How to Successfully Rehire Your Company's Ex-Employees
Discover the benefits and best practices for recruiting boomerang employees - former employees who return to your company. Learn how to reach out and re-engage top ex-talent.
Recruiters and talent acquisition leaders are always looking for creative ways to fill critical roles with top performers. But what if the answer lies not just in looking outward but also in looking back?
Enter the boomerang employee - a former employee who returns to work for your company after exploring other opportunities. Just like a boomerang that flies out and circles back around, these "alumni" have ventured out into the world, gaining new skills and perspectives, and are now ready to bring that experience back home.
Boomerang employees offer a unique value proposition. They combine the institutional knowledge and cultural fit of a tenured employee with the fresh ideas and hunger of a new hire. They can hit the ground running faster, build on existing relationships, and bring an outsider's perspective to drive innovation.
Rehiring former employees isn't as simple as extending an offer. It requires a strategic approach to identify the right candidates, address past pain points, and set them up for success in their second stint.
Understanding Boomerang Employees
Before we dive into specific boomerang recruiting tactics, it's important to understand why employees leave in the first place, what might draw them back, and what unique value they can offer upon their return.
Why do employees leave initially
There are many reasons good employees move on to other opportunities:
Lack of career advancement or development at your company
Desire for increased compensation or benefits
Relocation or family considerations
Dissatisfaction with their manager or team
Misalignment with company direction or culture
Return to Office (RTO) policy
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article that shared data collected over the last ten years on the main reasons why people quit their jobs. Several of these reasons were among the top factors that made employees decide to leave.
Reasons they may want to return
Even if they had good reasons for leaving, many alumni employees find themselves drawn back to their former company for reasons like:
Gaining new perspective and appreciation for your company's culture, mission, or work
Discovering the "grass isn't always greener" and being dissatisfied in their new role
Undergoing life changes that make their former job more appealing (e.g. starting a family or moving back to your city)
Realizing their best opportunity for growth is at your organization after developing new skills elsewhere
What they bring to the table as "alumni"
Boomerang employees are so valuable because they combine the comfort and experience of a seasoned employee with the freshness and hunger of a new hire. Specifically, they offer:
Familiarity with your company's processes, products, and norms, leading to faster ramp-up times
Established relationships and credibility with colleagues and clients
New skills, experiences, and perspectives gained from outside roles
Renewed energy and commitment to drive success for your team
Potential Benefits of Boomerang Employees
Bringing back former employees isn't just a last resort when you can't fill a role - it's a strategic talent acquisition advantage. Boomerang hires offer many potential benefits over brand new employees:
Shorter ramp-up time: Boomerang employees are already familiar with your company's culture, processes, products or services, and organizational structure. They can hit the ground running and reach full productivity much faster than a completely new recruit.
Established relationships: In their previous tenure, boomerang employees likely built strong relationships with current team members, leaders, and even clients or customers. They can tap into those connections to collaborate effectively and drive results from day one.
Renewed commitment and loyalty: Employees who return to your company after exploring external opportunities are making a conscious choice to come back. They've gained perspective on what they value about your organization and are more likely to be highly engaged and committed to your mission and goals.
Enhanced skills and knowledge: In their time away from your company, boomerang employees have likely expanded their skills, knowledge, and professional experiences. They bring back new ideas, insights, and best practices that can elevate your team's performance and inspire innovation.
Reduced hiring and training costs: Since boomerang employees are already familiar with your company and have a proven track record of success, you may be able to streamline the hiring process. You'll also spend less time and resources on the heavy lifting of onboarding and training.
Of course, these benefits assume that the employee left on good terms and was a strong performer originally. You'll want to carefully evaluate each boomerang candidate to ensure they're the right fit for your current needs and team dynamics. But in many cases, the upside of bringing back top talent is well worth the effort.
