What Boomerang Recruitment is and how to Implement It

Is it possible to bring back employees who voluntarily or unintentionally left the company? Of course, if you use boomerang recruitment: a set of recruitment strategies aimed at bringing back talented employees who, for a number of reasons, have left the company.

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Boomerang is a new term that is commonly used in recruitment to identify so-called “corporate alumni”, that category of former employees who are particularly recognisable by their previous excellent performance. Boomerang recruitment defines the process by which the company can identify these excellent individuals that have moved away.
Boomerang Recruitment is considered to be one of the recruitment activities with the highest ROI. The ‘cost per hire’ is moderately low because the investment required in terms of time and commitment is minimal in the knowledge and evaluation of the candidates.

These strategies are not very widespread: it is not unusual to find companies who consider the former ‘traitorous’ employees as part of a ‘blacklist’ eliminated from the selection process. This is obviously in contrast to the current labour market where turnover is high and the need to acquire and maintain know-how is even more necessary.

Boomerang recruitment is often widespread among business consulting companies (e.g. McKinsey, Ernst & Young, Bain & Co, and Deloitte) and some technology companies (such as HP, which in recent years has reached a return rate for former employees of 12%). For several years these companies have implemented programs (Alumni programs) and specific associations to keep in touch with former employees, often managing to bring them back to the company.

How to implement boomerang recruiting:

A well-devised employee referral plan

The first “don’t hire strangers” alternative is to rely more heavily on your employee referral program. Sadly, many current referrals are barely known by the employee. However, if you only accept referrals in key jobs from employees who have demonstrated how they fully know the individual and their work, you ensure that referred candidates in key jobs are not complete strangers.

Start new hires on a contract

The next alternative strategy is to contract to hire. It requires that whenever possible, new hires in key positions are hired on a contract basis. Entelo puts them on a three-month contract, while other firms merely hire them for a weekend or holiday project where they work alongside team members.

Focus on those who already do work for you

The next stranger avoidance option is emphasizing hiring interns, contingent workers, and vendor employees. They are no longer strangers because you got to know how they work and the quality of their work over a period of several months while they worked in your firm’s environment.

Make finalist candidates work with the team

Toyota developed a work sample practice where candidates who were eligible for an offer were made to work for several hours on the assembly line alongside their potential coworkers. The screening process was so effective that only 10 percent of job applicants passed their work simulation tests. Similar “work alongside our employees” tests/job previews after their interview can help the company get to know candidates better. And in addition, many of the applicants will self-select out because, after even this short experience, they will decide that they don’t like the work.