Why You Should Re-Hire Your Former Employee

“Sometimes it’s up to our organisation to become a little more open-minded to the fact that change happens, and, that not every person who gets fired is a bad employee.” – Tim Sackett

A staggering 99 percent organisations refuse to bring back an employee who was fired,  Tim Sackett found. While there are various reasons for this trend, most employers might not realise that it is a good thing to rehire that talented employee back. That being said, it is time to change the perspective and try to see why rehiring ex-employees could be a good idea.

See also: Is Giving “Trophy” for Employee of The Month a Good Idea?

An internal recruiter told David Sturt that it was probably not a bad idea for bringing back former employees. In fact, there are actually some benefits by rehiring them. For example, hiring a former employee can help you cope with the current talent shortage amidst the greying society. Other than that, Sturt mentioned, hiring back boomerang employee will cut the cost of hiring the new candidates.

A survey by Mile Živković showed that it takes time and patience to hire a new candidate. Additionally, the price for hiring new talents is anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of the employee’s annual salary which adds up to $16,000 a year. While when rehiring your former employee you should add more salary or benefit to his list, the hiring cost will not bloom that when you hire new ones.

Another benefit is that you will see a more fit skill and ability in your old employee as they have worked with you before. It means they can adapt better and fit better in both organisation and numerous individuals in your organisation. Additionally, the former employee will give you a fresh perspective from the outside world, especially if they have spent some time working at other companies.

A case study by Jyotsna Bhatnagar, a professor of human resources management, has also pointed out that re-employing the old candidate will be beneficial for an organisation. Firstly, the boomerang employees do not need to encounter again some stages as new hires. Thusly, it will give you more time to do other workloads. Former employees also have what you are looking for and they will be able to provide the right skills at a very critical moment. Lastly, former employees will have a shorter ramp-up time. They are already familiar with the company, the people, and the culture, and so his capabilities will be understood better.

Candidate vetting can only take you so far, wrote Bhatnagar, until you work side-by-side with someone you will not know if he or she can truly deliver the job desks you assigned them to.

Next read: Advice on Promoting Remote Employees – Conversation with David Grainger