How to Identify Good Boomerang Candidates
Not every former employee is a good candidate for rehiring. To find the right boomerang employees to bring back to your organization, you need a thoughtful and strategic approach. Here's how to get started:
Create a list of potential alumni hires:
Identify top performers who left your company in the last few years (Speak with HR and hiring managers)
Focus on those who held critical roles or possessed hard-to-find skills
Prioritize employees who gave ample notice and participated in off-boarding processes like exit interviews
Review the circumstances of their departure:
Consult with HR and the employee's former manager
Determine if they left for "good" reasons like personal life changes or career advancement rather than dissatisfaction or poor performance
Identify any red flags like misconduct, burning bridges, or sharing negative feedback on public platforms after their departure
Evaluate their fit for current open roles:
Compare their skills and experience to your current talent needs and job descriptions
Consider how their additional experience since leaving your company would add value in the role
Assess if rejoining your company would align with the career goals and aspirations they shared in the past
Gather insights from their previous employee record:
Analyze their past performance reviews, recognition, and promotions
Talk to their former teammates and collaborators to understand their working style, strengths, and development areas
Determine if they'd be a strong culture fit based on your company's current values and norms
Gauge potential interest through informal outreach:
Engage alumni employees through your company newsletter, alumni network, or social media
Have a former colleague or manager reach out to casually reconnect and gauge their openness to new opportunities
Set up an exploratory conversation with HR to share updates on your company and learn about their career journey and goals
By following these steps, you can thoughtfully narrow down your list of former employees to a shortlist of high-potential boomerang candidates. Focus your formal recruiting and interview process on this curated group to maximize your chances of making a successful rehire.
Best Practices for Boomerang Recruitment
Once you've identified promising boomerang candidates, it's time to actively recruit them back to your organization. To maximize your chances of a successful rehire, follow these best practices:
Personalize your outreach:
Tailor your message to the individual's interests, experiences, and goals
Acknowledge their past contributions and express enthusiasm for the opportunity to work together again
Share specific ways that rejoining your company could advance their career based on what you know about their aspirations
Proactively address past pain points:
Acknowledge any challenges or frustrations they experienced in their previous tenure
Share what's changed at your company since they left and how those changes would improve their employee experience
Offer specific support or accommodations to mitigate any concerns about returning
Emphasize your company's growth and evolution:
Share exciting updates about your company's direction, growth, and achievements
Highlight new projects, initiatives, or leadership roles that may interest them
Reinforce your company's mission and values and how they align with the employee's priorities
Offer a competitive compensation and benefits package:
Research market rates for the role and the employee's current salary to ensure you can make a competitive offer
Consider additional incentives like signing bonuses, flexible work arrangements, or professional development opportunities
Be transparent about compensation early in the process to ensure you're aligned
Create a re-onboarding plan:
Prepare a 30-60-90 day plan for the employee's reintegration into your company
Assign them a buddy or mentor to support their transition
Set up meetings with key stakeholders and team members in their first week
Plan training sessions to get them up to speed on new processes, tools, or products
By following these best practices, you can create a positive and compelling candidate experience that gets top boomerang talent excited to rejoin your team.
Rehire Your Company's Ex-Employees
Boomerang employees are a unique and valuable talent pool that many companies overlook in their recruiting strategies. By understanding what motivates alumni employees to return and proactively identifying and engaging high-potential candidates, you can successfully bring top talent back into your organization.
The benefits of rehiring former employees are clear - faster ramp-up times, existing relationships, renewed loyalty, fresh perspectives and skills, and reduced hiring costs. With a strategic approach and intentional recruitment practices, you can tap into these benefits and build a stronger, more experienced team.
Thinking outside the box and looking to the past may be the key to sourcing the skills and experience your company needs for the future. By embracing boomerang employees, you can create a powerful talent acquisition advantage.
Crafting Effective Outreach Messages
Your initial outreach message to a boomerang candidate sets the tone for the entire recruiting process. It's your chance to grab their attention, pique their interest, and start building a relationship.
Here are some tips and email templates for crafting compelling outreach messages: