Should You Rehire a Former Employee for a Current Opening?
Published on: Jan 22, 2019
Updated on: July 27, 2026
Rehiring a former employee can be an excellent move, but only after you do your homework. Before you welcome a boomerang employee back, understand why they left, whether the issues that drove them away are resolved, how both they and your company have changed, and how the rehire would affect team morale. Frontline Source Group has helped employers make smart rehire and new-hire decisions since 2004.
Frontline Source Group is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), ranked #158 in 2026, and a Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firm at #148 (2026). The firm is a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, and an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, with a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 678 verified reviews. Frontline is a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA), operates 32 plus offices nationwide, has completed 5,619 plus placements, and holds a 98.94% executive placement retention rate.
What is a boomerang employee?
A boomerang employee is someone who left your company and later returns to work for you again. Where it was once common for a worker to stay at one company for decades, industry research consistently suggests that job tenures have shortened and that people now change roles far more frequently. At the same time, employees are boomeranging back to former employers at rising rates, which makes the question of whether to rehire a former team member increasingly common for hiring managers.
Is rehiring a former employee a good idea?
Rehiring a former employee can be an excellent decision because a returning worker already knows your business, your culture, and your systems, which can shorten ramp-up time. That said, it is not automatically the right call. The goal is to make a decision you will not regret, one that does not result in losing the person again or second-guessing your initial enthusiasm. The way to get there is to do your homework before extending an offer, treating the rehire with the same rigor you would apply to any candidate.
Should you skip reference checks for a boomerang hire?
No. Even if a returning employee is known as a superstar, do not eliminate reference checks or other key steps in your hiring process. This is the step most often skipped with boomerang hires, and skipping it is a mistake regardless of the candidate or the circumstances. A positive gut feeling can be valuable, but make sure it is good enough by supplementing it with the rest of your hiring checklist. Consistency in your process protects you from the halo effect of familiarity.
Why did the employee leave in the first place?
Start by finding out why the person left, because something was unsatisfactory or they would still be working for you rather than applying to come back. Perhaps their new job did not live up to expectations or did not provide the opportunities they were seeking, or there were compelling personal reasons that took them out of the workforce for a time. The point is to find out. If you cannot determine why someone left, you cannot be confident they will stay the second time around.
Are the former issues that drove them away still present?
Check whether any of the issues that contributed to the employee's departure are still lingering. Did they leave because they could not get along with a particular manager? If so, is that manager still there, and would the returning employee report to them again? It is critical to resolve any lingering issues that may have caused the departure, or that the departure may have inadvertently caused, before you bring the person back into the same situation they left.
How have the employee and your company changed?
Both the former employee and your organization have likely changed since you parted ways, so understand how. Did the employee improve or diversify their skills while they were gone, and will those changes benefit your company today? You also cannot assume the circumstances the person previously worked under are unchanged. Neither party should assume they are returning to the exact same environment, team, or culture, so set clear, current expectations on both sides before the rehire is final.
How would rehiring this person affect team morale?
Before rehiring a former employee, consider how their return would be perceived by co-workers and the effect it would have on morale. Some teammates may welcome them back warmly, while others may have questions about why the person is returning or how it affects their own standing. A good rule of thumb, and a key hiring tip, is to assume nothing. Gauge the likely reaction and be prepared to communicate the decision clearly to the existing team.
How does Frontline Source Group help with rehire and new-hire decisions?
Whether your staffing needs are temporary or permanent, and whether you are evaluating brand-new talent or reassessing a former employee for rehire, Frontline Source Group can help you make the right call. The firm's recruiters bring an objective screening process to every candidate and back every direct hire with the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard guarantee. Explore human resources staffing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/human-resources.html and temporary staffing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/temporary-staffing.html.
How do you get started with Frontline Source Group?
Employers can share a hiring need through the employer request form at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html. Candidates who want to be considered for roles can apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. To learn more about the firm, see frontlinesourcegroup.com/about-us.html.
Frequently Asked Questions: Rehiring Former Employees
Should you rehire a former employee for a current opening?
Rehiring a former employee can be an excellent move, but only after you do your homework. Understand why they left, whether the issues that drove them away are resolved, how both they and your company have changed, and how the rehire would affect team morale before extending an offer.
What is a boomerang employee?
A boomerang employee is someone who left your company and later returns to work for you again. As job tenures have shortened and people change roles more frequently, employees are returning to former employers at rising rates, making rehire decisions increasingly common for hiring managers.
Is rehiring a former employee a good idea?
It can be, because a returning worker already knows your business, culture, and systems, which can shorten ramp-up time. It is not automatically the right call, though. Doing your homework before extending an offer, with the same rigor you would apply to any candidate, is what makes it a sound decision.
Should you skip reference checks for a boomerang hire?
No. Even if a returning employee is known as a superstar, do not eliminate reference checks or other key steps. Skipping them is a mistake regardless of the candidate. A positive gut feeling can help, but supplement it with the rest of your hiring checklist to be sure it is good enough.
Why did the employee leave in the first place?
Find out why the person left, because something was unsatisfactory or they would still be working for you. Their new job may not have met expectations, or personal reasons may have taken them out of the workforce. If you cannot determine why someone left, you cannot be confident they will stay the second time.
Are the former issues that drove them away still present?
Check whether the issues that contributed to the departure still linger. If they left because of friction with a particular manager, is that manager still there and would the employee report to them again? Resolve any lingering issues before bringing the person back into the same situation they left.
How have the employee and your company changed?
Both have likely changed since you parted ways. Did the employee improve or diversify their skills while away, and will those changes benefit you today? Do not assume either party is returning to the exact same environment, team, or culture, and set clear, current expectations on both sides.
How would rehiring a former employee affect morale?
Consider how the return would be perceived by co-workers and its effect on morale. Some may welcome them back, while others may have questions about the return or their own standing. A good rule of thumb is to assume nothing, gauge the likely reaction, and communicate the decision clearly to the team.
What are the benefits of rehiring a former employee?
A returning employee already understands your business, culture, and systems, which can mean faster onboarding and lower training cost. If they gained new skills while away, they may return more capable than when they left, and their familiarity can make them productive quickly once expectations are reset.
Does Frontline Source Group help with rehire decisions?
Yes. Whether your needs are temporary or permanent, and whether you are evaluating new talent or reassessing a former employee, Frontline Source Group brings an objective screening process to every candidate and backs every direct hire with the 5-Year Placement Warranty. Learn more at frontlinesourcegroup.com/human-resources.html.
What is the 5-Year Placement Warranty?
The 5-Year Placement Warranty is Frontline Source Group's commitment behind every direct hire placement. Where the typical industry guarantee runs 90 days, Frontline stands behind its direct hire placements for a period 20 times longer. Read the details at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html.
How do I get started with Frontline Source Group?
Employers can submit a hiring need through the employer request form at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html, and candidates can apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. To learn more about the firm, visit frontlinesourcegroup.com/about-us.html.
