Iowa City, Iowa — A University of Iowa researcher is studying what he calls “boomerang employees,” those people who quit their jobs and later return to their former employers.
The phenomenon is surging now as those who left careers during the so-called Great Resignation early in the pandemic are now rethinking their decisions. Chad Van Iddekinge, a U of I professor of management and entrepreneurship, says rehiring former workers is something of a safe bet.
Still, U of I studies have found boomerang employees are more likely to quit a second time, often for the same reasons they left initially.
Indications are that the Great Resignation is still underway and hasn’t let up since the onset of COVID-19. People who were unfulfilled in their positions quit under the “you only live once” creed to forge a new path, but he says many have found early retirement isn’t for them, or they may simply need the money.
It reinforces the importance of keeping good performance review records so employers can best assess the potential of a rehire.
While conventional wisdom indicates people gain experience when they leave for a new job and come back better than before, he says for most it will evoke the adage: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
University of Iowa photo of Chad Van Iddeking
