How do you know if someone will be a boomerang employee? The simple answer is you won’t.
Employees will leave their role for a new position because they believe the grass will be greener. However, once an employee enters their new workplace, there are new demands, new coworkers, and the fear of change and failure can become all-encompassing. Sometimes, employees would rather return to a place that feels more familiar even though they most likely left for valid reasons. So, what can recruiters and hiring managers do to protect their process from boomerang employees? Here are the things you can address.
A Strong Offer
The first step as a hiring manager is to ensure your offer is not just competitive but strong. It’s not uncommon for raises to only reflect about 3 to 5% more than their current salary. According to a survey by GlassDoor, job seekers believe they can make, on average, 34% more than their current salary if they switch jobs.
To put yourself in the position to hire and retain passive candidates, you need to demonstrate their value to your company by providing a significant incentive based on their salary.
Emotionally Charged Decisions
Humans have a certain way we make decisions. People tend to make decisions based on emotions and then justify those decisions with logic, facts, and data. That’s true whether we’re buying something or accepting a job offer. What happens is that sometimes people decide to take a new job, and then when they feel discomfort, they have a strong desire to move back to something familiar.
To prevent this in your hiring process, be as transparent as possible. Show your new employee why their job with you will be a better match in the long term.
What’s Changed?
When working with those considering a return to their former employer, we’ve learned a few things that make sense to bring up. The most important question to ask someone considering going back to their former job is if the reason they left has been addressed. Most often, nothing has changed, and the decision is purely about comfort level.
Be as specific as possible. Ask why they choose to leave their last position. If it was the commute, has anything changed about that since they left? Was it about money? Did management change? Did the company culture change? Remind them of the positive reasons they accepted the new position with your company.
And don’t forget that you need to be accountable for their satisfaction with your company. Are you addressing culture issues that make someone want to leave? Create a robust onboarding program and check in with new employees regularly.
Addressing Boomerang Turnover
As the Great Resignation was at its height, a study showed that 43% of people who accepted new jobs felt better off in their old position. One in five made that transition back to their previous employers. While you can work on employee retention, you may still have someone choose to return to the familiar during this process. So how do we address boomerang turnover?
You can have a management recruitment partner available to work with you to find top talent and assist your company with organizational development, leadership development, and employee engagement.
Do you want to know more about recruiting passive candidates for management roles and keeping them engaged on the job? Contact Sigred today.