WHEN IT COMES TO JOBS, YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
Five things you need to know to be a successful boomerang

Philadelphia -- They're called “boomerangs” – employees who leave a company and then come back after working elsewhere. In today’s uncertain economy, they are more common than you would think, according to MRINetwork, one of the world’s largest search and recruitment organizations.

“Rising reports of employment woes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, along with the fluctuating stock market, have many companies taking a more conservative approach with regard to hiring,” said Michael Jalbert, president of MRINetwork. “Although the pressure to hire is there, some of them don’t want to add head count and are looking to baby boomer retirees to come back as contract or part-time employees.” He also notes that if looking to hire full-time, employees often view taking on a known quantity as less risky than finding a new candidate who requires more time to get up to speed.

“Gone are the days when quitting automatically meant becoming persona non grata,” added Jalbert. “Employees who already know a company's business and culture are so welcome that they're frequently called alumni rather than ex-employees.”

Often a good employee who leaves a company acquires additional skills, develops new contacts and learns first hand about the competition. “In some cases, the absence may actually catapult the employee to a higher position than they would have reached by staying," observed Jalbert.

However, cautions Jalbert, there are successful strategies for becoming a boomerang and decidedly unsuccessful ones. "If your departure was acrimonious, it's obviously a lot harder to come back," he said. "And you can't leave expecting that you’ll be able to return. That’s a move that almost always backfires. But if you go with good will and keep in touch in a professional manner, a return to your former company may be possible."

Strategies for keeping the door open, according to Jalbert, primarily require common sense, maturity and a little extra effort:

• Never burn bridges when leaving a company. They'll always remember how you behaved at the end, and it will color their impression of the job you did while there.
• Keep in touch, professionally and socially, while you are away. You should be doing this anyway to keep your professional network fresh.
• When you think about going back, check your pride at the door. Your former employer can't know you want to come back unless you make it known.
• Have a clear sense of what you are bringing back to the party. Returning at a higher level with more pay will depend on the skills and experience you have acquired during your "sabbatical.”
• Call someone you respect at the company and explain your situation. Let him or her act as your champion with management.

"Handled correctly, going back to a former company can be an attractive option for both the employee and the employer,” Jalbert said. “If there are clear benefits on both sides, the practicalities can usually be worked out to everyone’s satisfaction.”

About MRINetwork:
Management Recruiters International, Inc., branded as MRINetwork (www.mrinetwork.com), is a subsidiary of CDI (NYSE:CDI), a global provider of engineering & information technology outsourcing solutions and professional staffing (www.cdicorp.com). MRINetwork has nearly 1,100 offices in over 35 countries.

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