Would you consider going back to a former employer? If you’re like most American workers responding to a recent survey, you wouldn’t. A full 52 percent of respondents to the Accountemps staffing firm’s survey said they likely would not. But the same can’t be said for former employers. Nearly all -- 98 percent -- of human resources managers interviewed said they would welcome back a previous employee who left on good terms. The survey did not provide statistics regarding employees who left on bad terms.
For employers, the benefits of rehiring a valued former employee can be pretty obvious.
"Boomerang employees have a shorter learning curve and may require less training and have already proven themselves and their fit with the organization, so there are fewer surprises," Bill Driscoll, a district president for Accountemps, said in a statement. "Companies who part ways unprofessionally or don't take seriously the information they glean from exit interviews could miss out on bringing back someone great."
Most employees, however, rarely leave jobs they’re happy with. The top reason employees gave for leaving a former employer was that they didn’t like the management (23 percent). Not liking the corporate culture was the second most common response (14 percent), tied with not liking their job duties. And 10 percent of employees said they wouldn’t consider returning because the company burned bridges when they left.
The surveys were conducted by independent research firms. They included responses from more than 300 HR managers at U.S. companies with 20 or more employees and more than 1,000 U.S. workers 18 years or older and employed in office environments.
“When it comes to rehiring former employees, consider why they left in the first place. If they resigned to pursue education, training or a role with more responsibility, having them back may bring new skills and ideas to the organization,” Driscoll said. “On the other hand, those who quit because of dissatisfaction with management, pay or the corporate culture may still be unhappy if they perceive nothing has changed while they were away.”
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