Boomerangs: Great for Everyone—Except Boomerangs

When the beloved manager left the firm for a career-making offer in 2015, his coworkers and teammates mourned. So the team grinned when they saw his name in the applicant pile for an executive role. But some C-suite employees weren’t so sure: Would he be as eager and engaged as he was last time around? Would he still not get along with his longtime nemesis? 

The short answer is: probably. Roughly 15% of workers today are so-called “boomerang” employees who have left and returned, according to new research in Organization Science. Further, the research suggests that hiring them is usually a very good idea: These employees tend to be very familiar with the organization, and are full of fresh ideas and industry context. Usually. “You have to look at each candidate case by case,” says David Vied, global leader of the Medical Devices and Diagnostics practice at Korn Ferry. “Something happened that made them leave, and you can’t make any assumptions about their experiences.” 

And after former employees return, there’s another problem: Boomerangs tend to offer more help than other employees to coworkers, yet do not receive the same help in return, leaving them “chronically undersupported,” according to the study. At issue is coworkers’ assumptions that boomerangs already know the ropes, and don’t need the helping hands most new employees receive. “That can lead the company to take advantage and not re-onboard,” says engagement expert Mark Royal, senior client partner at Korn Ferry—which leaves the employee unfamiliar with new personalities and ways of working. 

Historically, large institutional companies have consistently employed loads of boomerangs. The practice became unusually popular during the pandemic, when hordes of employees either resigned or were laid off, then returned: a study in Harvard Business Review found that from 2019 to 2022, 28% of new hires were boomerangs. These days, the rate of boomerangs is specific to the company and field: For instance, boomerangs are very common in niche sectors where the candidate market is so narrow that former employees must be considered. Boomerangs are also a norm in fields like automotive and publishing, where a handful of companies dominate the industry. 

Recruiters say that these days, boomerangs often make it to the short list of candidates, partially because hiring managers prefer hiring a known quantity to taking a risk based on a résumé and references. Researchers advise that companies formally reach out to sought-after exited employees after one year to pitch them on returning, as this is the time when former employees most want to boomerang. (Some of boomeranging’s current prominence is due to a hiring-process quirk: When recruiters call around seeking candidates, it’s not unusual for the person who picks up the phone to toss in their hat.)

Experts caution against extending an offer to a former employee just because they already have in-house knowledge and relationships and will likely get up to speed quickly. Often the person left the firm due to dissatisfaction or lack of opportunities; they may well have lingering relationship problems with former coworkers. “Unresolved issues from the past can lead to tensions,” says business psychologist James Bywater, senior client partner at Korn Ferry. He notes that team stresses commonly emerge when existing employees feel overshadowed or blocked in their career paths.

“There’s a lot to think about,” says Royal. The key question to ask is whether the factors that fueled the former employee’s exit have been resolved. Will this person be engaged? Will this work for the employer? 

For prospective boomerangs, the best strategy is to emphasize how the intervening years have spurred your development, as well as what new skills or aptitudes you can bring back to the mother ship. “Highlight how time away has contributed to your growth,” says Royal.

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Professional Development capabilities.

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