[September 01, 2015] |
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They're Back! New Survey Reveals Changing Mindset About Boomerang Employees and the Organizations They Once Left
There's a new type of candidate circling the hiring pool: the boomerang
employee. Today, in the first study released in The Employee Engagement
Lifecycle Series commissioned by The
Workforce Institute at Kronos
Incorporated and WorkplaceTrends.com,
survey data shows a changing mindset about hiring boomerang employees -
i.e. someone who left an organization, for whatever reason, and then
rejoined that same organization at a later date.
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In the national survey of more than 1,800 human resources (HR)
professionals, people managers, and employees, responses indicate
employee engagement should not end once the working relationship is over
- especially between high-performing alumni and organizations with a
strong corporate culture. However, this era of the boomerang employee
creates a unique type of competition for job seekers and new challenges
for organizations to maintain relationships with former high-performers.
Survey News Facts
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Organizations and workers alike coming around on boomerang
employees.
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Based on the survey data, nearly half of HR professionals claim
their organization previously had a policy against rehiring former
employees - even if the employee left in good standing - yet 76
percent say they are more accepting of hiring boomerang employees
today than in the past. Managers agree, as nearly two-thirds say
they are now more accepting of boomerangs.
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While only 15 percent of employees said they had boomeranged back
to a former employer, nearly 40 percent say they would consider
going back to a company where they once worked.
-
Looking deeper, 46 percent of Millennials would consider
returning to a former employer, compared to 33 percent of Gen
Xers and 29 percent of Baby Boomers. In an era where
job-hopping amongst young professionals has become the norm,
this could suggest that Millennial employees might be leaving
organizations too soon.
-
Boomerangs are creating increased - and unexpected - competition
for job seekers as the hiring market continues to improve.
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In the past five years, 85 percent of HR professionals say they
have received job applications from former employees, and 40
percent say their organization hired about half of those former
employees who applied.
-
This high hiring rate is not surprising, since HR professionals
(56 percent) and managers (51 percent) say they give very high or
high priority to job applicants who were former employees that
left in good standing. Conversely, only six and nine percent,
respectively, say they give zero priority to former colleagues.
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Boomerangs are not the only type of job seeker adding increased
competition, as 75 percent of HR professionals say that customers
have also applied for positions at their organization, with 60
percent saying they have hired at least one former customer.
-
Familiarity, easier training, and knowledge of employer are
benefits for boomerangs and organizations - yet some concerns linger.
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HR professionals (33 percent) and managers (38 percent) agree that
familiarity with the organization's culture is the biggest benefit
to hiring back former employees, while nearly one-third appreciate
that boomerangs do not require as much training as a brand new
employee.
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When employees were asked for the top reason they would go back to
work for a former employer if pay was comparable, employee
benefits and better career path tied for the number one response
(20 percent each). However, this response varied greatly by
generation.
-
But while the overall acceptance of boomerang employees has
changed direction, HR professionals and managers still have
concerns. Nearly one-third of HR professionals and managers claim
boomerang employees have a stigma hanging over their heads that
they might leave again, and more than one-quarter say these
employees may have the same baggage they originally left with.
-
HR says they have a strategy for maintaining relationships with
former employees, but workers and managers disagree.
-
While organizations appear increasingly more accepting of
boomerang applicants, 80 percent of employees say former employers
do not have a strategy in place to encourage them to return, with
64 percent saying there appears to be no strategy for maintaining
a relationship.
-
Nearly half of managers say their organization has no alumni
communications strategy.
-
HR practitioners, on the other hand, say they use several
strategies for keeping in touch with former high-performing
employees, including email newsletters (45 percent), recruiters
(30 percent), and alumni groups (27 percent).
-
Facebook is the platform of choice for alumni groups according
to HR professionals (42 percent), with email (39 percent) and
LinkedIn (News - Alert) (33 percent) close behind.
Kronos News Facts
Supporting Quotes
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Joyce Maroney, director, The Workforce Institute at Kronos
"In
an age defined by social media and job hopping, it's much easier for
employees to search for new opportunities and equally as easy for
recruiters to poach talent from competitors. This fierce competition
could be contributing to the changing mindset about boomerang
employees. With this boomerang trend on the rise, it's more important
than ever for organizations to create a culture that engages employees
- even long after they've gone - and organizations should consider how
the boomerang employee factor should affect their off-boarding and
alumni communications strategies for top performers."
