Why Boomerang Employees Can Work Out (Or Be a Bad Idea…)

Posted

Boomerang employees are the ones who once worked at your company, left, and are now reapplying. As an employer yourself, working with this kind of employee can seem frustrating, but in today’s modern work environment, so-called “boomerang employees” are increasingly common. The question remains whether you can harness their energy to benefit your company. All-Star Personnel will discuss the pros and cons of boomerang employees.

The Downside of Rehiring Past Employees

The cons of working with staff members who have taken their leave of your employment in the past are pretty familiar. In fact, many HR professionals have admitted that their organization had a policy directly against rehiring former employees. Each case is different, of course, but there are still instances when rehiring former employees will likely not work out.

First of all, if your team gives the thumbs down, listen to their input. Co-workers have great insight into the performance of other employees. If they say there were issues in the past, chances are there will be problems in the future. Hiring back an employee who left on bad terms with the rest of the team can result in serious complications.

Another reason to pass on a former employee may be the fact that nothing has changed. If they were frustrated with working conditions or a lack of responsibility, chances are that they will experience those same frustrations again.

The Benefits of Rehiring

Hiring boomerang employees might be a more attractive option than you expect. The practice has become more accepted as many companies turn to short term hires to help with high workloads and project-based work. As such, there are times when rehiring is a valid choice. Such times can include a pressing need for a specialized skill set. Hiring the right talent for the job is a common difficulty. Recent reports suggest that almost 80 percent of companies have reported issues with recruitment.

If you can claim you found the right candidate for a job once, it is reasonable to want to retain – or in this case, rehire – that talent. So long as the employee in question was a strong team player and left on good terms with their manager and their co-workers, there isn’t much of a reason not to hire them back. Boomerang employees are experienced, and they know the ins and outs of your workplace environment better than any potential new candidate. That familiarity with an organization’s culture and processes is one of the best benefits of rehiring past employees. Hiring employees who require less training and onboarding time will result in higher impact from day one.

If your company is in need of employees with strong leadership skills, and a former employee can offer experience and a leadership mindset to drive productivity, the fact that they were former employees should be considered an asset. Boomerang employees who display true leadership skills can help grow and direct your business for the time that they are with you.

Work with a Top Employment Agency in Middle Tennessee

At All-Star Personnel, we aspire to be exceptional and not just successful. To work with a top staffing agency in Middle Tennessee, contact our great team of recruiters as we can help your company meet any of your staffing needs.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)