As most business leaders know the labour market is currently tight across all sectors, some as a result of Brexit but in the professional world, it appears to be as a result of senior employees who have had time to think and re-evaluate throughout lockdown and deciding to retire. This has left a big hole to fill.

 Whatever the reason, recruitment and retention are one of the biggest challenges facing most business leaders at the moment and it’s a subject that we often discuss in our Pabasso peer advisory boards for Business Leaders

 So recognising that in this hot market you are going to lose some people, ask yourself would you rehire any of these people if things didn’t work out for them with their new employer

 My question to you is why wouldn’t you rehire? Clearly, this depends on the quality of the employee and whether or not you were pleased to see them take advantage of the opportunity to pursue their career elsewhere, in which case you would probably not welcome them back or encourage them to return.

 Yet if they were great employees adding real value to the business and respected by the team why wouldn’t you encourage them back?

 We are all familiar with the expression that ‘the grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ and recruiters excel at selling this concept – but as most of us know it’s not always the case.

 Imagine you are the employee who has left whom you wanted to retain, you have tried everything to keep them, even perhaps counter offered but they have still decided to go despite your best efforts to keep them, most people would find it difficult and perhaps embarrassing to reapply for their old job back.

 Hopefully, despite your disappointment and perhaps bitterness towards them at the point of departure, you have been professional enough to thank them for your time with you, wish them all the best for their future career AND you have left the door open for them to return if the grass is not quite as green as it was suggested on the other side of the fence.

 The starting point for this is of course a formal exit interview which includes amongst other things a forwarding address etc.

 Now put yourself in the place of that ex-employee who has made the jump and the new role is not as expected and they start to realise they have made a huge mistake. How easy do you think it is for them to swallow their pride, eat humble pie and contact you to see if you would take them back?

 There are of course things we can do to leave that door open and make their reapplication much easier.

 Why not act like a recruitment agent and make sure you keep in contact with them, using whatever medium you are most comfortable with. The end of the first month is often a time for reflection in a new role as is the 6-month point by which time they will either be settled and enjoying the new role or have realised they have made a mistake.

 As a minimum, you should contact them at these points and perhaps each month in between. In doing this if they are dissatisfied you are then able to invite them back rather than expecting them to swallow their pride and eat humble pie and contact you, which is never easy. Set up call back reminders like you might do with a prospective customer so that you keep in touch.

 I have never understood the policy of some businesses never to take back ex-employees who have made a career mistake. These people should be a much lower risk (and cost) recruit than an unknown new employee and they should be able to deliver much quicker than someone who doesn’t know the job and doesn’t know the business.

 Remind yourself of the parable of the Prodigal Son (we better add daughter) to this, and welcome them back with open arms.

 I have rehired a number of times over the years and what a great message it is to the rest of your team. Despite what the recruiters say – the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence!