How to Capitalize on One of Today's Hottest Hiring Trends ... Boomeranging! |
|
Ever thought about going back to work for one of your previous employers? You might want to consider it. Why? Because you might find your HR skills in HUGE demand...and because one of today's hottest employment trend is the aggressively rehiring former employees. These types of employees are known as "boomerangs." And this trend is called "boomeranging." A side note: Ever notice how we in HR are quick to put a new label on an old practice. I always called this new boomerang thing "rehiring." But I digress. Anyway... According to an extensive study by Workplace Trends, 76 percent of all major employers have recently changed their policy on boomeranging -- and are more favorably considering rehiring those who used to work in their organizations. The reasons are simple.
Lots of firms in the Silicon Valley have been rehiring great engineers and high-tech talent for years because of demand. So this is not really news for them. What's really new here is that this boomeranging trend has now reached the Human Resources field -- and most of these HR boomerangs are millennials. These are folks who pulled the trigger too quickly, realized that the grass on the other side wasn't greener ... and have now come back to firms they probably shouldn't have left so fast. But hey, everyone makes career mistakes. Things change. Life moves on. In any event, this global boomeranging trend is good news for you. If nothing else, it gives you more options. It doesn't matter if you're an entry-level HR pro, director, senior executive or even an HR consultant -- it means going back to one of your former employers is a more realistic career opportunity than it ever has been before. And perhaps it's a career move you should consider. Assuming you left one of your past organizations on good terms, there are a number of reasons why you may be attractive to them:
Interested? Here's how YOU can begin to capitalize on this trend:
Now let's look at the other side of the coin. Coming back isn't as easy as it sounds. Even if you left on good terms, some firms may not want you back. Even those employers that do will want to cover their butts before allowing you to return. Besides making you jump through the usual prehire hoops, expect to be internally background checked and vetted thoroughly with any former managers still there. You should also be prepared to be probed hard in your interviews. They'll want to determine why the heck you left in the first place and why you now want to return. It's fine if you left because you simply wanted to assume a different HR role or acquire a different experience. That's called managing one's career and entirely understandable. But if you left due to a boss conflict or because of cultural fit issues, that's a huge problem -- and will be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome. Also be prepared for change. You'll rarely come back to the same situation you left. More than likely, you're coming back to a new position, or company policies have changed or you'll likely be working under -- or over -- a new team of people or leader. So be don't be surprised. Bottom line, being a boomerang candidate isn't a slam dunk, but it can payoff -- and can create new potential opportunities for advancing your HR career. So it may be worth thinking about. Never say never. About the author: Alan Collins is Founder of SuccessInHR.com and specializes in helping HR professionals take their careers to the next level. He has authored three best selling books: Winning Big in HR, Unwritten HR Rules and Best Kept HR Secrets -- all available on Amazon. Alan was formerly Vice President -- Human Resources at PepsiCo, where he led HR initiatives for their Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana businesses. |
resource center
Blog
The Watercooler Blog
Get workplace tips and trends related to employee retention, engagement, interviewing and more.
Fill 'er up
Award-winning service
Top 0.5% in America!
PrideStaff has earned ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Client and Talent 10-Year Diamond Awards for 3+ years. Less than 0.5% of all staffing firms receive this level of achievement.
See all our awards