Boomerang employees are former employees who leave a company and later return. Organisations that run a structured alumni program, built on a good exit, regular touchpoints, referral incentives, and an easy path back, can rehire boomerangs up to 44% faster than external candidates, because returners already understand the culture, tools, and people.
This guide covers why boomerangs are worth pursuing, how to build an alumni rehire program step by step, message templates for staying in touch, and how to measure whether it is working.
What Is a Boomerang Employee (And Why They Are Your Cheapest Hire)
A boomerang already knows your tools, your people, and your way of working. That means lower recruiting cost, shorter ramp time, and less hiring risk than an unknown external candidate.
There are three common types:
- Career explorers who left to gain experience elsewhere and return with new skills.
- Life-event leavers who left for relocation, study, or family reasons and are ready to return.
- Regretful leavers who found the new role was not what they expected.
The Business Case for Rehiring Former Employees
- Boomerangs can onboard up to 44% faster than external hires.
- They bring a known performance history, so there is less guesswork than with a CV.
- Sourcing and agency costs are lower, often close to zero.
- They return with skills and perspective learned elsewhere.
- Alumni who do not return are still a source of referrals, customers, and partners.
Why Most Companies Fail to Rehire Boomerangs
Most companies burn the bridge at the exit: rushed offboarding, no follow-up, and no way to stay in touch. By the time they need the skill again, the relationship is cold and the contact details are out of date. The mistake happens at offboarding, not at rehiring.
Common blockers:
- A rushed or hostile exit that leaves a bad last impression.
- No record of who is eligible to be rehired.
- Contact details that disappear when the work email is closed.
- An unwritten belief that people who leave are disloyal.
How to Build a Corporate Alumni Program in 6 Steps
- 1.Make the exit good. A respectful, organised offboarding process is the foundation. People only stay in touch with companies that treated them well on the way out.
- 2.Ask during the exit interview. Include "Would you consider returning?" and "Can we stay in touch?" in your exit interview questions.
- 3.Record rehire eligibility. Have the manager and HR note whether the person is eligible to return, with a short reason, while the information is fresh.
- 4.Collect personal contact details with consent. A personal email and LinkedIn profile, stored in line with your data protection obligations.
- 5.Stay in touch on a schedule. A light cadence of updates, milestones, and relevant openings.
- 6.Make returning easy. A clear rehire path with shorter interview loops for strong former performers.
What an Alumni Program Includes
| Component | Purpose | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni directory | Keeps contact details current | Low once set up |
| Quarterly update | Keeps the relationship warm | Low |
| Job alerts for alumni | First look at relevant roles | Low |
| Referral bonus for alumni | Turns alumni into a sourcing channel | Medium |
| Alumni events or community | Builds goodwill and networking | Medium to high |
| Fast-track rehire process | Removes friction for returners | Low |
Start with the first three. They cost very little and cover most of the value.
How to Stay in Touch With Former Employees Without Being Awkward
Keep it genuine and low-pressure. The goal is goodwill, not a sales funnel.
- After they leave: a short thank-you message and the alumni invite.
- Every quarter: a brief update on company news and open roles.
- On milestones: a note when they get promoted or change roles.
- When a relevant role opens: a personal message from someone they worked with.
Message template: alumni invite on the last day
"Thank you for everything you have done here. We would love to stay in touch. You are invited to our alumni network, where we share company news and first access to open roles. There is no obligation, and you can leave any time."
Message template: inviting a former employee back
"Hi [name], I hope the new role is going well. We have just opened a [role] position and you were the first person I thought of. A lot has changed since you left, including [specific change]. Would you be open to a quick chat, with no pressure either way?"
When to Rehire a Boomerang (And When Not To)
- Rehire when they left on good terms, performed well, and bring relevant new experience.
- Talk it through first when the original reasons for leaving (manager, role, pay, culture) are unchanged. Returning into the same problem rarely lasts.
- Do not rehire when the person was dismissed for conduct or is marked as ineligible for a documented reason.
How to Onboard a Boomerang Employee
Returners do not need the full new-hire programme, but they do need more than a laptop:
- Walk them through what has changed: people, tools, processes, and strategy.
- Reset expectations for the new role rather than assuming the old one.
- Pair them with someone who joined after they left for a fresh perspective.
- Check in at 30 and 90 days, just as you would for any new hire.
Metrics to Track
- Number of alumni in your network and share with current contact details.
- Boomerang hires as a percentage of total hires.
- Time to hire and cost per hire for boomerangs versus external hires.
- 90-day and one-year retention of boomerang hires.
- Referrals and hires sourced from alumni.
How OffboardSet Turns Every Exit Into an Alumni Relationship
OffboardSet ends every offboarding with an alumni transition, so each leaver enters your network automatically, with rehire eligibility recorded while it is fresh. The alumni portal keeps the connection warm. See how it works, or compare it against other employee offboarding software.
FAQs
What is a boomerang employee?
A former employee who leaves a company and later returns to work there.
Are boomerang employees a good idea?
Usually, if they left on good terms and performed well. They ramp faster and carry less hiring risk. Check that the reasons they left have been addressed.
Are boomerang employees more loyal?
They often retain well in the first months because they return with realistic expectations, already knowing the culture they are rejoining.
How do you ask a former employee to come back?
Reach out personally, acknowledge why they left, explain what has changed, and describe the specific role and growth on offer.
Should a boomerang employee get their old salary back?
Pay should reflect the new role and their current market value, including skills gained since leaving, not their previous salary.
What is a corporate alumni program?
A structured way of staying connected with former employees for rehiring, referrals, and brand advocacy.