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Have you ever considered being a “boomerang employee” and returning to a company you’ve already left?
 
 

In a recent MyPerfectResume survey of more than 1,100 U.S. workers, 55 per cent said going back to a former employer is a smart career move while 37 per cent view it as playing it safe.
 
 

And returning to a former employer may be more common than you think. Data from HR solutions company ADP shows in the U.S. boomerang employees accounted for 35 per cent of new hires in March 2025, a four-point increase from the same month a year earlier.
 
 

But in a volatile job market, how can you tell if you’re truly being strategic?
 
 

“A strategic move is going to be one that is driven by intention and change, whereas a risk averse move is going to be about familiarity and comfort,” says career expert Jasmine Escalera.
 
 
 

Either way, Ms. Escalera says returning employees can offer clear advantages to companies. They typically require less onboarding, already understand the culture and bring a level of credibility that new hires may take months to establish.

 
 

For boomerang workers, the dynamic can shift in their favour even though it’s an employer’s market. “The power is in your hands right now. I think you have a little bit more of that confidence to say, look, I’m only coming back if this is really going to work out for me,” she says.

 
 

However, familiarity or a bit of bargaining power alone isn’t enough to make the move worthwhile. The survey found that culture-driven factors matter most when considering a return. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said they would need to see changes in leadership and the same percentage cited improved work-life balance.

 
 

There are also clear risks for returning workers. Sixty-five per cent of workers worry about office politics resurfacing while 46 per cent fear falling back into burnout.

 
 

Ms. Escalera says employers can’t afford to ignore those concerns.
 
 

“On the employer side, this is all about acknowledgement. We cannot sweep things under the rug,” she says. “If you have employees that are considering coming back, I think the best thing to do is to acknowledge the reasons why they might have left and to really openly talk about how things have changed.”
 
 

For employees, due diligence is just as critical. Ms. Escalera recommends reflecting on why you left in the first place, assessing how you’ve grown and speaking candidly with current employees before making a decision. Most importantly, she says, returning workers should aim to come back at a higher level, not simply step back into the same role.
 
 

Employers, meanwhile, need to meet returning talent where they are now by offering roles that reflect their development and reintroducing the organization with a clear sense of its current culture and direction.
 
 

The boomerang move can be powerful, but only if both sides are intentional. “You can soar, but you’re never going to soar if the reasons why you left are still prevalent,” Ms. Escalera says.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

21 per cent
 
 

That’s how many business owners have had to delay paying themselves because of a tax payment, according to lending firm Clarify Capital.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

If your phone is negatively affecting your productivity at work, Harvey Schachter shares three tips from a venture capitalist on beating your phone addiction.

 
 

The tactics include using grayscale mode to make your screen less colourful, creating ‘no phone zones’ where you won’t have your phone with you and integrating small changes (such as screen time restrictions) into your everyday routine.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

“There is never a bad reason to upgrade your skills. But, at the same time, if you’re thinking by taking this one course you are going to end up changing your current trajectory, you may be misled,” says Michael French, the national director of client solutions at recruitment firm Robert Half, on the varied value of micro-credentials.

 
 

This article in The Walrus looks at why micro-credentials, or one-off courses, are on the rise and how they are affecting everything from who companies hire to who they promote and who is ultimately responsible for employee upskilling.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

This Bloomberg article explains why the scarcity of entry-level jobs should be of concern to everyone. Young people miss out on important career experiences and the whole economy suffers as we have less future talent and well-paid consumers to stimulate demand.