How often do you run into an old friend that you haven’t seen in years and realize that you really missed each other’s company? Perhaps one of you moved to another city and schedules just didn’t mesh. Sometimes all you need is a little time to make a relationship better than ever. That being said, did you ever think that the same could be true with alumni of your business?
As more and more companies start to hire, as our economy tries to get back on track, the pipeline of potential employees can seem overwhelming. Are you considering past employees for your current job openings? If not, have you thought about why? As long as the business relationship didn’t end on a sour note (i.e. that particular person wasn’t fired), past employees could prove invaluable assets.
Human resource managers might even prefer reaching out to past employees for current job openings. Why? For one, you already know their work ethic and how they perform. So, extending a relocation package to someone that cannot only do the job but knows how your company operates may be more appealing that risking such an expense on an unknown.
Hiring managers may consider hiring past employees for different positions or even the same as they previously held. The bottom line is that a strong business relies on great employees. So, if your company is hiring and had a star employee that left the job simply because he or she moved, why not reach out to them and see if they are interested in returning. In today’s economy, the right relocation package and offer may just do the trick.
Gene Salaz.
