A boomerang employee is someone who leaves your company — whether for another job, a career break, or retirement — and later returns to work for you again. After the record-breaking wave of resignations during the so-called Great Resignation, companies across every industry are now navigating a very different trend: a surge of former staff asking for their old jobs back. If you are weighing whether to rehire a familiar face, this guide walks through everything you need to know, from the research behind boomerang hiring to a step-by-step rehire policy you can put into action today.
What Is a Boomerang Employee?
A boomerang employee is a former staff member who leaves your organization and is later rehired for the same company, sometimes in the same role and sometimes in a different one. These individuals either exited the workforce entirely — for caregiving, further education, or retirement — or accepted a position elsewhere before circling back to seek re-employment with you.
However, context matters here. If a former employee left decades ago, few current staff will even remember them, so it makes sense to evaluate them like any other external candidate. True boomerang rehiring typically involves someone who left recently enough that institutional memory of their work still exists within the team.
Why Boomerang Employees Are on the Rise
Since the Great Resignation pushed voluntary job separations to an all-time high, millions of workers have since reassessed their decisions to leave. As a result, hiring managers nationwide are seeing a steady stream of “regretted exits” coming back around. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, labor market churn remains historically elevated, which means the pool of potential boomerang employees is larger than it has ever been. In turn, more organizations are formalizing rehire policies instead of handling boomerang requests on an ad hoc basis.
The Benefits of Hiring a Boomerang Employee
Rehiring a boomerang employee can be mutually beneficial when the original departure was on reasonable terms and the candidate is genuinely qualified for the open role. Specifically, here is why so many HR leaders now see rehiring as a smart, low-risk strategy.
1. They Hit the Ground Running
Former employees already understand your company culture, internal systems, and day-to-day operations. Consequently, they need far less ramp-up time than a brand-new hire. A study published in the Academy of Management Journal found that boomerang employees have a particular advantage in roles requiring a high degree of coordination, as well as in departments that tend to be more resistant to outsiders.
2. They’re a Familiar, Proven Fit
You would only invite a former employee back if they left in good standing and performed well while they were with you. Therefore, you already know what you’re getting, rather than rolling the dice on an unknown candidate. Boomerang employees have already demonstrated they can succeed in your environment once — and there’s good reason to believe they can do it again.
3. They Reduce Hiring and Training Costs
Rehiring former staff can meaningfully lower recruiting costs, and because they already know your processes, they typically require less onboarding and training than a new hire would. In addition, bringing someone back voluntarily can boost morale — current employees often gain more confidence in leadership when they see colleagues choose to return.
4. They Strengthen Your Employer Brand
Every boomerang hire is a visible, public vote of confidence in your workplace. Specifically, when former employees return — and tell their networks why — it signals to the broader talent market that your company is a place worth working for twice.
Potential Drawbacks of Rehiring Former Employees
Even in a tight labor market, there are real considerations to weigh before bringing a boomerang employee back into the fold. Below are the most common cons worth evaluating.
You Might Shrink Your Candidate Pool
Casting a wider net generally increases your odds of finding the right fit and broadens the range of skills available to your team. For this reason, we don’t recommend dismissing a group of talented prospects simply because you’ve already worked with them once — especially if you’re currently struggling to fill a role.
History Can Repeat Itself
A study from Harvard Business Review found that boomerang employees who leave a company a second time tend to do so for reasons strikingly similar to their first departure. While this is worth taking seriously, it also provides useful predictability. If you’re confident the original reason for their departure has been genuinely resolved — a difficult manager who has since left, a compensation gap that’s now closed — the odds of a repeat exit go down considerably.
Current Employees May Resent the Rehire
Your existing team may feel frustrated that someone who left is being given a second chance while they stayed and weathered difficult periods — particularly if the boomerang employee returns at a higher title or salary than when they originally left. Clear, honest communication about why the rehire decision was made can go a long way toward preventing resentment.
How to Build a Boomerang Employee Rehire Policy
Rather than deciding on a case-by-case basis every time a former employee reaches out, it’s far more efficient to put a formal rehire policy in place. Here’s how to build one that protects your culture while keeping the door open to great people.
- Define eligibility criteria. Specify in writing which employees qualify for rehire — typically those who gave proper notice, left in good standing, and did not violate company policy on their way out.
- Set a documentation standard. Require managers to note the rehire eligibility status of every departing employee during the offboarding and exit interview process, so future hiring teams aren’t guessing.
- Establish an approval workflow. Require sign-off from both the hiring manager and HR before extending any boomerang offer, so compensation, title, and team fit are reviewed consistently.
