The Boomerang Effect

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

Imagine being re-hired by the same employer who handed you a pink slip.

A few years ago, this was unheard of. Once you left a job, for whatever reason, you were history. Not any more. If you were laid off because your company was in dire financial straits, don't be shocked if you're asked to come back when the company is on solid ground.

The trend is appropriately called "boomeranging." The dot-com shakeout followed by a couple of years of a horrendous economy hurtled thousands of workers back into the job market. But things are looking better now, companies are hiring again and an increasing number of professionals are pocketing their pride and returning to work for their former employers.

If your ex-boss calls you and says he needs you and wants to make you a sweet offer, what would you do? You'd be a fool not to listen to what he has to say.

Great workers in all industries are being rehired by ex-employers, but it's more prevalent in technology companies because of the intense shortage of experienced professionals, especially CEOs, CIO, CTOs, project and product managers and senior software developers.

Employers are not rehiring former managers out of altruism. The reason is plain dollars and cents. When management laid off thousands of employees for no other reason but to cut labor costs, they were told in …

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