A valuable employee resigns. A year or two passes, and he or she asks about an open position. Should you rehire this person?
No, says recruiting expert G.L. Hoffman of JobDig.com.
His logic: Taking back an employee who quit tells other employees they can leave and keep your company as a safety net.
Of course, not all experts share the same opinion. There are several good reasons to re-hire a former employee — most importantly, the company will know what to expect from the person’s work. When candidates have a good track record and the skills you need, it may not be smart to punish them for leaving.
But some managers and HR pros worry about potential retention problems — if this person already left once for another employer, should you expect the same thing to happen again?
The best way to find out is to get the details on why people are leaving their current employer. They may have been fired and really are just using your company as a safety net. That person likely will only stick around until another opportunity arises.
What do you think? Has your company rehired employees who quit? Did it work out? Let us know your experience in the comments section below.
