They resigned to pursue their careers elsewhere, then decided to return to their former company. These employees are known as “boomerang employees.” It’s intriguing to understand why these employees leave and then come back. Amid the Great Resignation, employers are wondering if they might hold the key to the solution.
By Annie-Rose Espaldon, Digital Project Manager, Stanley Field Group
Published on April 4, 2023
Summary
1. Who are boomerang employees?
2. Why do they leave and return?
3. What are the (good) reasons to rehire them?
4. What are the risks?
1. Who are boomerang employees?
This is a trend that is becoming increasingly common, especially since the Great Resignation.
A few decades ago, a resignation could be seen as a betrayal by the employer, and many recruitment policies prohibited the re-hiring of former employees.
In 2023, mindsets have evolved significantly. According to a survey by LinkedIn’s Employment Barometer, published on February 23, 2023, the proportion of French employees who have left a company and then rejoined it has increased by 36% in three years, since the waves of resignations related to the pandemic.
2. Why do they leave and return?
Why do they leave?
Boomerang employees are generally highly performing profiles seeking professional advancement.
The primary reason for leaving is compensation, with 49% of employees leaving for a better salary. However, 51% resign for other reasons.
Lack of recognition or a sense of belonging is the second reason. There is also the reason of work-life balance. The pandemic has also led many employees, seeking meaning in their work, to resign for new aspirations. Other employees left because they could not advance and therefore joined other positions that allowed them to develop professionally.
Finally, some have tried to start their own business as self-employed entrepreneurs.
Why do they return?
After resigning and securing a new position in another company, 62% of French employees, compared to 46% in Germany and 39% in the United Kingdom, regret several aspects of their old job.
According to the UKG survey, 28% of French employees miss their former colleagues, compared to 38% for employees in other European countries. 25% of French employees miss their previous job tasks, 25% miss their former salary, and 22% miss the leave policy of their old company.
Other employees resigned to strengthen their skills through new professional experiences and then returned to their former company to gain more responsibilities and advance.
3. What are the (good) reasons to rehire them?
A response to the talent shortage
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, resignations have disrupted the supply and demand balance. Many professions are under tension in the labor market. The return of boomerang employees could facilitate recruitment and stabilize the trend.
The boomerang employee integrates faster
Rehiring a former employee limits the risk of recruitment errors and leads to a less costly process that requires less time.
A former employee knows the values, rules, and functioning of the company. Therefore, they will be operational on the ground more quickly and reconnect with the team more easily.
The boomerang employee returns better
The boomerang employee usually has new experiences and enhanced skills. They may also have acquired new skills and methods from competitors.
They are a motivation factor for the team
The HR message sent by the boomerang employee is strongly positive, as it shows the team that the grass is not greener elsewhere. This will make other employees more enthusiastic about being part of the company.
There is also a strong likelihood that the boomerang employee has worked at competing companies. They will bring an expanded vision of the methods and practices they observed elsewhere.
4. What are the risks?
The risk of them leaving again
This employee has already left the company once. Employers may be hesitant to reintegrate them, fearing that they will do it again, necessitating internal adjustments once more.
The case of the employee who hasn’t evolved
If several years have passed since their resignation and the employee hasn’t strengthened their skills elsewhere, employers might fear that they will be outpaced by changes in the company.
A tense relationship with the team
If the former employee has maintained strained relationships with the team, their return can cause difficulties in understanding and disrupt overall performance.
Finally, it can also cause resentment if the employee returns to a better position than their colleagues.
Encouraging a former employee to return to the company is an undeniable plus for the employer brand. But the fundamental goal remains retention.
