Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.” What he meant by that is once you’ve left, things are never the same when you go back. There’s another saying penned by Robert Frost, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

Both sayings feel trepidatious. Is there truly no going back? And, if you do go back, will it be ok? Mind you, Frost and Wolfe weren’t talking about work, but since many people spend more time at work than at home, the correlation feels right.

How Many Boomerang Employees Are There?

In 2023, the Harvard Business Review did a study about Boomerang hires. The results of that study may or may not surprise you. Boomerang hires are a common phenomenon. Here is some of the data:

• 28% of new hires were boomerangs who had resigned within the last 36 months
• Boomerang hires accounted for an average of:
  • 33% of new hires in retail
  • 25% of new hires in manufacturing
  • 14% of new hires in tech
• 26% of boomerang employees returned to their former employers within seven months
• More than three-quarters of boomerangs returned to previous employers after 16 months
• The average pay raise for boomerang hires was 25%, compared to 4% for employees who stayed at one company

Side note – take a look at that last bullet point. A returning employee gets a 25% pay increase, but a retained employee only has a 4% pay increase.  Remember to pay your staff their market value whenever possible, not what your internal merit-based pay is; this is a good retention move.

Consider the Reason They Left

Boomerang employees aren’t a new concept; it’s just a new catchphrase. These are employees who leave an organization, then return later after having worked elsewhere for any period of time.

The question becomes, should employers rehire people who have left?

The answer, like so many things in our world, is it depends.  Why did the employee leave?  Were they terminated for cause?  Were they affected by a layoff?  Did they retire and then change their minds? Did they go for a better opportunity – more responsibility, more pay, better benefits?

Should You Rehire the Poor Performer?

Many times, a manager will request to rehire an employee who was fired for poor performance, simply because they are short-staffed. Their thought process is that bringing someone back with experience makes it ok to entertain those ideas. But does it? It depends on the people involved and how much work you’ll need to do to figure it out.

Rehiring After Layoffs

Bringing employees back after a layoff is a no-brainer.  Give them their jobs back and rejoice that the company is in a better place.

What About an Employee Who Voluntarily Quit?

Then we have the employee who exited on their own, under good terms, who has shown up again and applied for a position. Or, maybe you have kept your eye on them and see they are doing well, and you’d like them to come back and are debating whether to reach out.

 According to a recent UKG survey, 62% of workers who left an employer liked their new job less – the grass isn’t always greener. 

Give some serious thought to this employee. Don’t spend too much time in the past; rather, focus on the future possibilities and always ask these four questions:

1. What have you been doing since you left the company?
2. How have you increased your skill set and experience?
3. Do you have any unresolved issues with the company or with former coworkers?
4. Why do you want to come back at this time?

Final Considerations When Hiring Boomerang Employees

Deciding whether to bring back a former employee shouldn’t be hard. If you are spending too much time trying to figure it out, ask yourself why.  Was this person a problem?  If so, will they continue to be a problem if you rehire them? Taking the time to ascertain a change is likely worth it, and you’re interviewing anyway, so why not?

Boomerang rehires have a 44% better retention rate the second time around, so maybe you can bring them home again.

By: Amy Matthews, SPHR

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