What Is a Boomerang Employee, and How Can You Become One?
You may be hearing about boomerang employees and are wondering what it is and whether you should become one. Understanding the boomerang concept gives you an idea of a boomerang employee, and it’s someone who leaves an organization and later comes back to work for the same company.
There are pros and cons to being a boomerang employee that you must consider before deciding to become one. Thankfully, the days of employers not being interested in candidates that are previous employees are over, and organizations realize that there are benefits that can positively affect their bottom line.
What Is a Boomerang Employee?
The Great Resignation led to a talent drought that encouraged organizations to embrace the idea of rehiring staff that had left the company. If an employee left a company because they were required to return to the office after the pandemic and preferred working from home, they might choose to leave the company.
If, at some point in the future, a remote opportunity opens up with the same organization, the employee may choose to apply for the position, and the employer may decide to rehire the former employee. When this happens, you can refer to the rehire as a boomerang employee.
Boomerang employees can benefit both the employee and the organization. The employee can benefit from being in a position to negotiate terms they didn’t have previously, including a higher salary, and the company can benefit from cost savings obtained since the new hire doesn’t need training.
The organization can also benefit from the skills and perspective the rehire gained in their previous employment. The boomerang employee may have thought they would have a better experience elsewhere, but instead, it made them more appreciative of the culture at their company.
The Benefits of Being a Boomerang Employee
If you’re skeptical about the idea of going back to an employer after you’ve quit, you should consider the benefits. Employers understand that sometimes you have to leave to grow, and they know they will benefit from the knowledge and experience you gained from your employment after you left.
Your experience and the confidence gained from knowing your previous employer is open to having you back gives you an upper hand when negotiating the terms of your employment. You can ask for a flexible work schedule, extended vacation time, or a salary increase.
How to Become a Boomerang Employee
Before you start applying for jobs with your former employer, there are some things you should consider. You need to think about why you left in the first place; if a toxic work environment was the reason you left, what guarantees do you have that things have changed?
Did you leave on good terms with your coworkers? If you’re going to get a frosty welcome from your colleagues, you may want to consider whether that’s the kind of working environment you want to enter and if there’s anything you could do to make it warmer.
You may also want to consider how you left the job. Was it on good terms that your former employer wouldn’t hesitate to have you back on the team, or will they have concerns?
If you’re confident that the boomerang employee experience will be positive, you can start preparing for your comeback! Here are some of the steps to take:
1. Leave on Good Terms
You’ve probably heard the saying that you shouldn’t burn your bridges, and this is true for leaving a job. Regardless of how unhappy you were as an employee, you want to go on a positive note in case you need a reference or want to be considered for another job opportunity.
Leaving on good terms is good advice whether or not you want to return; most industries have close networks, and you don’t want a former employer to have anything negative to say about you to potential employers. If you’re getting ready to leave your current job, you may be interested in learninghow to write a good resignation letter (with templates!).
2. Gain New Experiences and Skills
If you want to stand out to your former employer, you need to show that you have gained new skills and experience that make you a more valuable employee now than when you left. You may impress your former employer by taking a course, earning a certification, or taking on more senior management responsibilities.
You want to show your former employer that you’ve been working on yourself and your abilities since you left the organization. You may be interested in learningways to earn free online certificates and boost your job skills.
3. Stay Informed About the Organization
As in a regular job hunt, you must stay informed about the company you want to work for. you’re able to sign up for their newsletter or create a Google Alert to get notifications when news articles about the organization are published.
Staying on top of what’s happening in the company can help you prepare for the job openings that may result from the activities. It also helps to keep you current on the company culture.
You can also follow the organization on social media, and don’t be afraid to like and comment on company posts since it can help keep you visible. If you’re interested in how Google Alerts can help you, you might want to learnhow to use Google Alerts in your job search.
4. Stay in Touch With Former Colleagues and Managers
Since employers recognize the value of keeping in touch with former employees, many have created alum networks for former employees designed specifically for rehires. If the organization you want to boomerang to doesn’t have a site like that, you can still keep in touch with former colleagues and managers.
Staying in touch with the people that still work for the company you left can keep you front of mind if a new opportunity opens up. Try to stay in touch through their preferred method of communication, whether that be text, email, phone call, or over lunch or a cup of coffee.
LinkedIn is an excellent social media platform to keep in touch with former coworkers, managers, and colleagues to stay on top of what’s happening within the organization. You might want to learnhow to build a successful personal brand on LinkedIn.
5. Apply for Open Positions
Don’t Be Afraid to Boomerang!
If you’ve thought it through and believe that returning to your previous employer is an excellent move for you professionally and personally, go for it! Don’t worry about the opinions of others and how they feel about returning to a job they left. If it works for you, that’s all that matters.
Remember that you’re not the only one benefiting from the return. You’re bringing new skills and experiences that have changed your perspective on things, which can be helpful for problem-solving. Consider your boomerang a win-win for you and your former employer.
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