Since the period of the great resignation, a talent shortage has been felt. Have you ever considered rehiring a former employee?
This practice is currently gaining popularity in France, these former hires are called " boomerang employees " .
Is it a good solution? How to successfully reintegrate these new-old employees? We offer you an analysis.
Why rehire a former employee?
This is the approach considered by companies during talent shortages: rehiring employees who have recently left or not. However, be careful not to rehire a former employee just to fill a vacant position. Rehiring a former employee is difficult to accept and to integrate into HR codes in France, it doesn't seem natural, we usually hear: " once an employee leaves the company, they can't come back. "
It is necessary to study the advantages and disadvantages of rehiring a former employee and not just rely on intuition.
Advantages:
- Time saved by not having to retrain the employee unless there are tool changes
- The employee already knows the company culture and possibly the teams
- The candidate has gained experience in the meantime.
Disadvantages:
- The former employee might want to renegotiate their salary and/or benefits
- Fear for the company that the employee may leave again
- Specific support to consider
The interest for everyone to maintain a connection
Nowadays, social networks, with LinkedIn at the forefront, allow keeping in touch with a former employee or their former employer. It's even possible to create pages or networks of former team members to maintain this connection.
We also think of "reunions" among former colleagues, with those still in the company and those who have left. The co-optation is then quite easy. The former employee can express their feelings about their professional situation, and it's an opportunity to discuss new projects of their former company.
Check out our article on co-optation: recruitment: 6 tips for optimizing your sourcing strategy
A nostalgia among employees due to the pandemic?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some employees regret changing their trajectory by resigning too quickly from their position.
According to the UGK survey conducted in April 2022, among employees who resigned during the COVID-19 crisis, 63% of the French felt better within their former job.
This survey provides us with elements of response on the main regrets of employees who left their company. The first regret after leaving concerns work colleagues for 38% of respondents, followed by the comfort linked to knowing the position, customer service, remuneration, and lastly, work-life balance.
Regarding reasons for leaving, the primary reason cited is remuneration: 49% of employees leave for a better salary. We also notice other reasons like the lack of recognition or a sense of belonging or a poor work-life balance, which sometimes lead employees to burnout.
These are 2 boomerang employees out of 3 who had enough trust in their manager to inform them of their intention to resign as soon as they considered it.
Boomerang employees, the trend of tomorrow
Former hires represent the future of work. More and more will be led to navigate from one organization to another and be free to leave and return. Work modes are evolving, this process is close to the current phenomenon of CV exchange between companies.
Leaving a company today is more common than in the time of our parents' and grandparents' generations. However, this doesn't mean we betray it. Everyone should now be free to experiment with new projects, develop professionally and want to acquire new skills.
This trend is gradually becoming part of corporate cultures.
Discover the experience of a Boomerang employee
Julien is what we call a " boomerang employee ", he spent almost 6 years as a roaming burner maintenance technician for asphalt positions at the company Argumat. His work involved adjusting and maintaining burners, he also installed new production equipment.
Today, Julien holds a new position as assistant head of asphalt plant for 3 months but is doing it in another company.
Julien shares what motivated him to change jobs and companies.
"The first motivation that drove me to change was mainly to find a certain personal stability and free time for my loved ones and myself. The second was to discover another job that seemed appealing on paper. And finally, the third, the salary, even though it is subjective."
Were you afraid to embark on this new adventure?
"Yes, I was afraid of heading into the unknown, stepping out of my comfort zone, but motivated by my curiosity and the people around me, I eventually took the plunge."
Why did you decide to return to your former company?
"Today, in the company where I am, I don't feel like I belong. Compared to my previous job, time drags on, and I don't use all the skills I've acquired over the years. I'm a person who loves to move and push my limits. However, currently, I can't do it because I don't have the opportunity or even the desire, making a place within a team that's been around for 20 years isn't simple."
Did you stay in contact with your former company?
"After my resignation, I stayed in touch and on good terms with my former employer.
I communicated by phone, went to lunch with my former colleagues, or simply maintained the connection by visiting them at the company's premises.
Following a discussion with my former managers, the CEO contacted me by phone to offer to rehire me in January 2023. He needs qualified and trustworthy personnel. He offered me a new contract with some conditions I imposed that he accepted."
Do you regret your decision?
"I do not regret my decision, far from it, despite some warnings, I tested for myself and discovered another way of working and learned new things that will be useful to me in the future."
For further reading:
https://myrhline.com/type-article/salarie-boomerang/
https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/articles/salaries-boomerang-entreprise
