dowidth.com 
Boomerang employees offer a distinct advantage by rejoining organizations with prior knowledge, proven skills, and established relationships, often accelerating their reintegration and productivity. Compared to external candidates, they typically require less training and onboarding, reducing recruitment costs and minimizing cultural fit risks. Explore the strategic benefits and considerations of hiring boomerang employees versus external candidates to optimize your workforce decisions.
Why it is important
Understanding the difference between boomerang employees and external candidates is crucial for optimizing recruitment strategies and reducing onboarding costs. Boomerang employees typically rejoin with prior company knowledge, faster integration, and proven cultural fit, leading to increased productivity. External candidates bring fresh perspectives and new skills that can drive innovation and enhance diversity. Companies benefit from evaluating the trade-offs between retaining experienced former employees and injecting novel talent to maintain competitive advantage.
Comparison Table
| Criteria | Boomerang Employees | External Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Experience with Company | Familiar with culture and processes | New to company environment |
| Onboarding Time | Shorter onboarding required | Longer onboarding needed |
| Performance Predictability | Known work history | Uncertain performance |
| Company Loyalty | Potentially higher, returning by choice | Varies, based on opportunity |
| Cost of Hiring | Lower recruitment costs | Higher recruitment and training expenses |
| Fresh Perspectives | Limited new ideas | Brings fresh insights |
| Network within Company | Established internal relationships | Needs time to build connections |
Which is better?
Boomerang employees bring valuable institutional knowledge and culture fit that reduce onboarding time and increase retention rates compared to external candidates. External hires contribute fresh perspectives and diverse skill sets essential for innovation and long-term organizational growth. Balancing both recruitment strategies maximizes workforce effectiveness and drives competitive advantage.
Connection
Boomerang employees and external candidates both play critical roles in talent acquisition strategies, offering diverse advantages in workforce planning. Boomerang employees, having prior experience with the company, typically require less onboarding and acclimation compared to external candidates, enhancing retention rates and productivity. Integrating these groups allows organizations to balance fresh perspectives with institutional knowledge, optimizing recruitment efficiency and organizational culture.
Key Terms
Recruitment sources
External candidates offer fresh perspectives and a diverse talent pool, expanding recruitment sources beyond the organization's current network. Boomerang employees bring proven company experience and shorter onboarding times, representing a reliable internal recruitment source. Explore the strategic advantages of both to optimize your recruitment process effectively.
Organizational fit
Organizational fit significantly impacts hiring success, with boomerang employees often exhibiting better alignment due to prior familiarity with company culture, values, and workflows. External candidates may bring fresh perspectives but require more time and resources for cultural integration and socialization within teams. Explore more on how organizational fit influences retention and performance between these candidate types.
Rehiring policies
Rehiring policies often distinguish between external candidates and boomerang employees, with the latter typically receiving streamlined onboarding and favored reemployment conditions due to their prior organizational knowledge and proven performance. Companies may impose specific eligibility criteria for boomerang hires, such as a minimum break period and satisfactory prior exit status, to mitigate potential risks and ensure cultural alignment. Explore in-depth strategies and case studies on rehiring policies to optimize talent acquisition and retention.
Source and External Links
What Does External Candidate Mean in Recruitment and HR? - An external candidate is someone seeking employment in an organization who is not currently part of its workforce, often bringing new skills and perspectives that can spur innovation and address skill gaps within the company.
Internal vs. external candidates: Who is the better choice? - External candidates bring new perspectives and competencies that internal candidates might lack, making them especially valuable in times of major organizational change, whereas internal candidates might better understand the company culture and hit the ground running.
What Is an External Applicant? (Definition and Tips) - External applicants come from outside the company and are important for bringing in new expertise, expanding the candidate pool, and boosting brand exposure through external recruitment efforts.