When recruiters look back on the past two years, it’s no surprise they may be feeling a sense of whiplash.
“I don't think any of us expected in early 2020 to go into skeleton crew mode and then to be hiring so quickly now,” says Elaine Yang, who leads the human resource business partner team at Lever, a recruiting software platform.
That feeling extends to employees, too. At the peak of the pandemic, the unemployment rate was 14.8%, with millions of people laid off or furloughed. But 2021 saw the job market make a dramatic turn, with employees
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As hiring managers stare down the barrel at an unprecedented number of job openings, many are reaching out to former employees who may have been laid off during COVID or left voluntarily as a way to
“There is a big emphasis on the employee experience, of being a values-driven, motivated company who is making hard decisions for the right reasons, and employees remember that,” Yang says. “If there’s an employer that they've worked with in the past, who does embody that and has raised the bar in that regard, we have seen employees come back.”
Yang says hiring back former employees has become more commonplace this year, yet the idea has always held some appeal for organizations. Boomerang employees are beneficial because they may not need as much training as a brand new employee, and they already understand the
“Usually these boomerang employees are familiar with the role, how the company ticks and runs,” Yang says. “They’re likely really aligned with our values and that’s why they’re coming back.”
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Yet the employees who left during COVID may feel differently about their role in the company today, Yang says. The challenges of the past year and a half have helped employees prioritize what’s important to them, and also process the impact that a layoff or furlough may have had on their life.
Recruiters can be sensitive to this by passing off interviewing and onboarding tasks to a manager who is already familiar with the employee, easing any strain while celebrating their return.
“Someone who is familiar with the role and how things have changed can be really transparent and honest to set that employee up for success, if they do choose to return,” Yang says. “Teams have the advantage of knowing how this person is motivated and how they feel most engaged. And so we can tailor the reintegration plan and tone to what the employee really needs and responds well to.”
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Looking back over the past year, Yang has seen increased importance from both new and returning candidates over compensation strategies, diversity and inclusion initiatives and the total employee experience. Responding to these demands can make a return even more appealing for former workers.
“Over the last two years, the employee experience has truly shifted away from perks and benefits to intangible things like flexibility or compensation philosophies,” Yang says. “We as employers have the obligation now to share, how do we make sure employees are paid fairly within this world? How will we accommodate or be flexible if you decide to move? The things that we’ve always been held accountable for are now even more evident.”
While many things have changed and will continue to evolve, the role of the recruiter and the environment they create for the employee is something that has held steady, Yang says. She predicts that boomerang employees will continue to be a trend as employers and employees navigate this new normal together.
“The most important part that the recruiter plays is to facilitate a connection between someone's potential and what they want to achieve with what the organization can offer and is looking for. That’s always been true and it continues to be true,” Yang says. “For employers who care really deeply about hiring the right employees, if we have a boomerang employee who we're really impressed by and who shares the same values, we'll continue to hire them.”
