There are actually several advantages associated with rehiring former employees, as long as there were no serious problems associated with their prior performance or circumstances surrounding their departure.
By hiring a former employee, most of the unknowns associated with hiring a stranger are eliminated. You do not need to rely as heavily on interview data, references, or any kind of test to predict how this individual will perform if hired. You have the best data of all: first-hand experience.
In addition, unless you have made major changes in your products, systems, or procedures, this employee is at least somewhat trained. This means a faster start-up, less managerial time required to orient and educate her, and fewer initial errors.
On a less obvious basis, a returning employee can actually help reduce turnover. This individual’s experiences at another workplace may convince other employees to think twice about quitting. As for the likelihood of her quitting again since she quit once, you could just as easily make the opposite argument: she quit and saw how things really are out there, so she is less likely to do so again. Some might say, “You can’t go home again,” but you can go back to work again.
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