Boomerangers Coming Back Home

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What It’s About: As we arrived at the Austin airport late Saturday night, our Alaska flight captain announced that we would have to sit on the tarmac for about 15 minutes because they’re “short handed in operations tonight.” After flying all day, that’s not an announcement any passenger wants to hear.

The other day, I had to go to a registry to renew my driver’s license. On the outside door was a taped, handwritten sign that stated: “Expect longer than usual delays. We are short staffed today.” I stood in line for over an hour before my matter was addressed.

This is unfortunately becoming a more common experience in many places throughout North America. It’s one thing to be inconvenienced because we can’t be served efficiently. However, in other cases like frontline healthcare, the short staff situation can have much more serious consequences.

So What?: Obviously we want to create conditions where people happily choose to stay and thrive in an organization. Additionally, we may want to rethink our approach to people who have left. Historically, many organizations treat people who leave as “traitors,” and write them off as persona non grata. However, I think we need to reconsider our stance towards previous employees. I recently read an article in Fast Company, by the CEO of a company called SailPoint. He wrote about welcoming back a former employee with open arms. He calls these employees who return “boomerangs.”

“Prior to SailPoint, this person worked at several large organizations, including Fortune 500 companies. His return was specific to something he had not found anywhere else: the same level of care. This includes care towards the quality of product and also care for each other. This was reflected in his boomerang experience. His manager had told him to come back whenever he wanted; so, he did. He shared with this manager that he felt like he was ‘back at home.’

This is how it should be when boomerangs return. Onboarding should feel natural, and integration back into their teams should be made seamless — no judgment. This also provides an excellent opportunity to get their feedback. Why did they leave? What drove them to come back? What will cause them to stay? Getting this type of information from boomerangs gives executive teams insight into what their employees need to continue to be successful, and ultimately what will drive their company’s success as a whole moving forward.”

Now What?: Welcome boomerangs back home! Consider proactively reaching out to invite them back. Maintaining a happy, values-driven workforce means being open and adaptable. Organizations that will benefit the most are those with a strong culture who have made their company a home worth returning to. They also have the strength of character to welcome valued boomerangs with open arms.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: We might not be able to always control which individuals stay or move on. What speaks most to me is the part we can control, the “organizations who have made their company a home worth returning to.” So, the grass may temporarily seem greener for those who leave, however we can always maintain a great landscape for valued boomerangs to come home to.

- Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Boomerangers Coming Back Home

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