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Talent acquisition (TA) professionals continue to source talent from untapped pools to uncover “hidden” top talent. One often-overlooked group is former employees—commonly known as “boomerang employees”—who possess the skills their previous organization values and a desire to return. This recent study found that boomerangs are more likely than new hires to offer assistance to both former and new colleagues, leveraging pre-existing relationships and organizational knowledge. While the study has limitations (e.g., it was conducted within the context of the National Basketball Association), it offers useful insights for reintegrating former employees into an organization. As a bonus, I’m sharing three additional resources: (1) A study published in the Academy of Management Journal found that former employees often outperform new hires, particularly in roles requiring strong relational skills and internal coordination. (2) A study by Visier suggests that 13 to 16 months is a critical time frame for rehiring former employees. (3) My template, designed to help organizations identify employees they may want to target for re-recruitment.
