Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRehire a former employee only after assessing them for the job as it exists now—not simply because they are familiar. A sound decision checks their prior performance and departure, what has changed since they left, their current skills and expectations, and whether the organization can offer fair, clear terms. Then use the same job-related selection standards as for other candidates and give the returning employee a genuine reboarding.
What is a boomerang employee?
A boomerang employee is someone who leaves an employer and later returns to work there. As SHRM explains, the former relationship can give an employer useful evidence about a candidate, but it does not establish that the person is right for a different role or that the conditions surrounding the original departure have changed.
A returning employee may already know the organization’s products, culture, and processes, and may bring useful skills or perspectives gained elsewhere. The counterweight is that a problem that prompted the first departure—such as a management or workplace issue—may still be present. SHRM and MRA both flag the need to consider repeat-turnover risk and the adjustment required when systems, leadership, or teams have changed.
When should you rehire a former employee?
A strong case exists when the person’s documented past performance is solid, their current capabilities match the vacancy, their reasons for leaving and returning are understood, and any important conditions have changed. Their expectations should also fit the role and the terms the employer can fairly offer.
#1 Best Overall
Pause or decline when a material problem that drove the original departure remains unresolved, past performance concerns have no credible evidence of change, or the candidate’s expectations do not fit the job. Treat these as decision principles, not an automatic rule: a prior “eligible” or “ineligible” label should inform the review but should not replace a role-specific assessment.
There is no universal rehire success rate or required waiting period established by the cited sources. The Conference Board reported that U.S. firms lost $950 billion to voluntary turnover in 2024, including replacement costs and team disruption; that aggregate figure is context about turnover, not an estimate of savings attributable to rehiring. See The Conference Board’s July 10, 2025 essay.
How to evaluate and rehire a former employee
-
Define the vacancy before considering familiarity
Set the current responsibilities, required skills, level, compensation range, and selection criteria. Use the same job-related criteria for a former employee that you use for other applicants.
Rank #2
Sale
The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
-
Review the prior employment record
Check documented performance, the circumstances and reason for departure, and any applicable rehire-eligibility policy. Distinguish the evidence in the record from assumptions based on a manager’s memory or the candidate’s familiarity.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Discuss why they left—and why they want to return
Ask what prompted the departure, what they learned or did in the interim, why they are interested now, and what they expect from the role. Explore whether the original concern has actually changed; for example, clarify whether the reporting line, work arrangement, responsibilities, or management conditions that mattered to them are different.
-
Assess current capability against the role
Evaluate current, job-related skills and relevant experience gained since the person left. Compare the evidence against the vacancy’s requirements and the same process used for other candidates. Prior success at the organization is one data point, not a substitute for checking present fit.
-
Complete appropriate checks consistently
Use job-related, consistent screening standards and follow the rules that apply to the employer’s location, the work location, and the type of check. In the United States, the EEOC and FTC employer guidance says background information must not be used in a way that discriminates under federal law, and notes that state and municipal rules may also apply.
If you obtain a consumer report from a company that compiles background information, the joint guidance describes these steps:
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.- Give the applicant a stand-alone written disclosure.
- Obtain written authorization and certify compliance to the reporting company.
- Before taking adverse action based on the report, provide the applicant a copy of it and a summary of their rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- After an adverse action, send the required notice identifying the reporting company and explaining the applicant’s rights.
The EEOC and FTC characterize this publication as explanatory guidance, not a document with force and effect of law. Check current federal, state, local, and role-specific requirements before putting a screening policy into practice. The agencies’ reminder is: “In all cases, make sure that you’re treating everyone equally.”
-
Agree on current terms and consider internal equity
Before an offer, make the role scope, reporting line, pay, title, start date, work arrangement, and success measures explicit. Assess compensation and level against the job and internal equity—not just the person’s former terms or the fact that they left. If the returning employee will receive higher pay or a higher title, be prepared to explain the business rationale to affected colleagues while respecting the individual’s privacy.
-
Reboard fully
Do not assume a former employee can simply pick up where they left off. Explain changes to policies, systems, security and access, leadership, team structure, workflows, and expectations. Provide training or a skills refresh where needed, clarify authority and responsibilities, and schedule check-ins against agreed goals.
Use a consistent comparison, not a familiarity advantage
These are practical comparison factors synthesized from SHRM and MRA guidance, not a validated scoring tool:
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
- Current skills and fit for the specific vacancy.
- Documented performance during the prior employment period.
- The reason for leaving and what has changed since then.
- Relevant skills or experience gained elsewhere.
- Motivation for returning and expectations about the job.
- Whether unresolved conditions make another departure more likely.
- Fairness of the proposed title, pay, and responsibilities.
- Reboarding and training needed for changed systems or practices.
Apply the same role-related criteria to all candidates. A former employee’s history offers evidence that a new external candidate may not have, but it should not excuse weaker current fit or inconsistent treatment.
Former employees and career-break returners are not the same group
A career-break returner may be returning to paid work after time away without having previously worked for the same organization. UK government guidance recommends considering individual needs and career goals, offering training or coaching where useful, and sharing induction materials with managers and employees. Its statistic should not be mistaken for a boomerang-hire rate: around 86% refers to people in the UK who were economically inactive because of family or home caring responsibilities, had worked previously, had not worked for at least 12 months, and wanted to return, based on the Office for Equality and Opportunity’s analysis of the Office for National Statistics Annual Population Survey for 2021. See the UK Government’s March 17, 2023 guidance.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