- Benchmark compensation fairly. Compare the former employee’s requested package against current market rates and internal equity, rather than simply resuming their old salary where they left off.
- Communicate with the existing team. Once a rehire is finalized, briefly explain the decision to the immediate team to minimize speculation and reduce the risk of resentment among staff who stayed.
Build an Alumni Network to Stay Connected
Many organizations now maintain a formal alumni network — a simple newsletter, LinkedIn group, or internal database — so former employees stay engaged with company news even after they leave. As a result, when a former employee is ready to return, your team already has a warm line of communication open, making the rehire conversation far easier to start.
Best Practices for Managing Boomerang Employees
- Conduct a thorough re-interview. Don’t skip the interview process just because you’ve worked with the person before — roles, teams, and expectations may have changed significantly.
- Revisit onboarding, not just orientation. Even returning employees benefit from updated training on new tools, processes, and policies introduced since they left.
- Set clear expectations about growth. If the employee is returning at a similar level, be transparent about the path back to advancement so they don’t feel stalled.
- Pair them with a peer mentor. A colleague who stayed through the transition can help the boomerang employee catch up on cultural shifts quickly.
- Monitor engagement in the first 90 days. Since second departures often mirror the first, check in proactively rather than waiting for a problem to resurface.
For a broader look at planning your workforce beyond individual rehire decisions, see our detailed resource on the 12 Benefits of Workforce Planning for Growing Companies, which pairs well with any boomerang hiring strategy.
Boomerang Employee vs. New Hire: Which Is Right for the Role?
Ultimately, the decision between a boomerang employee and a completely new candidate comes down to the specifics of the role and the reason the person left in the first place. For roles demanding deep institutional knowledge or cross-team coordination, a boomerang employee often outperforms an external hire immediately. On the other hand, if you’re intentionally trying to introduce fresh perspectives or new skill sets into a stagnant team, a new hire from outside may serve your goals better. In many cases, the smartest approach is to evaluate both pools of candidates side by side rather than defaulting to one or the other.
Similarly, workforce changes driven by generational shifts are reshaping how companies think about rehiring altogether. If your team is navigating a younger, more mobile workforce, our guide on HR’s role in managing the increasing number of Gen Z employees offers useful context for how expectations around tenure and re-employment are evolving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Boomerang Employees
What is a boomerang employee?
A boomerang employee is a former staff member who left your company — either to take another job or step away from the workforce — and later returns to be rehired by the same organization, sometimes in the same role and sometimes in a different one.
Is rehiring a boomerang employee a good idea?
Generally, yes, provided the employee left on good terms and is genuinely qualified for the open position. Rehiring can reduce onboarding time, lower recruiting costs, and boost morale among current staff, though it should still involve a proper interview and approval process.
How common are boomerang employees today?
Boomerang hiring has increased significantly since the Great Resignation, as many workers who left during that period have since reassessed their decisions. As a result, more companies are formalizing rehire policies rather than evaluating returning employees case by case.
Should a boomerang employee return at their old salary and title?
Not necessarily. Compensation and title should be benchmarked against current market rates and internal pay equity, rather than automatically resuming where the employee left off. This protects fairness across the rest of the team.
How do you handle current employees who resent a boomerang hire?
Transparent communication is key. Briefly explaining why the rehire decision was made — and acknowledging the contributions of employees who stayed — helps prevent resentment from building within the team.
Do boomerang employees leave again more often?
Research suggests boomerang employees who do leave a second time tend to cite reasons similar to their original departure. Therefore, confirming that the original issue has been resolved before rehiring can meaningfully lower the risk of a repeat exit.
Final Thoughts on Hiring Boomerang Employees
In the end, every boomerang employee situation deserves individual evaluation rather than a blanket yes-or-no rule. When approached thoughtfully — with a clear rehire policy, fair compensation benchmarking, and honest communication with your current team — rehiring a boomerang employee can be one of the fastest, lowest-risk ways to fill a critical role. Soteria HR is your go-to source for best practices in hiring, onboarding, and performance management, including how to navigate the full employee lifecycle. For guidance on handling departures the right way from the start, visit our resource on The Good in Goodbye, and explore more HR strategy insights from our team, including contributions from Raphy Timour. If your organization is scaling quickly and needs structured support around hiring decisions like these, our article on how professional HR administration supports companies during rapid growth is a strong next read.
Sources:
https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amj.2019.1340
https://hbr.org/2019/04/the-case-for-rehiring-boomerang-employees
