Pros and Cons of Rehiring Former Employees

Kronos believes rehiring former employees is a good idea, one that contradicts most human resource practices, reports the Society for Human Resource Management . Assuming the employee is skilled and left on good terms, the employer could gain a valuable, capable worker who is familiar with and likes the company and who may return with new talents. Other potential benefits include saving money on recruiting and training costs. However, the employer may have changed significantly since the former employee left, while current workers may resent that one of their own did not win the position given to the former employee, and colleagues may question whether the rehired worker will leave again. Kronos' Dave Almeda points to a basic change in the employer-employee relationship, noting, "Historically, the employers held all the power. They provided the jobs, set the wages, and data wasn't transparent to job seekers. Today, driven by the war for top talent and new technologies, the paradigm has shifted." Kronos also thinks "boomerangs" can become strong corporate brand ambassadors for the organization. LaSalle Network CEO Tom Gimbel advises firms considering to rehire a former employee to first "look back at their exit interview and refresh your memory on why they left." He says "the biggest positive is that if they're coming back, it's probably because they really like the company and want to be there."