move for their spouse or starting a family."

Gimbel further stated that if workers want to return, it's a positive reflection on the company itself because they likely wouldn't bother with the effort if they were unhappy the last time.

Why rehiring may not always be a no-brainer
At the same time, though, signing on boomerang employees may not always be the wisest of moves. To the contrary, Haberkorn warned that there's always the possibility former employees could wind up leaving yet again, perhaps for the same or a different reason the next time.

Additionally, if current employees are aware of former employees being back on campus, it may serve as a motivation for others to think that their leaving might be the best thing for them, recruitment experts told SHRM.

Kronos' Dave Almeda said that at the end of the day, what matters most are the people you bring aboard, regardless of whether they worked for the company previously or not.

"If you want to deliver a great product or service, you need the best people," Almeda stressed. "If the best people are former employees, then so be it."

The business attorneys at the Law Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth understand the needs of small businesses, both in the legal sphere as well as the management and recruitment. From contract negotiations with current employees to renegotiations for those that are returning, we have the knowledge and experience that you need to make the wisest management decisions. Contact us for a free case intake and evaluation.

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