Boomerang: the rise in returning employees

‘Boomerang’ employees are those who leave a company and later return, usually within a year or two. We explore the motivations of boomerang employees and how they could add value to your business.

4 mins read
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over 1 year ago

The upheaval of recent years has led many workers into making rash decisions about their lives, including their work. Now regretful at jumping ship or changing career, some are pining for their old jobs, with a growing number rejoining their former employers. 

According to our latest LinkedIn poll, 55% of 1,000+ respondents said they have hired a so-called boomerang employee and would do so again, with 26% saying they haven’t but would be open to it. Only five per cent of those who said they had rehired someone said they wouldn’t again, compared to 13% who said they never had and never would. 

A recent international survey by US company UKG found that 20% of the global workforce are those who have returned to a company.  

The changing world of work 

Over the last few years, the world of work has undergone significant changes. From the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis, many people are leaving secure roles in search of higher pay or better benefits elsewhere, during these tough times. 

Similarly, businesses that faced financial difficulty, and had to let workers go, now face a talent shortage. Employers across the board are looking to expand their talent pool. One way to do this is by rehiring former employees. 

In the past, there were negative perceptions of people who left a company and returned. However, post-pandemic, we are seeing a culture shift where employees are prioritising roles that tick all their boxes. Job hopping has become more common as a result – which employers are becoming more accepting of – and if their previous company will provide their next opportunity, there is less hesitation among professionals to return. 

Most companies have seen rapid growth through adopting remote and hybrid working policies and greater wellbeing support for employees, which is leading workers who perhaps gave up those benefits to regret leaving for pastures new – a higher salary isn’t everything.  

Effective offboarding and employer branding 

Employers should offboard people with the mindset that they might one day return, to ensure they’re not burning any bridges.

An exit interview is crucial to offboarding in the right way – it’s an effective attraction and retention tool, which can help with assessing which aspects of the company, or role could be improved. Whether staff are unhappy with their salary or your management style, it’s important to find out why they are leaving, to ensure history doesn’t repeat and improvements can be made.

Those that take employees’ advice into consideration – even those who are leaving – prove they value employees’ opinions and are willing to adapt to their needs. Therefore, taking offboarding seriously works in favour of your employer brand. Employees who left solely for a higher salary, a change of scenery, or something else you couldn’t offer at the time, are highly likely to return when they see improvements have been made. 

Up-to-speed on day one 

Your most valuable asset could be someone you’ve already let go. For example, Steve Jobs left Apple, only to return 12 years later, when it was on the brink of collapse.

Hiring boomerang employees is a great way to find professionals who can hit the ground running. The returner already knows many of their colleagues, the company culture and ethos, and how to do their job – although not everyone returns to the same role. Therefore, there will potentially be less time and cost involved in training them before they can get stuck in. 

Most likely, you rehired someone because they were good at their job in the first place. But returners or ‘boomerangs’ also provide a fresh perspective and new ideas, having picked up new skills and knowledge during their time away. 

Rehiring the right way 

When rehiring, the main concern is that a professional will leave again. Employee retention strategies are key here, as is expectation management. 

Professionals tend to rejoin companies for a higher salary or position. This can cause resentment and jealousy, damaging company morale. However, ensuring each employee is treated fairly will prevent these negative dynamics from forming. Employers should not treat returners any better or worse than the rest of their team. 

Before you rehire someone, it’s important to give an honest overview of how the company has changed since they left and address any feedback from their exit interview. If you rehire someone having solved their issues from the first time, or at least shown an intention to improve, they will feel valued and have greater longevity in your company.

If you’re looking for the perfect professional or an outstanding opportunity, contact your nearest Reed office.

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Scientific CV Template
3 mins read
  1. Article

Scientific CV Template

​If you are looking for your next position in the science industry, it is important to optimise and tailor your CV to give yourself the best possible chance of securing your dream role.

Build the perfect scientific CV with our free template below:

[Full Name]
[Home Address]
[Contact Number] • [Email Address]

Personal Statement

This section is your chance to summarise the rest of the CV, and convince the recruiter to get in touch. It is important to keep it brief, between 50-200 words and outline; who you are, any specific skills you have to offer (including ‘soft skills’) and your career aim.

Depending on the role, the key ‘soft skills’ employers are likely to look for include: communication, decision making, leadership skills, problem solving and being a team player. Be sure to reference your ability in these areas wherever possible in your CV.

I have gained valuable experience in [area of expertise] at [organisation name] and have a particular wealth of experience and skills in [specific area]. I graduated in [year] from [university name] with a [degree class] degree in [subject], and am now an [industry] professional.

My important achievements include working alongside the [team name] team at [organisation], and contributing to projects such as [project name]. I was responsible for/organised [task] and increased/decreased [profit/other metric] by [£X/X%].

I am looking for my next opportunity within an [business type/industry] organisation, where I can bring real value and develop my [scientific/research] skills further.


Education

This is your chance to talk about your qualifications, academic and vocational. This is a particularly important section for those with no relevant work experience. You should give detail about what you studied, where and when, and list them in chronological order. If you have many of one qualification, such as GCSEs you might find it useful to group them together.

  • [University Name]

  • [Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

Degree subject and class achieved (list Masters/PhD first)

  • Modules studied

  • Skills used

  • Dissertation brief

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

A-levels:

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

GCSEs:

  • [Number] GCSEs, grades [range], including Maths and English

Skills

This section is useful to clearly outline the laboratory/scientific skills you’ve gained at university or in industry. Include even minor relevant skills to increase your chances of being discovered in a CV database search.

Work experience
This should be brief and, as a general rule of thumb, focus on the last five years of your career, or last three roles, in chronological order with most recent at the top.

If you are a recent graduate then work experience should be listed before your degree details - if the work undertaken was relevant. If it was not relevant to your industry then list detailed degree/dissertation information first.

You should highlight your key achievements and use bullet points rather than lengthy descriptions.

[Job Title], [Company Name] [Location]
[Date M/Y- Date M/Y]

Achievements and responsibilities:

  • Brief role overview

  • Worked alongside [team] to produce [project]

  • Implemented [change] which resulted in [benefit]

  • Received an [award name] for [reason]


Hobbies and Interests

This section is not essential to include, but you may wish to depending on the role you are applying for. It can be a useful chance to show a little more of your personality. However, be warned this can be very subjective, ensure anything listed here reinforces your application and the idea that you’ll be the right fit for the role. If you don’t have any real relatable hobbies, it is probably best to omit this section.

I organise a weekly [sport] game, manage bookings, transport and help to coach the team.

Undertook a [course] in order to improve my [skill].


References

References are available upon request.

Download our full scientific CV template.

Coaching for intersectional inclusion
9 mins read
  1. Article

Coaching for intersectional inclusion

​Everyone has multiple layers to their identity, and no one is one label. There are other aspects of their identities to consider, and no one should be put in a box. Many businesses, which celebrate Pride Month, for example, are perceived as not doing enough for people who are underrepresented in more than one way.

Recent research by Culture Amp in ‘The Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024’ found disabled women and black women are more doubtful of their employers’ equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) efforts than any other group.

This is likely because women might feel their entire identity and additional barriers aren’t being considered, if they are part of more than one underrepresented group. Some employers’ initiatives provide a base-level overview of inclusion for women, but they might only explore the perspectives of white women, for example, or women in general, with no specific solutions explored for LGBTQ+, disabled or black women, for instance. Each may have very different experiences of what it means to be a woman.

Coaching people within your organisation can help leaders and employees gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and why it’s important. We interviewed Mary-Clare Race, CEO of Talking Talent, for her insight and best-practice tips on all things coaching and inclusion.

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Q: What's the difference between coaching, mentoring, and other types of training, especially when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging?

A: These terms are often used interchangeably in the world of talent development, but we see a clear distinction between them that is especially important when it comes to EDI&B.

In a training situation, the primary goal is typically to transfer knowledge from the facilitator to the participant, to raise their awareness and understanding of a particular topic or skill and provide them with practical tips on how to put that skill into action for themselves.

In a mentoring situation, there is also an element of knowledge transfer, but in a more personalised, relationship based, one-to-one situation where the mentee is paired up with a more experienced mentor who is there to provide them with support, advice and guidance.

Coaching takes the relationship-based approach one step further and focuses on supporting and facilitating the coachee to actively step in and facilitate their own outcomes. It is not about giving them the answer but rather supporting them to find their own answer, their own way forward.

At Talking Talent, we favour a coaching-led approach because it enables a deeper level of behavioural change. The coachee must be actively engaged and motivated to do the inner work on themselves and the coach is there to hold them to account. However, there is a role for all three approaches when it comes to solving EDI&B challenges and real power in combining all three.

Q: How can coaching help businesses become more inclusive and diverse?

A: If you look at what it takes to really move an organisation forward with their EDI&B strategy, we believe you've got to take a systemic approach and build inclusion into your culture and in how people behave every day.

There are several ways coaching can help with this:

Leadership behaviours: by working with a coach, leaders become more aware of their own biases, preferences and how their own identity shapes how they show up as a leader. The coach can help them develop the skills needed to foster a culture of inclusion and hold themselves and others accountable.

Developing talent: in many organisations there are pockets of talent who have been overlooked because of some aspect of their identity. Coaching-led programmes can support under-represented talent to thrive and overcome what may be holding them back so they can fulfil their true potential. And by offering coaching-led programmes that address the unique needs of underrepresented individuals, organisations demonstrate their commitment to supporting the needs of all their employees - thus driving retention and engagement levels up.

Improving culture: at the heart of culture change is the need to move behaviours forward at an organisational level. We believe coaching is the most powerful way to do this for an organisation - by helping individuals and groups develop the self-awareness, emotional intelligence and relational competency to work effectively in diverse teams and build inclusion into the culture.

Q: In your experience, why are diversity and inclusion initiatives so important to organisations and their talent attraction and retention?

A: In our industry, there's been significant backlash against EDI&B efforts, particularly in North America, and this sentiment seems to be growing globally. The issue often lies in viewing EDI&B initiatives as separate from core organisational culture. For me, EDI&B is about creating an environment where every individual, regardless of identity, can thrive and contribute fully. This isn't just about ticking boxes – it's critical for attracting and retaining talent, and crucial for overall business performance.

Ultimately, EDI&B isn't merely an add-on; it's integral to effective leadership and to building success at all levels of your organisation. It's about fostering authenticity, encouraging diverse perspectives, and empowering individuals to contribute their best work. These principles are essential for any business striving to maximise performance and leverage a diverse talent pool, regardless of their specific commitments or strategies. It's about creating a workplace culture where everyone can succeed and where the organisation benefits from the full potential of its people.

Q: Who should be coached i