By Aily Foo, Senior Consultant, Temp & Contract Recruitment, Links International Hong Kong
With today’s technology, it is much easier for people to stay in touch with former colleagues through social media networks such as LinkedIn or Facebook.
Once their profiles are updated on these sites, we can find out their latest job details. Some people may be considered as good re-hire material, whilst others might not. What are the factors we have to consider when hiring a boomerang employee?
Why did they leave the firm in first place?
When your employees decide to leave the firm, it is very important to conduct an exit interview. This will help you to have a better understanding of their issues and enable you to predict employees’ expectations in the future. If the problems cannot be resolved, then it’s pointless to consider a rehire.
Is the returning employee the best candidate for the role?
Normally, a company will consider a boomerang employee when they have a proven track record of new skills or strategies that they have acquired since leaving the company. If they return to the company, they can therefore bring these new skills and add value to the company. If not, the employer must consider if the returning employee will perform well in the long run, or if it is just a short-term solution. What is the point in bringing them back if they are no different to hiring new blood to the company?
Will it increase morale for the company?
If a high quality talent returns, it may boost the morale in the company, as co-workers will already have that trust from before. Besides, like a top performer, a re-hired employee will usually be more productive than a new employee, as they can pick things up quickly to efficiently impact the success of the business.
Could you save costs and speed up the on-boarding process?
The cost of re-hiring a boomerang employee is reported to be a third to two-thirds the cost of hiring a fresh employee. Re-hiring employees can save time and costs on training and the search process, and it can speed up the on-boarding process too. There will be no need to worry about a culture crash, since the returning employee has already gone through these processes and understands the culture of the company. It is therefore beneficial to the company to reduce new-hire costs.
It can sometimes be hard to attract good talent in the market. By taking advantage of social media, we can always stay connected with our former colleagues. In this fast-paced, competitive market, we can consider the benefits of re-hiring former talent in order to save time and costs, although, as mentioned above, this may not always be the best solution.
Links International specialises in retained and contingent recruitment for temporary, contract and permanent roles. If you’re looking to hire the best talent for your organisation, please do not hesitate to contact us.