Grass Isn’t Always Greener: A Guide to Re-Recruiting in the Healthcare Sector

Have you ever had a caregiver leave your company for another job? Maybe they were offered a better salary or benefits package, or were simply ready for a new challenge. If that caregiver wanted to return months, or even years, later, would you consider rehiring them?

As little as thirty years ago, employers would rarely rehire “disloyal” employees who left for seemingly greener pastures. But steep challenges to recruitment in the healthcare industry — such as the tight labor market and severe caregiver shortages affecting 97.8% of agencies — have caused many healthcare companies to focus on seeking out talented staff by re-recruiting “boomerang” employees.

If your company is experiencing staffing issues, you may consider re-recruiting past employees. But how can you ensure it will benefit your healthcare business?

We’ll answer those questions in this article. But first, we’ll detail some pros and cons of re-recruiting so you can decide when you should and shouldn’t rehire an employee. We’ll also consider some red flags to look out for and some top tips for re-recruiting past employees.

Why Should You Consider Re-Recruiting?

As the world works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Resignation continues to wreak havoc on company employee recruitment and retention rates — especially within the healthcare sector. The 2022 Elsevier Health “Clinician of the Future” report showed that up to 47% of healthcare workers plan to leave their positions by 2025.  

But there’s a thread of hope. The overall healthcare workforce is only down 2.7% from February 2020. This proves that many employees are being hired in other healthcare jobs — and some providers are even returning to former positions. 

So what’s so great about re-recruiting?

Re-recruiting offers several advantages that can benefit your company. Evaluating employees using these factors can help you choose qualified, talented caregivers.

1. Employees already know the company

Past employees already know the ins and outs of their position and your company, including its culture, people, and internal processes and systems. So you’ll spend less time trying to help them adapt, and they’ll acclimate to their position more quickly than a new hire would. They won’t need as much training and will reach their Optimum Productivity Level (OPL) much faster.

2. Re-recruiting saves you money

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that the average cost per new hire is $4,700. But the total expense can go up to around three to four times a position’s salary due to the hard and soft costs that go into recruitment, and it can take six months or more to break even on that investment.

Re-recruiting a boomerang employee requires less effort than recruiting a new employee, and you’ll invest less in training. So you’ll save money and see a quicker return on your investment.

3. Employees offer a fresh perspective

When employees leave your company for another, they learn new ways of doing things that could potentially improve your healthcare company’s systems and processes. They’ve also probably expanded their skillset and experiences, so you’ll enjoy increased productivity.

When Should You Avoid Re-Recruiting?

Though re-recruiting comes with many advantages, there are still some disadvantages to consider before you make your decision. If you notice that an employee falls under one of these categories, you should proceed with caution or not rehire them at all.

1. Past Issues in Employment History

If your employee was fired or exited the company with interpersonal issues, they will likely still carry those grievances with them if they return — especially if the other people involved are still with the company. Resentment may cause the same issues to arise again, affecting your team morale and employee productivity. The employee may also experience difficulty feeling engaged in their role.

2. High Turnover Risk

If the reasons for their initial departure haven’t been addressed or remedied, the employee may exit your company once again. One study conducted by Harvard Business Review showed that rehires were more likely to turn over than new hires. So there may be an inevitably higher risk of turnover when re-recruiting caregivers.

3. Out of Price Range

Since many rehires left for higher salaries or have increased their skill sets, they may require higher salaries or benefits packages to return. If this is the case, you’ll need to check your finances to make sure the investment will be worth it.

3 Best Practices for Re-Recruiting Past Employees

After you thoroughly consider the pros and cons of re-recruiting, you may decide you can benefit from bringing some former employees back on board. There are some best practices you should follow during this process to ensure that it’s as seamless and pain-free as possible.

1. Create a rehire policy

It’s always best to have standardized policies for your company processes, and re-recruiting is no different. A rehire policy helps structure your rehire process so you can immediately define who is eligible for rehire and who isn’t.

2. Focus on interviews

Don’t underestimate the importance of interviews in the rehire process. Review the candidate’s answers to their exit interviews and see if the reasons they left still exist. You should also conduct new interviews just as you would for a new hire’ so you can assess whether they’re still a good fit for your healthcare company.

3. Have a customized reboarding process in place

Since your company processes and people have likely changed since the employee first left, ensure you have a reboarding process in place. You may use your existing onboarding program and customize it to fit their needs and goals.

Healthcare Companies Can Enjoy a Streamlined Re-Recruiting Process