Farewell drink, speech, graduation certificate and then goodbye. This is how Anna Lerzy imagined the separation from her employer. In the past, quitting was usually associated with saying goodbye forever. But things turned out differently for her: “Two years later, I was back where I was,” said the designer in an interview with t3n. In technical jargon, she is referred to as a boomerang worker. She flew out and came back. Lerzy was looking forward to it, the boss welcomed her with open arms. Curious? Not at all! More and more companies are relying on returnees for recruiting. Because they bring clear advantages.
Two years later I was back on the spot.
At the top it says that they often cost – and time-consuming training is usually canceled. In addition, both parties know exactly what they can expect from each other: misunderstandings about performance, requirements and quality are usually ruled out in a comeback. This is the finding of a team of researchers who carried out a study among 30,000 employees and compared internal, external and returning staff members with one another. The researchers discussed the results in detail in the Harvard Business Review (HBR). The only catch: Boomerangs may remain willing to change.
“Employees who have left an organization are often willing to do so again,” explain the researchers at the HBR. The decisive factor, however, is how the first dismissal came about and whether there were lasting changes as part of the second chance. Specifically, this can mean that just because a boomerang has been successfully recruited again does not necessarily mean that the person actually stays for a long time. If, for example, the reason for the first change was a lack of transparency in the decision-making process and nothing has changed, there is a high probability that the return will not last long. A higher salary doesn’t help either.
Boomerang employees can be deployed quickly
Boomerang workers: advantages and disadvantages of returnees. (Graphic: Shutterstock-Mojahata / HBR.org)
Companies like Cellular know that. Bianca Schröder is HR manager at the digital agency and plans boomerang employees in the HR strategy. One thing is essential: “You need a group of colleagues to whom you are happy to come back,” she reveals in a t3n conversation. “We know that team cohesion and the supportive cooperation are particularly valued.” At Hamburgers, every tenth team member has returned from a different employer. “Our latest boomerang was immediately ready to go and productive after an hour of onboarding and IT setup,” says Schröder. A real success for her.
Often they just wanted to get to know new companies.
From the often still widespread view that Rü Bianca Schröder thinks nothing of returning people who have simply failed in their other job and should rather be seen as disloyal. “Often they just wanted to get to know other industries and new companies. Or a change fit into a new phase of life, ”says the HR manager. In their eyes, the will to return should be understood primarily as a compliment. The grass wasn’t greener anywhere else. “How it works in the new job, how managers and the team act in everyday life, you only find out when you try it out. It’s brave to say: That’s not what I imagine! ”
Anna Jerzy felt the same way. She didn’t leave because she was frustrated by her employer. Rather, it was even difficult for her to say goodbye, because she left “a great manager and a great team,” as she said in a t3n conversation. “I received an offer that would help me further in my professional development,” she says and adds: “I couldn’t refuse that.” She learned a lot in the new company, but the tone in the team was definitely rougher. “It quickly became clear to me that the new job was just a stopover.” However, she would never have thought that she would return to her old company of all places. She would have understood if disappointment reverberated.
Boomerangs bring fresh experiences
It may be worth asking: “Do you want to come back?” (Photo: Shutterstock- Fizkes)
The Cellular HR Manager Bianca Schröder knows what can be much more decisive for a new hiring in such a case: The new knowledge and skills that are in the bag. “Boomerangs bring fresh experiences with them and, in contrast to other newcomers, have a before-and-after comparison.” This means: “With their wealth of experience, they can assess situations differently and act more reflective. Or make suggestions as to how everything can be designed in a new, different, better way. ”According to the research report in the HBR, however, this should not be confused with an increased willingness to perform. According to the study, this usually does not increase.
I think we have on End everyone benefits.
Dangerous find Sch It röder when returning to the old job is confused with the comfort zone. “A person who chooses to return might think that they don’t have to change anything because they already know everything. We counter this by making it a priority to look into different new areas of the company right at the start of the job. “Of course, the employer must also question himself and see whether anything has changed in any company-related reasons for the termination at the time. so that a boomerang is not in front of the same construction site as before.
“Companies often make too little effort to understand this questioning as an important part of the employee experience that lies behind the point in time of the termination,” says Schröder. There is much more to be done than just confirming the termination, calculating the remaining vacation time and the like nd plan the hardware handover. “Anyone who invests in comprehensive offboarding, deals with dismissals in an appropriately transparent manner and on top of that has a good network with alumni will notice that it is worth it.” Anna Jerzy has in any case fitted in well with her old job. “I can apply my new know-how again in a friendly team. I think we all benefited in the end. “
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