Introduction
Keeping in touch with former employees ensures that employers have access to a valuable talent pool. The workforce structures have changed greatly over time, and gone are the days when employees had long-term careers in one company (Clonts, 2012). With the modern economic challenges, cases of employees leaving one company for another have become a common phenomenon. The workforce groups normally look for new talents and employees are likely to move from one company to another if they anticipate better remuneration and good working conditions. Other ways through which companies are likely to lose an experienced workforce is through retirement and when employees choose to change the workplace at their own will (Clonts, 2012).
The reasons for keeping in touch with former employees
Research by Cathy Clonts, the Alumni web Services’ CEO, shows that employers can still benefit from their former employees if they can keep in touch with them. This is also possible if your former employees left the company in good terms. It is worth noting that experienced employees are the pillar of every organization as far as production is concerned. New and inexperienced employees, though with the required academic qualifications, cannot deliver good services without the guidance of the experienced employees (Clonts, 2012). When a company loses some of its experienced employees hiring new employees or through retirement, the activities of that company are affected. However, employers can still benefit from their former employees by taking advantage of their experiences through other avenues as long as they are in touch with them (Clonts, 2012).
For instance, among the employees, there can be some who left the company due to other reasons and not necessarily moved to other companies. This could include mothers with small babies and other former employees who could have left the company due to other unavoidable reasons such as having a very tight schedule. Employers can still use the experience of such professionals by giving them some tasks on a part-time basis. There can be some former employees willing to work for their former companies on a part-time basis (Clonts, 2012). By doing so, employers will have an opportunity to take advantage of the experience of their former employees.
Another group of former employees that employers can use is the retired employees. These are the most experienced groups among the former employees that companies should keep in touch with. They can be offered short term tasks in the company or work on a part-time basis (Clonts, 2012). The retired group can also be used to mentor the new and inexperienced employees so that the performance of the company is not affected by the departure of experienced employees. Some of the retired employees may be willing to carry out some specific projects in their former companies at reasonable terms than the existing employees. They can also be used by the management to solve workforce-related challenges (Clonts, 2012).
In some situations, former employees may be disappointed in their new workplaces especially those who leave their present jobs to look for jobs elsewhere. Some of these employees may be willing to come back and be recruited in their former companies (Clonts, 2012). Employers can take advantage of such employees by offering them new jobs if their records are clean. It is therefore evident that there is a need for employers to keep in touch with their former employees.
Reference
Clonts, C. (2012). Keeping in touch with former employees ensures access to valuable talent pool. Recruiter’s Practicum, 12-13.