People leave their jobs for many reasons. Some such reasons include to advance their education, start a family, travel, pursue a job offer with better benefits or
for other personal reasons.
Sometimes, though, they find their way back to that first job, once bridges haven’t been burned. They may have realized that the grass isn’t, in fact, greener on the other side, they may have gained knowledge that would be best applied to their old job or there may arise an opening for a more preferred position in the same company. The possibilities are endless. These employees are also known as boomerang employees.
But should they be rehired?
There are many things to consider when rehiring a defector. Consider the reasons why the employee left initially. Remember how you felt when you received notice of their resignation and after it would have come into effect. Discuss their reasons for wanting to come back and why they’ve had a change of heart. Evaluate whether they are well-fitted for the job you are rehiring them for. Consider their work performance while they were there and whether you were satisfied or not.
Consideration should also be given to whether they intend to stay with the company for the long term. Are they on board for growing with the company or would they pick up and leave upon the slightest change in circumstances?
Do not rehire if you are trying to initiate a quick fix due to the long process of hiring someone new. Before considering
them, review internal candidates who might be just as qualified that you may be overlooking.
Deep evaluation should be done since this may affect your policy of “promoting within.” Consider whether they can be a benefit to the company through new ideas and perspectives or are they continuing with the same level of work or performance. If there is a change of system, will they be able to fit it and cooperate with other employees who are seasoned to the new change?
Sometimes their values will not align with the new culture and it will eventually have an impact on current employees. Spend time talking with them to find out whether it can work.
After all of your considerations, you can now dwell on the advantages of rehiring them. Rehiring costs less, in terms of both time and money. In the case that your company’s system has not been altered, they will fit right in, resulting in cutting down on the recruiting and interviewing process.
Boomerangs are easier to assimilate into your organization and you can skip the orientation. They can provide fresh, innovative ideas for your company and propel it to a higher level. Rehiring former employees strengthens company loyalty and streamlines re-entry into workplace culture.
To make things less complicated, it would be best to develop a rehiring policy stipulating important things like: under what grounds an employee can be rehired, how long after leaving can an employee return and the maximum time to be away. This will ensure a definite success factor.