Software Advice, an applicant tracking software consultancy, recently released an infographic (preview below) on why boomerang employees are booming. Here are some highlights:
- Over 3 million workers left their jobs by choice in July 2016.
- 40% of employees say they would consider returning to a company where they previously worked.
- 76% of HR professionals say they are more likely to hire boomerang employees now than in the past.
- 80% of employees say former employers do not have a strategy in place to encourage their return.
Here’s a list of pros and cons if you are considering recruiting boomerang employees:
Pros
- Lower recruiting costs — They’ve already been through the recruiting process (saving time and money) and have had exposure to employer’s brand
- Lower training costs — Prior experience keeps training costs low
- Candidate familiarity with employer — Familiar with mission, values, management, and workplace
- Employer familiarity with candidate — Familiar with candidate’s personality and production…new job applicants come with a lot of unknowns
Cons
- There’s a reason why employee left — (i.e. problems with management and/or coworkers)
- Retention concerns — They left once already, always a chance they’ll leave again
- Passing up new candidates –Even though they worked there before doesn’t mean they are the best candidate in the pipeline
To generate more boomerangs, Brian Westfall of Softwareadvice.com recommends implementing a system to stay in touch with and nurture parting and/or former employees. This will better your chances of persuading them to come back (or at least think about it). This can be as simple as Brian’s quote here:
“If recruiters invite parting workers to stay up-to-date on company news, keep avenues of communication open and track their employment trajectory, they can better entice these workers to return.”
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