Would you/Have you ever re-hired a former employee?

[KCrockaholic]

I'm curious to hear from people who've been in this circumstance and had to make a decision on bringing back an old employee.

What would make you agree for them to return vs what would be a deal breaker?

For those who make managerial decisions or own a company, what were the results of bringing back that employee if you chose to do so.

Boring thread, I know, but I'm looking for ideas.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by scho63

I politely disagree....

I've never fired without real cause. No one I fired in life I want back.

A friend and I were fired from a grocery store in High School(after 3 years) for carving a jack-o-lantern into a potato we had taken from the produce garbage. New, and not squishy with eyes growing in it, it was valued at $0.13.

The real reason, and they removed everyone in my age range within a couple of months and replaced us with younger employees. I think we had all breached $5/hr and we were replaced with younger kids at $3.25 or some serious, big financial difference.


Ironically, the person responsible left, and a decade later tried to return as the manager of that store. There had been a rumored issue where he had recently left relating to theft. Locals went to bat for this person and had a petition. I wrote the president of the company involved, explained my situation and asked them to hold this person to the same level of accountability he had held high school students. He was terminated. **** you, Joe.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

usually it doesn't work out

Taken with a grain of salt...

[Marcellus]

If they left on their own and gave notice etc..its usually not an issue as you wouldnt rehire them unless you were previously satisfied with their work.

If they were fired over attendance for example or some other reason and are gone for a while and you give them another shot, it almost never works out.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

A friend and I were fired from a grocery store in High School(after 3 years) for carving a jack-o-lantern into a potato we had taken from the produce garbage. New, and not squishy with eyes growing in it, it was valued at $0.13.

The real reason, and they removed everyone in my age range within a couple of months and replaced us with younger employees. I think we had all breached $5/hr and we were replaced with younger kids at $3.25 or some serious, big financial difference.


Ironically, the person responsible left, and a decade later tried to return as the manager of that store. There had been a rumored issue where he had recently left relating to theft. Locals went to bat for this person and had a petition. I wrote the president of the company involved, explained my situation and asked them to hold this person to the same level of accountability he had held high school students. He was terminated. **** you, Joe.

You weren't fired with cause and I wasn't the person who fired you.

There are SO many people who always need a job, going back to a fired employee is desperate IMHO.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by scho63

I politely disagree....

I've never fired without real cause. No one I fired in life I want back.

Sometimes you fire people with cause, but that cause is immaturity - can't show up on time, does foolish things, but otherwise does good work. Sometimes, not always obviously, people need a chance to learn hard lessons and grow up.

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I suppose I often escort data into my clients' loving arms...

So data is the escort, you are just the pimp. Gotcha.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

Let's say the employee did a good job, knows what's expected, but left because they wanted to seek an alternative career that turned out to be a complete dud and gave them some perspective on things not always being greener on the other side.

should never hate on someone who tried to put themselves in a better financial situation. Thats just holding people back. I'd hire them in a heartbeat and tell him if you get a better shot at something else take it again.

[Eleazar]

I worked at a certain place for 4 years, did well there, everyone was happy with me and my work. I was recruited for a job in another state that was significantly higher paying and had upward potential (which my current job did not), so I left for it. I left well, gave 6 weeks' notice, hustled to get all work wrapped up before leaving, trained a replacement very well. I took great pains to part on good terms.

Another 4 years or so go by and I am looking to move back to that city. The new job had been okay, but the organization was very dysfunctional and I much preferred living in the previous place. So I interviewed with the previous employer for an open position and while the managers were all very positive and they made me a decent offer, I ended up declining because some of the base level people gave me the distinct feeling in the interview (a series of panel interviews) that they resented me for leaving, or for being a candidate for a higher level position than the one I'd left. I felt like even if the managers were glad to have me back, if the people who would be my peers were not, then it wouldn't be the right fit.

I ended up taking a similar offer with a different employer in the city and I am glad that I did, but that's something I never considered - how rank and file folks might react. Everyone's personality is different but I didn't expect to see a range of resentment or jealousy or whatever it was, given that I'd been an exemplary employee previously. That's how it goes I guess.

