Story by Gemma Beasley / February 22, 2024
A client recently shared a story that made me rethink some long-held beliefs around employee turnover.
They told me about a superintendent named Mike, who had left their construction firm a few years prior, when a deep-pocketed competitor lured him away with a salary their smaller outfit couldn’t match.
At the time, the leadership team felt despondent. They had invested 10 years into training Mike and his departure was a blow.
Not too long after however, Mike had unexpectedly approached them asking to return. He explained how it soon became clear that the promises of growth and opportunity at the new firm were not panning out. He also missed the positive culture and tight-knit team he’d walked away from, and had quickly learned that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.
In the end, my client chose to welcome Mike back into the fold, who returned with even deeper expertise and a renewed sense of loyalty.
This case got us thinking – should more companies embrace boomerang employees rather than resent their departure?
The Rising Tide of Boomerangs
In our view, construction firms stand to gain plenty from an open-minded approach towards boomerang employees. Experts are also predicting a wave of boomerang rehires across sectors in the coming years. Stats backing the trend include:
It should be noted, however, that boomerangs currently represent just 1.7%-2% of hires in construction according to data from LinkedIn’s economic graph.
Leveraging The “Former Employee” Talent Pool
Despite lower prevalence in our industry, I believe those trades with a notable talent shortage could gain a real edge by embracing boomerang recruitment strategies.
This is because these employees can bypass the steep learning curve new hires require. They know your systems, expectations, culture, and can return with a fresh perspective after honing additional skills externally. This expanded expertise makes them even more versatile and valuable than before.
And from the employee’s point of view, it makes perfect sense to reconsider a firm after experiencing life on the other side. But the usual hiring considerations still apply.
It’s essential for firms to make their pitches appealing to returning staff. You’ll never get a better chance to demonstrate how you can meet expectations not yet fulfilled elsewhere!
Nurturing Former Future Talent
Construction firms have much to gain from welcoming back former employees down the line. It’s a great way to combat hiring struggles with familiar talent.
But actively nurturing relationships with departing staff requires time and consistent outreach – something most companies lack bandwidth for.
That’s where working with dedicated construction recruiting partners like Hudson Cooper Search can help. We make it our mission to regularly network with candidates across the sector, and often reconnect promising candidates to their former employers.
In the end, writing off resigning employees prematurely fails to account for their future potential.
What’s your take on introducing former staff into your future talent pipeline? I welcome your perspectives in the comments!
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