“The country has changed, and you’ve changed,” he says.
Watkins likens the experience of being a boomerang employee to that of an expatriate returning to their native country after a few years. But in the meantime, “power has shifted, people have come and gone, and your colleagues have had new challenges and have grown too.” You need to acknowledge that “the context has changed” and learn the new lay of the land. “You remember the organization exactly as you left it,” Dillon says.
Your coworkers aren’t the only ones who need to adjust their expectations.
“But the fact that you’ve been away” and presumably have learned a lot in the process “is an asset.” Dillon recommends being “a bit more formal and reserved in your behavior, at least at first,” in order to showcase how “you’ve matured.” Your colleagues “will either see you with fresh eyes or the same eyes within the first few weeks,” she adds. Now that you’re back, you need to demonstrate - in both your approach to the job and your office demeanor - that “you have had new experiences and you’ve grown.” This can be “especially challenging if you’re brought back into lead your former peers or maybe even your former boss,” he says. When you left, “people had a certain view of you and your capabilities,” Watkins says. “You never know the twists and turns in the road and who you are going to work with again.” After all, “you voted with your feet by coming back.” If a colleague presses you on the issue, “look forward, not backward” and “imagine that someone is recording your response and will report it back to your colleagues.” In other words, make sure “there’s integrity in your answer.” The same goes for talking about why you left your other organization. “No one wants to hear about how bad the company was when you left,” Dillon says. “There is nothing to be gained by saying anything negative,” particularly if you were unhappy in your job. Your explanation ought to be honest and candid - to a point. “People will absolutely ask you” about why you originally resigned, so it’s wise to construct a narrative that answers their questions, Watkins says. As you’re meeting new colleagues and remeeting old ones, highlight that “you’ve had development opportunities and a new growth experience” - whether it was a job in a new industry, a stint in a different part of the world, or graduate school - and that “you’re happy to be back” to apply “what you’ve learned.” “Hopefully, you’re coming back in an elevated position, so you need to change the boundaries and reestablish yourself as a more senior person in the organization,” she says. You might have “realized the culture was wonderful and you miss it.” Or maybe you “were attracted by a great offer but it didn’t pan out.” Perhaps you originally left because you “felt dead-ended in your career and now have an opportunity to come back at a higher level.” Regardless, being a boomerang employee means that “you’ve been given a do-over,” Dillon says. There are many reasons why you might decide to return to your old employer, according to Watkins.
And while the process of assimilating to your new but familiar surroundings needn’t “be overorchestrated,” it’s wise to put thought and care into how to reestablish yourself. “Former employees are known quantities.” For both workers and employers, the boomerang represents “a positive development,” says Karen Dillon, coauthor of several best-selling titles, including How Will You Measure Your Life? “You’re choosing to come back, which means the company wants you back,” she says. “It’s natural for companies to look for employees who have a track record,” he says. The increasing acceptance of boomerang employees is partly due to the “tight job market,” according to Michael Watkins, chair of Genesis Advisers, professor at IMD, and author of The First 90 Days. If you’re one of these employees, how should you handle your comeback? What’s the best way to get back into the fold? Do you try to pick up where you left off? And what do you say to people about why you quit in the first place and why you’re back? The idea of boomerang employees - workers who voluntarily leave a job at an organization and then rejoin that same organization at a later date - is gaining more and more acceptance from hiring managers and in the labor force.