The good, the bad and tips on rehiring former employees
An outstanding employee at your organization resigns for another better job. A few months later, that employee contacts you, stating he would love their old job back as the new role wasn't exceptional. Faced with this scenario, would you rehire?
Rehiring former employees can provide several benefits but you should not forgo the cons as well. Let’s look at how we should weigh them in the hiring process.
The Good
Shorter onboarding time: Hiring back ex-employees yields a lot of advantages, with a major benefit being they don't require a lot of effort to get accustomed to the organization's culture and work processes, and will be able to get up to speed within a shorter time frame.
New skills and experience: In the time that they were working elsewhere, they might have learned some new skills, knowledge or competitors’ information that have developed them professionally, which in turn is an advantage to the team and your company.
Boost employee morale: When you offer a past employee a second chance, your current employees take note of this and recognize that they’re working with a company that does not bear grudges and is willing to reconsider former employees. This inevitably helps increase the levels of staff morale and productivity.
Less risk and higher retention rate: Hiring an ex-employee is less risky as you already know what they are capable of doing, their skill sets, their personalities as well as their capabilities to succeed in the company’s environment. Former employees would also have learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and would better appreciate what your company can provide them, hence making them stay longer than the typical employees.
The Bad
A sense of entitlement: Former employees might feel like they are important and might expect an increase in perks, salary, bonuses and a more senior rank in the company.
Unwillingness to change: Changes can happen in an organization in just a few months. Former employees might firmly cling to old processes and systems while the rest of the company has moved on, and their reluctance to adjust might prove to be a hindrance in the company’s progress.
Missing out on others: Former employees are a sure choice as a candidate, but they might not be the best choice. By unconsciously favouring your ex-employee, you could be missing out on the golden person in your applicant pipeline.
Tips
Don’t skip the formal interview: Former employees may have new professional goals or constraints that could prevent them from fulfilling certain job duties. Use the interview process to dig deeper and find out if their goals still align with that of the company.
Clarify expectations: Returning workers may have pre-conceived notions about the role they are applying for based on what it was like before. If the job responsibilities have evolved, explain that clearly during the interview process and ensure they know what they are getting into.
Monitor their progress: As former employees have a better understanding of what needs to be done, they probably will not be asking a lot of questions or looking for advice. With this in mind, make sure you keep a close eye on their job performances and their transitions back into the organization, to ensure they are kept on track.