Would you return to an old job? Here’s why employees are boomeranging back to their former workplaces 

When it comes to relationships, the general advice is to never go back. After all, the romance likely ended for specific reasons. Unless those underlying issues are solved, it’ll all end in tears once again, goes the accepted wisdom. 

But does the same rule apply to returning to a former job? While it’s true to say that interpersonal relationships can be tricky both in and out of the office, surely a little more emotional detachment can be applied to considering a fresh job offer from a previous employer. 

For an increasing amount of American workers, that would seem to be the case. A HBR report from 2023 found that 28 percent of new hires were in fact “boomerang” hires who had resigned from the company within the previous 36 months. 

That period, of course, is the timeframe covered by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

It was a boom era to switch jobs as companies aggressively hired to keep up with surging demand. So much so that it was dubbed “the great resignation” at the time, as tech workers in particular job-hopped with impunity, garnering higher salaries and better benefits as they went. 

In retrospect, life wasn’t quite as rosy as it may have appeared for job switchers. Another piece of research found that 43 percent of those who quit their job for a new one said they’d be better off in their old role. And 41 percent felt they’d jumped the gun and left their old job too quickly. 

Sometimes, it is a case of better the devil you know, and with recent data from jobs site Indeed noting a 12.3 percent decrease in job postings year-over-year, it’s not a bad time to seek the comfort of a familiar environment. 

Returning to a place where you’re already confident in your job, can easily navigate the structure, have established relationships with colleagues, and know exactly what’s expected of you during your work day is an attractive prospect. 

You may also have an opportunity to ask for a bigger paycheck or better benefits. Because money motivated so many pandemic-era job moves, this puts boomerangers into a much better negotiating position when they return to their previous companies. 

As a boomerang employee, you’re also valuable to your employer because you already understand the nuances of the organization and can hit the ground running. This can give you the opportunity to put forward a case to move up the ranks, pivot into a new area or step sideways into a job that you’re truly passionate about. 

Whether you’re looking to return to an old job or you want to move on to pastures new, then you’ll discover countless opportunities with employers all across the country on The Hill Jobs Board. Explore three current vacancies below. 

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Director of External Affairs, JDG Associates, Washington 

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) is an independent federal agency in the executive branch responsible for administering the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).  

As the Director of External Affairs, you’ll be responsible for leading all agency activities as they relate to Congress, the media, other federal agencies, and the Employee Thrift Advisory Council (ETAC).  

Among the many responsibilities of this role include driving the formulation of FRTIB legislative positions and strategy by initiating input, coordinating with other FRTIB offices, and providing advice to the executive director and board members, devising and orchestrating appropriate strategies to monitor Congressional activity on issues of interest, and planning and managing appropriate strategies for providing FRTIB input on varied legislative issues that affect TSP participants. See the full job spec and application requirements. 

Scheduler to the President, Voto Latino, Washington 

Voto Latino seeks a detail oriented and passionate Scheduler to the President to be responsible for managing the president’s schedule and calendar, and serving as the first point of contact in the Office of the President.  

You’ll play a crucial part in supporting the organization’s mission by coordinating and managing the daily, weekly, and monthly schedules for the president, including arranging meetings, appointments, and conference calls.  

You will also manage all inbound correspondence and meeting requests, plan and organize domestic and international travel itineraries, accommodations, and logistics, including booking flights, hotels, and ground transportation and maintain an organized system for tracking appointments, commitments, and important dates.  

A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related capacity is required as are excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills. See more here. 

Legislative & Member Advocacy Specialist, National Education Association, Washington 

As the Legislative & Member Advocacy Specialist, you’ll support the NEA’s strategic objective to focus the energy and resources of its three million members toward the promotion and defense of public education.  

You’ll do this by planning, developing and implementing strategies to advance and expand NEA’s online advocacy program. You’ll also serve as the department editor and site publisher for the NEA Action Center and Government Relations section of InsideNEA sub site and workspaces, and will use programming languages to create, edit and maintain NEA’s Action Center website, evaluate the effectiveness of the digital advocacy program, and maintain a current knowledge of internet trends/developments, among other tasks. 

To be considered, you’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in public policy, education, political science (or an equivalent combination of education and experience), as well as five years’ of professional experience involving program and policy analysis. Apply right now. 

Find a brand new job that’s perfect for you on The Hill Jobs Board