Boomerang employee

A boomerang employee is someone who leaves their job and later returns to their former employer. This trend has been increasing, with a significant rise observed in 2021, accounting for 4.5% of all hires, according to LinkedIn. Several factors contribute to this trend, including more flexible work approaches, workplace-changing events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Resignation, a labor market favoring specialized employees, and a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

Employees leave their jobs for various reasons, including the desire for higher pay, lack of company culture, insufficient work-life balance, lack of recognition and rewards, and the need for better career path opportunities. More recently, personal reasons such as the desire for change or to explore passions, lack of hybrid or remote work, focus on private life events, the need for more flexibility, and the absence of DEIB initiatives have driven employees back to the job market.

Reasons driving employees to return often involve aspects of the new job not meeting their expectations, such as company culture, benefits, role alignment, or limited personal or professional development opportunities.

Boomerang employees bring new skills and experiences, lower onboarding effort, better hiring cost efficiency, a tested company culture fit, existing knowledge of staff, departments, and processes, and higher motivation. However, rehiring boomerang employees also comes with risks, such as longer acclimatization due to changes in company dynamics, possible negative feelings related to the previous period, and reduced benefit from their previous experience due to workplace changes.

During job interviews with potential boomerang employees, it's essential to ask specific questions related to their return, such as reasons for leaving initially, reasons for wanting to return, developed skill sets beneficial for the role, reasons for leaving their current role, reasons for applying for the role, and how their experience can benefit the team or company if hired.