Case 11 Should You Hire a Former Employee? Case 11 Should You Hire a Former Employee What would be theadvantages and disadvantages of hiring a former employee in larger organizations? In small firms? The advantages of hiring a former employee in larger organizations are that the cost of training would be minimized; familiarity to policies, procedures and organizational culture are recognized and reinforced; and trade secrets are remained intact. In small firms, the same advantages are realized except that management must be aware of the sentiments of old personnel in rehiring a previous colleague.
The disadvantages of rehiring a previous employee in large and small firms are potential displacement of the personnel who assumed the position (especially in large firms); and addressing the perceptions and sentiments of current and loyal personnel (particularly in small firms). 2. How valid were David Heard’s concerns about the effect of returning employees on the company’s culture? David Heard’s concerns were valid in terms of affecting the company’s culture when a former employee who left the organization is eventually rehired.
For a small organization, the camaraderie is more close-knit and the company’s culture would somehow dictate the firm’s overall sentiments, values and beliefs in terms of embracing a returning employee. If the culture is more of acceptance and the skills of the former employee are indeed worthy to be kept (especially if the position is still vacant), then, there would not be any potential dilemma. However, if the culture shuns employees who had not been loyal to their organization’s thrusts, then, accepting or rehiring a returning employee would prove to be difficult and would compromise the work behavior of others who were deemed loyal for considerable lengths of time. 3. At which level of the organization should the rehire decision be made—supervisory, middle management, or upper management?
The rehire decision should actually be incorporated in the company’s policies on recruitment. If upper management has decided that the rehire decision could be implemented and made at the supervisory level, then, proper procedures and guidelines should be designed to ensure that the option is exercised in due process. Otherwise, other levels, middle management or upper management should also have set and clear cut guidelines and procedures so that no one would be blamed or tagged with favoritism in cases when options for rehire are required.
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