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What Makes Boomerang Employees So Valuable?

• List item 1They hit the ground running: With prior understanding and knowledge of your company’s systems, teams, and processes, their time is used more efficiently.
• They bring fresh perspectives: By leaving and returning to a company, boomerang employees have gained exposure to other industries or workplaces - giving them new ideas, improved skills, and broader problem-solving abilities.
• They boost morale: Their return to the same company sends a positive message to internal staff that the organisation is worth coming back to, as well as displaying loyalty to employers.
• They understand your culture: While companies change, core values often remain. Boomerang employees, therefore, rejoin a company with a deeper understanding of its expectations and internal dynamics.
• They save time and cost: Rehiring a known quantity reduces the risk of a poor hire as well as cutting down onboarding time, training costs, and cultural adjustments.

When a former employee chooses to return to your company, it’s often a sign that your workplace culture left a lasting impression on them - with that impression translating into stronger performance and deeper loyalty.

How to Evaluate Whether a Former Employee is Ready to Return

The process of rehiring an employee isn’t just about familiarity, it requires thoughtful assessment. A returning employee may be a good fit when they return, but it’s also crucial to consider that they may carry past grievances or unrealistic expectations. This possibility makes it important to evaluate their return potential carefully.

How to Decide If a Boomerang Hire is Right

• Examine the reason for their original departure: Was it career growth? Relocation? Burnout? Personal matters? These reasons for an employee leaving a company are very different compared to the reason caused by performance issues or cultural misalignment.
• Evaluate their professional growth since leaving: Have they taken on new challenges? Managed teams? Earned further certifications or qualifications? If so, what can they offer the company that’s new and valuable?
• Assess how they left the company: Former employees who gave proper notice, helped with handovers, and left on respectful terms are often the best candidates to return.
• Consider how your organisation has changed: Are your company’s leaders and management team the same? Has the role the employee is applying for evolved? Will their old habits help or hinder progress?

It’s important to treat every returning employee like a fresh applicant with an added layer of reflection, as well as look at their full career arc - not just the chapters they spent at your company.

How to Support a Boomerang Employee’s Return

Re-hiring a boomerang employee involves recognising that both the individual and the business have changed – which requires a structured approach to re-entry.

Key Steps for a Smooth Transition:

• Conduct a tailored re-onboarding plan: Refresh their understanding of internal tools, policies, team structures, and business goals. Even if they were previously a top performer, they will still need a formal reintroduction to the company.
• Have open conversations about expectations: Have open and honest conversations about expectations regarding promotions, salaries, responsibilities and any other topics that may arise.
• Re-introduce them socially and culturally: Help them build relationships, with new hires or departments they didn’t work with before, and encourage them to participate in team meetings and events to enhance their growth.
• Set new performance goals: Treat their return as a fresh chapter - set objectives that reflect their current role and aspirations, not just their previous performance.
• Celebrate their comeback: Share the news internally (or even publicly, with their consent) as a sign of strength and brand loyalty. This encourages others to view the company as a supportive place for long-term careers.

By following these steps, rehiring a boomerang employee can be seen as strengthening your company’s culture, brand, communication and connection.

Building a Boomerang-Ready Talent Strategy

As the job market continues to shift, employers are increasingly seeing the value in maintaining warm relationships with past employees. Treat an employee’s resignation as a pause, with an opportunity to reconnect with your company in the future.

Ways to Make Rehiring a Strategic Advantage:

• Build a formal alumni network: Create LinkedIn groups, mailing lists or invite former staff to internal events - fostering ongoing engagement and connections.
• Keep communication lines open: Send occasional updates about company achievements, job openings, or culture initiatives to former employees.
• Use exit interviews as future insight: Understand why people leave your company, and use that data to create a roadmap for improvement.
• Create a return-friendly policy: Make it clear in your job advertisements, or employer brand messaging, that returning employees are welcome and valued.
• Monitor former employees for future opportunities: Keep an eye on their career progression. Someone who left a role to work in a different sector, or a more senior role, may be an ideal match for a new leadership role down the line.

Looking to Hire Boomerang Employees at Your Company?

Re-engaging with boomerang employees is considered to be a smart, strategic move in a world where talent is hard to come by and cultural alignment is key. For candidates, returning to a company can be a chance to apply new experience in a trusted environment.

Whether you're considering rehiring a familiar face, or want to build a boomerang-ready culture for your company, NuStaff can help. Our expert team helps employers identify, evaluate, and successfully reintegrate returning talent - ensuring the right fit, at the right time, and the best possible outcome.

Contact NuStaff Today for Expert Advice
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