[oldman]

There's a certain large company in the KC metro that does it all the time. Hire, lay off, oops, we made a mistake, rehire through a contracting company, offer job, lay off, oops--rinse and repeat. I know of at least 4 people there that have been a full time employee as many as 3 times and a contractor in between.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

I worked at a certain place for 4 years, did well there, everyone was happy with me and my work. I was recruited for a job in another state that was significantly higher paying and had upward potential (which my current job did not), so I left for it. I left well, gave 6 weeks' notice, hustled to get all work wrapped up before leaving, trained a replacement very well. I took great pains to part on good terms.

Another 4 years or so go by and I am looking to move back to that city. The new job had been okay, but the organization was very dysfunctional and I much preferred living in the previous place. So I interviewed with the previous employer for an open position and while the managers were all very positive and they made me a decent offer, I ended up declining because some of the base level people gave me the distinct feeling in the interview (a series of panel interviews) that they resented me for leaving, or for being a candidate for a higher level position than the one I'd left. I felt like even if the managers were glad to have me back, if the people who would be my peers were not, then it wouldn't be the right fit.

I ended up taking a similar offer with a different employer in the city and I am glad that I did, but that's something I never considered - how rank and file folks might react. Everyone's personality is different but I didn't expect to see a range of resentment or jealousy or whatever it was, given that I'd been an exemplary employee previously. That's how it goes I guess.

Maybe they just thought you were a dick

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

Maybe they just thought you were a dick

I guess it's possible, but I definitely wasn't one. These were people who I had very good relationships with before. Who knows.

That place is a smaller shop and is mostly made up of people who have been there for 15 or 20 years, so the cultural attitudes may just be different than they are in bigger ponds where people come and go more often.

[cooper barrett]

Originally Posted by scho63

I politely disagree....

I've never fired without real cause. No one I fired in life I want back.

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Sometimes you fire people with cause, but that cause is immaturity - can't show up on time, does foolish things, but otherwise does good work. Sometimes, not always obviously, people need a chance to learn hard lessons and grow up.

We have all had that boss who, you know, was a dick. There was no reason to get inspired when they came to work and the day he fired them was the best day of their life...

That employee coming back to that boss is never going to work and it's not the employee's fault...

Some bosses do a great job of training employees for others.

[underEJ]

We do it all the time. Maybe artists are different due to their talent being in demand, but we have people come and go all the time and it works fine as long as they don't leave us hanging on a project. They leave for lots of reasons. I don't expect loyalty from anyone. I expect professionalism. I understand that there are motivations like money and creative interest in the project that sometimes go my way and sometimes don't go my way. Out of 35 or so in my department, about half are long time employees, a quarter are young up and comers, and a quarter are industry vets who move frequently and this group comes and goes quite a bit. I personally have been in all three groups over the course of my career and they all have merit so I am particularly understanding of people's motivations I think.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

In that circumstance for me, the employee comes back with their hat in their hand, appreciating the position they had with you and will probably be a better, loyal trooper.

This has happened to me. They figure out how good I treat them and don't take it for granted after being treated like shit at another job for a while.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

A friend and I were fired from a grocery store in High School(after 3 years) for carving a jack-o-lantern into a potato we had taken from the produce garbage. New, and not squishy with eyes growing in it, it was valued at $0.13.

The real reason, and they removed everyone in my age range within a couple of months and replaced us with younger employees. I think we had all breached $5/hr and we were replaced with younger kids at $3.25 or some serious, big financial difference.


Ironically, the person responsible left, and a decade later tried to return as the manager of that store. There had been a rumored issue where he had recently left relating to theft. Locals went to bat for this person and had a petition. I wrote the president of the company involved, explained my situation and asked them to hold this person to the same level of accountability he had held high school students. He was terminated. **** you, Joe.

This is completely unrelated to your story, but somewhat parallel.

When I was a high school kid working at a steak house, one of the tasks we had was pulling potatoes out of the big 50 pound boxes that were imported from Idaho and wrapping them in aluminum foil for baking.

At one point another guy and I were doing this, and we found the largest potato in the history of the world. The steakhouse bought large potatoes as a policy, and this one was three or four times larger than the typical large potatoes. We were astounded and showed it to all of the other employees, and instead of being baked, the potato went on display to the public for the rest of its natural life.