Sometimes They Come Back: Understanding The Boomerang Effect

The decision to hire a boomerang team member is ultimately a two-way street

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way many people think about work. In isolation, they took stock of their careers and lives and decided that a change was necessary. The stress and grief surrounding the pandemic led people to sit down with themselves and examine what their work really means to them – and many decided that their demanding positions just weren’t worth it anymore.
 

As more and more workers came face-to-face with the realities, and in some cases, mistreatment they encountered on a regular basis – especially as the pandemic drove many people throughout industries like travel, healthcare and education to the brink – they responded by quitting en masse.

Employers are still feeling the effects of the so-called Great Resignation. A recent McKinsey global survey revealed that the rate of workers leaving their jobs voluntarily is still 25 percent higher than it was before the pandemic hit. Even our current economic turmoil can’t stem the tide of resigning workers: a whopping 40 percent of team members plan to leave their current jobs within six months. And nearly a fifth of workers in the travel, healthcare, and consumer retail spaces who left their positions are currently planning to quit the world of work entirely instead of lining up another job.

As the dust began to settle from the pandemic, many people who resigned found themselves in a peculiar position: They realized that the grass was not greener on the other side and began to make moves to return to the jobs they’d left during the peak of the pandemic. This “boomerang effect” gave many employers a treasure trove of experienced team members who still possessed the institutional knowledge those companies needed to thrive. How can employers get these people back – and back to stay?

Employers should start by being honest with themselves about why these team members left in the first place. Did you allow a hostile work environment? Did team members feel marginalized and unseen? Were they encouraged to obtain the skills needed to grow in their roles? Ask yourself these tough questions and come up with a way to create real and lasting positive change.

Employers should also understand this is not the usual recession-and-recovery employment cycle: For one thing, many of these team members were not forced out. Instead, they quit on their own terms. Second, it’s easier to switch jobs than it once was, and competition for talent has only gotten fiercer since the pandemic began. There are also 2 million more open positions up for grabs now than there were last year – and, according to McKinsey, more than a third of the workers who quit during the Great Resignation did so without having a new job lined up. If workers are willing to place themselves in such financial jeopardy, employers need to understand their role in that and make moves to pick up the slack. Understanding that this is currently a job seeker’s market is a crucial step in making systemic changes that will both attract and retain high performers.

When a team member leaves the company, do everything you can to ensure that your working relationship ends on good terms. If you know why they’re leaving, have a conversation that acknowledges the issues that led to their departure, then resolve to fix them. Make sure that the departing colleague feels free to contact you as well as former colleagues anytime. Leave the lines of communication open and make sure they feel like a valued member of the organization – and that returning is always a viable option.

If you hear from a former team member who wants to return, make sure you understand exactly why they left and what’s motivating their desire to return. Perhaps they miss the team, the industry, and the intellectual challenge the work provides. If you’ve left the lines of communication open, they should feel comfortable reaching out to discuss the idea of possibly returning to your company again.

Once you’ve begun the conversation, make sure you acknowledge the frustrations that ultimately caused them to leave previously. If nothing else, detail how you’ve changed the circumstances that led to their departure. Remember that you’re dealing with someone who has already made the decision to leave the company at least once. Be specific.

The good news is you’re already familiar with their skill set, personality, and work ethic, so you have options at your disposal. You can decide to welcome them back with open arms, or figure out the knowledge gaps that might keep them from being effective in the role they’re pursuing. The decision to hire a boomerang team member is ultimately a two-way street.

When it comes to welcoming back boomerang team members, clear and consistent communication is key. When both parties feel comfortable enough to lay out what they want and need from a return trip to your company, it’s easy to make sure everyone walks away feeling aligned and ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

Author Bio

Amy Zimmerman is Chief People Officer at Relay Payments. Connect Ammy Zimmerman