How to Manage Boomerang Employees

In the fast-evolving PR profession, boomerangs — former employees who left the organization and later returned — are becoming more common.

Once viewed with much skepticism, rehiring a former staffer is now perceived as having many benefits — reduced onboarding time, a quicker road to productivity, leveraging of existing institutional knowledge, and perhaps most important, fresh skills and perspectives gained from their time elsewhere. This is uniquely valuable.

The best boomerang employees aren’t retreating to the familiar — they’re advancing their careers with the strategic advantage of knowing exactly what they’re returning to!

What is the business case for hiring a boomerang? 

A boomerang employee is going to come to the table ready to innovate. Whether or not their time elsewhere was positive, they took something away from it — relationships, strategic ideas, tactical skills, etc. Communications professionals can benefit from external exposure specifically by broadening their network of media contacts and gaining experience with different client management approaches. What a goldmine to leverage!

Renewed loyalty plays a big factor here — they chose to return, and this creates a “return-friendly” culture. As it is so often said, you never want to burn a bridge, so maintaining a positive relationship should be a priority. Create and invest in an alumni network.

Talent acquisition teams might also consider building out a clear re-entry path and processes for former employees who parted ways on good terms. A positive offboarding experience is just as important as the onboarding. A positive rehiring experience can boost employee morale and loyalty among your existing workforce.

And, yes — you’re saving money and time by not running a long, potentially costly search for talent. 

Consider all the angles.

Carefully evaluate why the employee left previously to ensure that the issues have been addressed and to avoid potential recurrence. Did they leave to pursue higher education or for another opportunity? 

If there were prior performance issues or cultural misalignment, then those are valid reasons to not consider rehiring a former employee. A person’s work style is important, because they should be able to integrate well and work collaboratively with your current team. 

Don’t rush into the decision. A comprehensive interview process should still occur, even with a boomerang! Ask: “What have you learned about yourself since you left? What skills have you developed further? Why do you wish to return? Are there any concerns that you’d like to address?” Just because you know someone doesn’t mean they’re the best person for the role. Discover their current motivations and aspirations. 

Reintegration challenges can occur if there have been big changes at an organization since they last worked there. Be transparent about those changes beforehand, as well as what their current career development prospects would look like, prior to extending a rehire offer. 

If you do decide to rehire them, then be sure to set appropriate, clear expectations for them. And when they start work, offer training and support to make the return smooth and fruitful. As with any new employee, it’s a best practice to monitor how well they’re settling in and getting things done.

Lastly, in the PR profession, competition is high and some roles are highly desirable. When a former employee returns at a higher rate of pay and a more senior title, it can cause resentment among staff. Be in control of the narrative and lead with integrity. 

The best thing to do is communicate to your team the positive impact the rehire will bring, and to reaffirm that their personal growth will not be impacted. 

In the relationship-driven PR world, maintaining connections with departing talent isn’t simply good manners — it’s good business. For forward-thinking PR agencies and in-house teams, the greatest competitive edge may not lie in constantly hunting for new talent, but in cultivating lasting relationships that welcome valued professionals back through your doors with their expanded perspective, renewed commitment and invaluable industry insights.