More businesses are rehiring former employees in a tight labour market. But is bringing someone back a smart move, or just a short-term fix?
Beccy Lane, co-founder of Key Skills, sees both the opportunity and the risk:
“When someone comes back, you need to understand why they left in the first place. It’s not always about money. Sometimes it’s a lack of growth, a poor manager, or just not feeling heard. If you don’t ask the right questions, you risk repeating the same mistake.”
That sense of empathy and curiosity matters. If a great employee hands in their notice, a counteroffer might keep them for now but it won’t fix what pushed them away in the first place.
Beccy explains:
“You’re just paying more to delay their exit if you haven’t addressed the real issue.”
For example, if someone leaves for a different environment, maybe to work on larger-scale projects or to gain leadership experience wants to return, it’s a chance to bring back someone sharper, more experienced, and more motivated as long as you both go into it with clear eyes.
“Rehiring someone isn’t about going backwards,” says Beccy. “It can be a step forward if both sides have learned something along the way.”
So should you rehire a former employee? Maybe. But only if you take the time to ask:
Why did they leave in the first place?
What have they learned while they were away?
Are you offering them something new or just more of the same?
Sometimes the problem isn’t the pay rate. Sometimes it’s a manager with poor leadership skills, a culture that doesn’t support development, or simply not being listened to. And if that’s what drove them away, no counteroffer is going to fix it.
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