January 2007
Boomeranging is Back in Style
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
January 2007
Boomeranging is Back in Style
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
I haven't written about this topic in several years because it seemed to be a fad during the talent shortage of the late 1990's. But lately, in reading articles about the new shortages of skills, this phenomenon is picking up steam once again. Articles in the human relations press and among career searching writers now report that employers are actively recruiting employees that they haven't seen for several months or years to ask them to return to take more responsible positions of those who have retired. And, while they used to be considered Benedict Arnolds for jumping ship, now the additional experience of Boomerangers elsewhere is now considered a valuable asset to their former firms.
Why is boomeranging re-occurring? Is it that job security and loyalty are quaint concepts, so someone returning to his/her former firm isn't so unusual? Is it more enlightened HR policy that keeps in touch with a good former employee and makes it easier for him to return?
The answer is "all of the above." Even five years ago, Boomerangers would not leave their employer with the intention of returning. It just happened. But that's not the case any longer. Many exceptional employees are actively recruited by their former firms after learning their new job wasn't as good as they thought it would be. Others come back when their old boss leaves. Or they find out they can make more money. Sometimes, employees try to go into business for themselves and find that they were not cut out for the entrepreneurial life.
There seems to be no time line to boomeranging, either. Some return after a few years, some a few months. But with unemployment at record lows, businesses are warming up to workers who used to be thought of as abandoning ship. Some have even dropped the name ex-employee in favor of "alumni."
Progressive firms around the country are working hard internally to keep track of their best former employees and have the red carpet ready for them. John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, says that, especially in the past three years, corporate America has seen a rise in boomerangs as well as an increase in formalized programs to support the phenomenon: the corporate alumni network. These social networks for former employees are modeled on university alumni programs and allow human resources to keep track of former employees.
Networks generally consist of a Web site with a directory of members, a job board and information about networking events and continuing education programs. Challenger says that because people are so often terminated, not because they're not capable, but because of layoffs and business cutbacks, it makes enormous sense to tap into these ex-employees. "If you have a good employee who decides to leave, many companies now embrace the idea of welcoming them back," says John Challenger of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas in Chicago. "It's a product of the tight labor market."
Katie Peterson, now regional resource manager for consulting firm Deloitte & Touche's Pacific Southwest region, is a boomerang herself. Peterson started out as an auditor at the firm and left after two and a half years to get her MBA. She went to work in finance, then changed tacks and began working as an executive recruiter.
Peterson kept up with Deloitte-related news and stayed in touch with former colleagues; she was also a registered member of the alumni network. In January 2004, after eight years away, she returned to Deloitte. "I wasn't even looking for a job, but a recruiter at Deloitte who had been networking with others was directed to me," Peterson says. "I had always held an affinity for Deloitte and missed it, so the opportunity was perfect."
Deloitte's alumni network, Alumnet, was established several years ago and now tracks 75,000 ex-Deloitte employees nationwide. In 2007, the network will be opened up to current employees. The company has seven alumni relations regions, each of which operates autonomously. Most offer continuing education programs and networking receptions. The alumni website contains Deloitte job postings by region and office and a place where alumni can post their resumes.
What can you do as a job hunter when you've completed your due diligence about your old company and it seems right to return?
Call a former colleague or boss whom you respect and explain why you want to return. Point out the following reasons for them to rehire you:
a) You are saving them in recruiting and training costs. As a former employee, you know their office procedures, computer systems, and, most importantly, many of the people. They will be able to hit the ground running when they return to work without the typical six months to a year it normally takes for new employees to be fully functional.So, in the dynamics of today's workplace, an increasing number of workers are discovering that the grass they thought was greener is, in fact, crab grass. Faced with this situation, many job hunters wish they could turn the clock back and return to their previous work. Don't be embarrassed and try to move on to something else. It is increasingly common for job hunters to return to their previous employers, anxious to pick up where they left off. The boomerang move is easier if you've maintained relationships with co-workers. And increasingly from a strategic perspective, savvy employers are cultivating ongoing communication with their "alums" who have left. This is becoming a major part of their recruiting efforts. They regard Boomerangers as just having been on sabbatical and welcome them back as the proverbial son or daughter!
b) You are willing to spread the word among your new colleagues that perhaps the grass is not always greener! Returning employees give morale a real boost when they tell their co-workers about the outlandish hours, broken promises and many of the other harrowing experiences they had at their Òdream job.
c) You bring outside experience and new perspective gained when you left your organization. You are returning with new experiences, new ideas about how to make things work, and a renewed sense of commitment to your firm.
d) Remind them that you left on good terms and have continued to upgrade your skills. Many firms are allowing employees to return within one to two years and to collect vacation accrual and sabbatical dates as if they had not left. Ask your employer if he will consider this as a benefit to you.
e) Tell them that you'll be glad to work with the HR department to telephone other potential Boomerangers about the positive changes that have occurred in your firm, whether it's new projects, developments, social activities, management and training initiatives, or chatty bits about former colleagues' accomplishments. This is also a good time to recommend that the HR department create email lists of former good employees and to send out email newsletters to other potential Boomerangers.
Online resources for Boomerangers:
ZoomInfo is a new and powerful networking tool for job hunters and recruiters to do some pretty quick and sophisticated networking online. Try out their demos with names of people you know. You'll be amazed at the results!
Vault is an electronic water cooler that's been around for quite awhile. It is one of the best places to find out and share what the receptivity of your old company is toward alums lately.
ASAE and the Center for Asociation Leadership is a goldmine of information where you can reconnect with former colleagues at local professional association meetings. If you've let your memberships get rusty, this list from the American Society of Association Executives will get you quickly back on track.
University alumni associations: Use fellow alums from your university who may be working at your former company to find out when/if you should apply. Fellow alums can also be very helpful in finding new opportunities for you. Be sure to return the favor when you have a job and they're out looking!
Happy New Year and happy job search! I can always be reached at jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com
Jane M. Lommel, Ph.D.
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