BRANDEblog

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

There's No Place Like...

BOOMERANG EMPLOYEES

You've heard the name- they come, they stay, they leave and then they're baaaack!
Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

I have always subscribed to the notion that re-recruiting former "involuntary terms" (there's a sexy phrase) was a great idea since the evil you know is better than the evil you don't know. Given the time spent to recruit, test, hire, orient and assimilate a good worker, wouldn't it be great if they come back, renewed with a sense of appreciation for what they once left?

More than 50% of the HR people polled by Right Management said that they would rehire a former employee. They know the culture, they know the players and they know what is expected of them at work.

But I never realized that there might be a stigma associated with someone returning-- that is, until I read a letter written by someone to an HR forum wondering if it was a good idea for her to go back to her old company. It made me think of things from the other perspective.

There were presumably 2 weeks following her giving notice when she walked around smug, secure and superior knowing that she was getting out and the rest of her team was stuck and probably overworked trying to pick up the slack. She left, she got more money, it didn't work out and now she's back-- tail between her legs and perhaps even MORE money! Did everyone just hate her?

Most people agree that hiring back former employees is a great idea- its a cheap-- low risk effort to try and reconnect with past employees that left on good terms. On the agency side, we've put together postcards, eblasts and other win-back programs to reach out to people and invite them back. After all, you have a veritable database of people to reach out to. What technology has done is made it easy to find their resume through social networking sites or resume databases and see what they've been up to and what new knowledge they've amassed.

Conclusion? Go for it!

Celestial Seasonings thinks it's a good idea too.

In fact, they sent out a press release about it:

Celestial Seasonings® Celebrates 35 Flavorful Years!

Long-Term and 'Boomerang Employees' Bring Loyalty, Expertise to Tea Manufacturer

"---Much of the Company's success can be attributed to the knowledge and expertise provided by the many long-term employees and "boomerangs" -- those who left Celestial Seasonings to pursue other careers but later returned."

Sheesh- what does that say about the rest of the population that stayed for all 35 years!

Written at 5:47 PM by JODY.

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Celestial Seasonings® Celebrates 35 Flavorful Years!

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