{"id":4285,"date":"2025-08-25T12:32:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/success-stories\/antrasis-sansas-ka-duoda-buvusiu-darbuotoju-sugrizimas\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T12:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T12:39:12","slug":"antrasis-sansas-ka-duoda-buvusiu-darbuotoju-sugrizimas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/insights\/antrasis-sansas-ka-duoda-buvusiu-darbuotoju-sugrizimas\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Chance: What Returning Former Employees Bring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every third new employee is\u2026 familiar? More and more companies in Lithuania and around the world are discovering a new way to fight the talent shortage \u2013 actively inviting back former employees. This phenomenon, known as boomerang hiring, is no longer a temporary fix \u2013 it is becoming a consistent workforce management strategy. According to Denis Tarasenkov, Client Partner at the Lithuanian branch of the global HR solutions company Manpower, returning employees often bring much more than just a familiar name \u2013 they come back with experience, greater productivity, stronger motivation, and a clear understanding of what they expect from the company.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoomerang hiring is not just a social phenomenon \u2013 it is a tangible labor market reality. In March 2025, as much as 35% of new hires were returning former colleagues, according to ADP Research, a global labor market and workforce research company. This trend is especially strong in the IT sector \u2013 in some companies, nearly 7 out of 10 new employees are people who had worked there before,\u201d adds Tarasenkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while, according to the ADP Research study, boomerang employees overall still account for only 2\u20134% of all active workers, their importance in talent management is growing \u2013 especially since they reach results faster and often return with more motivation than during their first employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis trend challenges the view that employee loyalty ends once they leave the company. It encourages us to think about the employee relationship as a cycle, not just the time spent in the company,\u201d Tarasenkov emphasizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stronger Than Before<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike brand-new hires, re-employed specialists already know the internal \u201ckitchen,\u201d work principles, and company culture. \u201cThese employees can often be productive from day one, since they are already familiar with processes, people, and even small but important details \u2013 where to find help, who to turn to, how issues are solved, or even where the coffee machine is. It\u2019s like returning to a city you once lived in \u2013 while some things have changed, it\u2019s still easier to find your way than it is for a newcomer,\u201d says Tarasenkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re-hiring also helps reduce costs \u2013 onboarding is shorter, and in many cases there is no need for active recruitment. They often follow open positions themselves, maintain contact with former colleagues through alumni groups or social networks. Research shows that hiring former employees can cut recruitment costs by up to 30% on average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, boomerang employees often become ambassadors of company culture. They strengthen organizational culture and reinforce leadership credibility. \u201cAlthough organizations may fear hiring someone who has already left once, an important aspect is often forgotten \u2013 if a person comes back, it means they compared, they chose, and their choice was you. That is a strong sign of trust, which has a positive effect on colleagues\u2019 motivation and satisfaction,\u201d Tarasenkov notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also adds that returning employees bring with them knowledge acquired elsewhere, which strengthens the team, ensures continuity, and brings a fresh perspective to old challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Every Case Is Successful<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although former employees often return with valuable experience and a new outlook, not every case is successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe truth is, sometimes people come back not to grow, but because they didn\u2019t fit in at the new place. The former workplace feels familiar, expectations are clearer, comfort greater \u2013 but then there\u2019s a risk that the person just wants to retreat into a comfort zone. In such cases, you don\u2019t get a motivated employee, but someone who just wants to get by,\u201d says Tarasenkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another risk is unchanged circumstances. If a person returns to the same environment they once grew tired of or wanted to escape from, it is very likely that history will repeat itself. Unresolved issues, an unreviewed leadership culture, or unlearned lessons turn the return into just a temporary bandage on a wound that doesn\u2019t heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the expert, there are also situations when the team greets a returning colleague coldly, especially if there had been miscommunication, unspoken conflicts, or lingering resentment before they left: \u201cFor this reason, it is very important that the company openly communicates why the employee is being re-hired and makes it clear that their return is not a step backward or a backup plan, but a deliberate decision,\u201d Tarasenkov explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also worth remembering that if the employee has been away for a long time, they may need nearly the same onboarding \u2013 so-called re-onboarding \u2013 as a newcomer, since processes, structures, people, and even the company\u2019s pace often change over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do They Leave, and Why Do They Return?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees leave jobs for various reasons \u2013 some due to poor leadership style or low pay, others for less measurable factors, such as the work environment or fading motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsually it\u2019s not just one specific factor \u2013 but several accumulated ones. Perhaps the person feels unnoticed, unmotivated, unable to grow. Or, on the contrary \u2013 everything is fine, but there is a desire to try something new, in a different environment,\u201d says Tarasenkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the departure is driven by unexpected external offers, sometimes by a deliberate plan: to leave, earn more, grow faster. In today\u2019s labor market, the unofficial rule still applies \u2013 if you want a significant salary increase, you are more likely to get it by changing employers rather than through negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe truth is, only once you start working do you find out if the new employer meets expectations. From the outside, promises sound good, but once you start you realize you\u2019ve jumped from the wolf to the bear. Then we recall our previous workplaces and their advantages. But there are also cases when people return not because it didn\u2019t work out, but because the company really changed \u2013 a new manager appeared, more flexible work arrangements were introduced, values were clarified. Then the decision to return is not a compromise, but a conscious choice in a new reality,\u201d Tarasenkov explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, there is also another side \u2013 when employee migration becomes a predictable cycle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn some organizations, rotational cycles even form, where a person switches between the same two employers every couple of years. Although it sounds unusual, for some employers and employees this works \u2013 if both sides understand this dynamic model and maintain respectful communication. The most important thing is not to fear departures and not to resist returns. Mature organizations understand \u2013 if we parted on good terms, someday we can meet again stronger, more experienced, and ready for a new stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prepare the Way for a Return<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the specialist, boomerang hiring begins even before the employee leaves. It is a matter of relationship quality. Exit interviews, warm farewells, and opportunities to give feedback without fear \u2013 all this creates an environment that one can return to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some companies even offer a \u201creturn ticket\u201d \u2013 a verbal or written message that a former employee can apply for open positions within the next year without competitive selection. Others invite former colleagues to events, keep in touch through LinkedIn, or alumni programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also emphasizes that employees themselves should ensure that their departure is professional: \u201cIt is very important not to leave unresolved conflicts or unfinished tasks, to avoid ultimatums, and not to leave the company in uncertainty. This will help preserve good relations and in the future give an opportunity to return to a higher position or under better conditions,\u201d says Tarasenkov.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every third new employee is\u2026 familiar? More and more companies in Lithuania and around the world are discovering a new way to fight the talent shortage \u2013 actively inviting back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4285"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4287,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4285\/revisions\/4287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manpower.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}