By | Jennifer Liu | www.cnbc.com
Your workplace might have a few more familiar faces as the continued Great Resignation wave gives rise to the boomerang employee — a former worker who returns to the company after some time away.
Boomerang employment is a growing trend in general thanks to technology that helps people stay in contact over time, says Brian Swider, a management professor at the University of Florida and an expert on boomerang employees.
Think about it: If you had quit your job 20 to 30 years ago because you were moving to a new city, your manager would take you out of their Rolodex, or they’d lose your landline number once you changed addresses. Now, people have cellphones and LinkedIn profiles to stay connected.
Add in the tight labor market of 2021, where a record number of Americans have quit their jobs through the spring and summer months, and hiring managers are firing up every recruiting tool they have, Swider tells CNBC Make It — including asking ex-employees to come back.
Boomerang employees save businesses time and money
Businesses have a lot of incentives to rehire former employees, especially when they need to fill a lot of vacancies immediately.