What Motivates 'Boomerang' Employees to Return?

A significant percent of U.S. professionals are "boomerang" workers—people who have returned to work for an ex-employer—according to a recent survey from Spherion. Findings reveal that even more of the respondents are open to this idea, saying they'd consider returning to a former employer if the salary was tempting enough, if the company offered a more flexible schedule, or if there was an opportunity to work in a position created specifically for them. In other words, boomerang employees are becoming more typical, which is another reason not to burn bridges on your way out the door. "Because the boomerang concept is growing in popularity as a job-seeking strategy and is accepted by a majority of American workers, both employees and employers should be rethinking their approach to each phase of the employment lifecycle," said Sandy Mazur, division president at Spherion. "For example, employees should carefully manage their exit in case they want to return down the road, and employers should cast their recruitment net wider to include those who may be looking to come back." More than 1,000 U.S. workers took part in the research, which was conducted by Research Now.