Careers Are No Longer Linear—And That’s Why Boomerangs Matter
Recruiters used to view ex-employees with suspicion. Today, firms actively court them. In the United States alone, boomerang hires may already represent 28 percent of all new appointments. Why the surge? Labor shortages, rising internal mobility platforms, and employees’ need for varied career experiences all play a part.
But what exactly makes someone a “boomerang”? In our study, we develop a new conceptual model of the boomerang mobility process that goes beyond viewing rehires as one-off events. Instead, we understand boomeranging as a dynamic sequence of career transitions—beginning with the decision to leave, shaped by experiences in a new organization, and ending with a deliberate return.
We understand boomeranging as a dynamic sequence of career transitions.
This model reflects today’s fluid labor market, where career decisions are not just about one job offer versus another, but about how individuals accumulate experience, reassess priorities, and navigate opportunities over time. By taking a career transition perspective, our framework helps explain how personal agency, workplace change, and life events interact across different phases of movement.
By taking a career transition perspective, our framework helps explain how personal agency, workplace change, and life events interact across different phases of movement.
From Exit to Return: What Triggers a Boomerang Career Move
Our paper defines the boomerang mobility process as “a series of career transitions, starting with the exit from the original employer and ending with the return to that employer.” The journey unfolds in two phases:
First, push and pull factors trigger the initial exit transition. Push factors include experiencing limited growth opportunities or a mismatch with leadership, whereas pull factors focus on exciting new opportunities in another organization. Second, when working at the new organization, employees reassess their situation. Here, renewed pushes (e.g., unmet expectations, disappointments) and pulls (e.g., new leadership or growth opportunities in the original organization) trigger the boomerang transition back to the original employer.
Importantly, we differentiate between the distal factors—those present at the time of leaving the original employer—and the proximal factors—those that arise later, while working elsewhere. These can include both work and nonwork influences, such as dissatisfaction with a manager (push), attractive offers from another employer (pull), or later, changed life priorities or evolving company policies. Understanding this sequence sheds light on why boomerang transitions happen—and when they are most likely to succeed.
Why do people boomerang?
Our framework shows four decision processes involved in boomerang transitions. Individuals engage in backward and forward comparisons between the organizations that include reflections on past accomplishments and experiences, as well as the anticipation of future gains. They also observe subjective and objective changes in the organizations regarding perceived changes (e.g., flexible work arrangements have become more important for young parents) and actual changes (e.g., new career policies allowing for renewed career growth opportunities).
What’s in it for organizations?
Evidence on employer outcomes of boomerang mobility is mixed. Returning staff are cheaper to onboard and often report greater job satisfaction, yet their performance can mirror—or even lag—that of never-leavers, and turnover risk may remain high. The difference lies in three “boomerang characteristics”:
Boomerang transitions tend to work best when the return is recent (short time away), the job remains similar, and the person is already familiar with the culture and colleagues. These three factors—timing, similarity, and familiarity—help returning employees reintegrate faster and more effectively.
Three factors—timing, similarity, and familiarity—help returning employees reintegrate faster and more effectively.
Actionable take-aways
1. Don’t burn bridges during exits
Employees are more likely to return if they experience respectful, supportive offboarding (e.g., personalized exit interviews, alumni networks). A positive goodbye increases the chances of a productive boomerang return.
2. Reflect before rejoining
Boomerang transitions work best when driven by both personal growth and positive change in the former organization (e.g., new leadership, better flexibility).
3. Track and engage alumni regularly
More and more former employees return. Keeping tabs on their career development helps to potentially rehire them at the right moment, often with new skills and fresh perspectives.
4. Match returns with familiarity and fit
Boomerang hires are more successful when they return to similar roles, teams, or environments they once thrived in, especially if the time away was short.
Looking ahead
Our study sets an agenda for researchers to explore topics like career regret, network dynamics, and the long-term sustainability of boomerang paths. For practice, the message is clear: careers are cyclical, and savvy organizations will design talent systems that make leaving and returning both viable and valuable.
As talent markets continue to shift, boomerang transitions may become not just common but essential.
As talent markets continue to shift, boomerang transitions may become not just common but essential. For organizations, the challenge is to reimagine talent strategies that don’t treat departure as defeat, but as part of a long-term relationship. For individuals, the key is to recognize that returning doesn’t mean going backward—it can be a leap forward, if done with intention.
