Boomerang employees: Why they come back and what it means for retention

“Boomerang employees” are nothing new, but the term is making headlines again as employers see an uptick in former employees rejoining on the heels of the “Great Resignation.” The early post-pandemic days of companies paying premiums to attract talent back to work are winding to a close, and we’re seeing indications of an employer’s market ahead (although competition for skilled talent remains high). Job candidates who accepted offers gilded with incentives are settling into their everyday reality and realizing the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Many were happier in their previous position.

In fact, 4 out of 10 employees who quit their jobs during the pandemic now admit they were better off at their old job, according to a multi-country survey by workforce solutions company UKG.

Statistics around the prevalence of boomerang employees vary by industry, but a hot-off-the-press study conducted by HR analytics firm Visier between 2019 and 2022 found that 28% of “new” hires were actually boomerang employees who couldn’t stay away more than three years.

Such is the plot twist in the greatest workplace shakeup since the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Post-COVID, being “taken back” by an employer no longer bears the stigma or risk it once may have; instead, employers are keen to understand why their employees left, and the reasons they want to return. Tuning into those sentiments — at their core, loyalty drivers — is the secret to more productive employees and greater retention.   Creating a culture that makes employees want to come back

The Visier study suggests most boomerang employees return to their old stomping grounds just after hitting the one-year mark in their new role. At Sedgwick, it’s much sooner: 37% of boomerang employees return within just six months of leaving!. The top reasons for coming back? Work-life balance and a caring culture.

Employees want to join an organization whose mission and values align with their own. With the “return-to-work” movement of 2022 having ushered in a variety of work arrangements, creating a unified employee experience is a priority for talent teams. In tandem with the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, employers are really being compelled to take a look at their own DNA — who they are as a company, what they stand for, whether they have the right talent on board, and how colleague experience is affecting performance.

Colleague experience is inclusive of career growth and development opportunities; benefit offerings and perks; compensation; flexibility and work-life balance; and company and team culture. A renewed focus on employee engagement means companies must reassess all of the above — and on an individual level — to determine whether they are actively facilitating employees’ personal and professional growth.

Internal training programs and colleague resource groups are two initiatives that promote an organization’s consideration for personal and professional growth of its employees. Access to executives, peer connectedness and opportunities for development motivate employees and help them feel included in a corporate environment.

Employees boomerang for a number of reasons, but culture and colleague relationships are emerging as the priceless selling points that outside contracts can’t beat.

When leadership is intentional about caring for colleagues, it shows.

Tips for recruiters looking to (re)open the door to great talent

It’s true that the tale of a boomerang employee is two-sided: One employer’s gain is another’s loss. Still, it’s a positive sign when employers feel they can tap their alumni networks for proven talent and actively encourage them to return. In 2021, LinkedIn made a deliberate effort to welcome back former employees, resulting in a 200% boomerang hire increase for the year.

While today’s boomerang employees themselves are unlikely to hear “I told you so,” those looking to rejoin an organization must be sure they left on good terms, and with relationships they can build on. These individuals need to be honest about their intentions to rejoin their prior employer and demonstrate why they believe they are the right candidate for the job.

For the employer, it’s important to discuss why the individual felt the need to leave in the first place, and why they now want to return. It’s possible that, in addition to expectations falling flat in their new role, the candidate feels the employer hasn’t made good on their promise, whether that means being entrusted with a specific set of responsibilities, being over-entrusted (thus putting work-life balance at risk), or receiving recognition in the form of a timed promotion or monetary reward.

Internal mobility and a mutually-developed career plan are important to prospective colleagues in today’s work environment. For this reason, it’s perhaps unsurprising that most boomerang employees return to their former workplaces in an advanced role (such as management) and at a higher pay rate than the company they jumped ship for.

Related: Quiet quitting may not be that ‘quiet’

All employees — prospective, new, former and existing — should know they don’t always have to leave a job to get the opportunity or experience they’re looking for. Employers should be prepared to identify and kickstart these difficult conversations before an employee is even thinking about leaving, to see if adjustments can be made. Well-trained people leaders can be a key tool in spotting disengaged workers, as has been highlighted in industry discussions around another recent workplace trend, “quiet quitting.”

Resignation decisions should never be made on a whim. Both employee and employer might be surprised to learn the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but instead where they choose to water it.

Kiley Kohs, corporate talent acquisition, Sedgwick