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When a person returns to a previous company, does it tell us anything about the company?

I was in a Human Resources presentation recently.   From HR perspective, a high return rate is something to be valued and a proof that the company is good.

What do we think of this argument ? – When there is a high return rate, the company is good.

Could a company be not so good and the worker returns?  Think so – the company could be not so good, but the worker goes to some other employment that is even worse.

Or could a company be not so good and could not find better workers that it hires someone who has left?

Could a company be very good when there is a not a high return rate?  Think so – the company could be good, yet the worker has other opportunity that is even better.

The argument “when there is a high return rate, the company is good” is neither valid nor sound.

We can say “when there is a high return rate, the company is not the worst of all”.  Well, setting aside philosophical discussion of the argument validity and soundness, I asked a few folks on the perception of this situation.

From a veteran in the company, this company is “safe” that the workers can leave and then return without penalty.  Some established companies may have a policy that leaving employees cannot be reemployed for a period of time.   This company does not.

Others said “the economy is bad that the worker cannot find a better arrangement after leaving the company (in terms of hours, pay, flexibility etc.)”.

The contrarian claims “the worker in this company is not good, could not be successful in another environment”.

Before making a relationship between the return rate and the goodness of the company, some questions are to be answered:

–   Why do people leave? Do they care enough to share the genuine reasons?

–   Can the career goal be met overall?

–   When a compatible position with similar pay and benefits at another company presents, would the worker leave?

–   Would the worker recommend the company or organization as a great place to work?

These are tough questions, they are telling of the real workforce sentiment towards the company and provide unfiltered insight from the most important asset of the company.

Posted in Career Management