Boomerang employees are those who work for your company, leave for months or years, then apply to work there again. They may have left because they were asked to, or to pursue other opportunities. The question is, do you bring back these former team members? The answer is, it depends.

Find out whether you should rehire employees who previously worked for your company.

How Does the Labor Market Look?

If the labor market is tight, you may want to bring back a boomerang employee. This is especially true if you are having difficulty finding other candidates with the skills you need. Because most employees will work for a dozen employers during their career, you can benefit from the knowledge and experience the boomerang employee gained during their time away. Also, since they already understand your business operations, processes, culture, and job requirements, they should require less onboarding and training to begin producing. This can be less risky than bringing aboard an entirely new member of your team.

What Was the Boomerang Employee’s Job Performance Like?

If the boomerang employee performed at an acceptable level before leaving, then it may be a good choice to rehire them. This is especially true if they left for personal reasons like pursuing additional education or because of a spouse’s job transfer, or due to a layoff. However, if the former staff member left because of poor performance, they likely should not be rehired. Because past performance tends to predict future performance, whether boomerang employees get rehired should depend on why they left. If there is an unresolved issue that remains, like a problem with a manager, it may cause the boomerang employee to leave in a short amount of time.

What Are Your Hiring Objectives?

Consider what your goals are in filling a role. If you are looking for predictability, short-term performance, and lower training costs, you may be better off hiring a boomerang employee. You know what to expect from their character, work ethic, productivity, and performance. However, if you are willing to take on more risk and greater training costs to secure a potentially long-term commitment, your better option may be to hire someone new.

Are You in Need of Agriculture Employees?

Contact the expert recruiters at Morris Bixby Group today. We look forward to helping you.