Just as it sounds, a boomerang employee works for your company and leaves but wants to come back later. 

It’s not uncommon for employees to leave to handle family matters, such as caring for a parent. Clearly, if they were a great addition to your team, you want to hire them back. 

Boomerang employees can also be seasonal employees who return year after year.

Treating returning employees like they’ve been on leave makes sense, but if the time is very long, it’s necessary to go through the full company orientation and onboarding process all over again. Keeping all employees, including boomerang employees, up to date on company information and providing time to reacclimate is important.

Cultivating relationships with potential boomerang employees can have positive effects on your organization. 

Cost-effective: It takes them less time to reach full productivity and engagement in your culture. 

Fit is known: You already know how your former employees fit in with the organization and how they interacted and worked with others. 

Fresh perspectives: Your boomerang employee would have gained valuable experiences during the time they were gone. Maybe they’ll come back with new skills and experiences.

Related Terms: Floating Holidays