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David Almeda, chief people officer, Kronos
"No one
organization is the right fit for every employee and vice versa.
Sometimes making a change is the best thing for both the employee and
the employer. But this data shows that it's mutually beneficial for
highly engaged employees with outstanding performance and
organizations with strong cultures to part ways in good standing. The
best boomerang strategy for forward-thinking organizations is to
ensure that employees are engaged and feel appreciated while at work -
that way if employees decide to leave to explore other career options,
the organization will be on the short list of employer options if
their career situation changes and they are looking for a more
positive opportunity."
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Dan Schawbel, founder, WorkplaceTrends, and New York Times
Bestselling Author of "Promote Yourself"
"Organizations
should consider giving hiring priority to potential boomerang
employees who were a great cultural fit because they can reach a high
productivity level quicker if rehired. In previous research we've
done, we've found that Millennials are switching jobs every two years
because they are searching for the job - and organization - of best
fit. But this new study indicates that this younger generation is more
likely to boomerang back when they've experienced other company
cultures and realized what they've missed. We will see the boomerang
employee trend continue in the future as more employees adopt a 'free
agent' mentality and more organizations create a stronger alumni
ecosystem."
Supporting Resources
-
Note to editors: Cite survey as "The Workforce Institute at Kronos and
WorkplaceTrends Employee Engagement Lifecycle Series: Boomerangs."
-
Be on the lookout for an upcoming Tweet Chat with The Workforce
Institute on boomerang employees at #KronosChat.
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Listen to a recent Workforce Institute Radio podcast
titled, "Boomerang Employees - Can You Go Home Again?"
-
Check out books
published by The Workforce Institute at Kronos.
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Connect with The Workforce Institute at Kronos via Twitter.
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Take a look at the lighter side of workforce management in our Time
Well Spent cartoons.
-
Connect with Kronos via Facebook,
Twitter,
Google+,
LinkedIn,
and YouTube.
-
Subscribe
to our workforce management blogs.
About The Workforce Institute at Kronos
The Workforce Institute provides research and education on critical
workplace issues facing organizations around the globe. By bringing
together thought leaders, The Workforce Institute is uniquely positioned
to empower organizations with the knowledge and information they need to
manage their workforce effectively and provide a voice for employees on
important workplace issues. A hallmark of The Workforce Institute's
research is balancing the needs and desires of diverse employee
populations with the needs of organizations. For additional information,
visit www.workforceinstitute.org.
About Kronos Incorporated
Kronos is the global leader in delivering workforce management solutions
in the cloud. Tens of thousands of organizations in more than 100
countries - including more than half of the Fortune 1000® -
use Kronos to control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve
workforce productivity. Learn more about Kronos industry-specific time
and attendance, scheduling, absence management, HR and payroll, hiring,
and labor analytics applications at www.kronos.com.
Kronos: Workforce Innovation That Works™.
About WorkplaceTrends.com
WorkplaceTrends.com is a research and advisory membership service for
forward-thinking HR professionals. We have a large database of research
covering all aspects of HR, from recruiting to employee benefits to
training and development. Through our primary research studies, and
collection of secondary surveys, we are following the most important
trends and then sharing them with our member companies as they happen.
Our corporate members have access to a wealth of knowledge at their
fingertips, with real actionable advice. Our goal is to help our members
prepare for the future of work, today.
Survey Methodology
Research findings are based on a survey fielded in the U.S. between
July 14 and July 22, 2015. For this survey, 1,807 respondents were asked
about their thoughts regarding various aspects of corporate culture and
employee engagement. The study surveyed three separate groups: HR
professionals (601 surveys); people managers (604 surveys); and
full-time, non-managing employees (602 surveys). The survey was
completed through Lightspeed GMI's Global Test Market double opted-in
panelists who have registered to participate in online surveys. All
sample surveys may be subject to multiple sources of error (i.e.
sampling error, coverage error, measurement error, etc.).
© 2015 Kronos Incorporated. All rights reserved. Kronos and the Kronos
logo are registered trademarks and Workforce Innovation That Works is a
trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. See a complete
list of Kronos
trademarks. All other trademarks, if any, are property of their
respective owners.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150901005843/en/
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