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"Earlier this summer, LeBron James made headlines when he announced his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years in Miami. \nThis big news in the sports community has sparked discussion around an increasing trend in the job market: Boomerang employees. Similarly to LeBron, many in the job market are finding their way back to former employers. \nSee also: 5 Tips for Seasoned Employees on Making the Jump to the C-Suite\nDefined as former employees rehired after an absence of a few years, boomerang employees are increasing in numbers as companies that had to lay off workers in previous years begin looking to increase their staff size once again. \nFrom an employer\u2019s perspective, the benefits of hiring a boomerang employee are actually quite extensive \u2014 other than personal referrals from employees, some employers and recruiters believe that boomerang employees provide the second highest quality hires. \nBecoming a boomerang employee requires you to build and maintain solid relationships with former employers so that if there ever is a desire or need to return, it is a welcomed possibility.  \nBelow are a few suggestions to make sure you are setting yourself up for these opportunities.\nMake the split as positive as possible\nIf you have any inkling that you may one day want to return to your company, it's of the utmost importance that you leave your employer(s) on good terms. If the split is not an amicable one, re-entering the organization will be difficult, if not impossible.\nProviding honest feedback about why you\u2019re leaving and what you\u2019re going to do will help your employer understand your decision and keep the departure much more pleasant. Draft a professional letter explaining your intention to leave, including why you are leaving and what you plan to do, and offer any comments around your positive experience with them. \nAlso, consider the size of the current company you\u2019re leaving. For instance, if you leave a larger company to go to a startup or small business, they will likely be able to fill your position quickly because of the hiring budget and talent pipeline. In this case, your departure won\u2019t likely be taken too personally, as long as you are professional and positive. You can accomplish this by turning in your resignation notice prior to the standard two-weeks notice of your departure date, providing ample time for them to find a replacement. You can also offer to train the new employee if that is something they are comfortable with. \nOn the other hand, leaving a startup to go to a large company might be taken much more personally. Startups and small businesses generally have a much tighter team because of the fast-paced \u201Call-in\u201D nature, so when someone leaves, it can throw off the team dynamic. Therefore, it is important to take the time to sit down with your direct manager and explain exactly why you are leaving. Having a more formal letter is a good idea, but expect to have a much deeper conversation than what is on the letter. It may even be necessary to personally let each of the team members you work with know you\u2019re leaving and why.\nNo matter what the company size, however, during your exit interview, remain positive \u2014 and if you don\u2019t have something good to say, just keep your responses short and sweet and then move on. \nMarket your new talents and be upfront about coming back\nHopefully, the company you left your former job for allowed you to grow your skills in other areas and become a more well-rounded professional. Whether you traveled to another part of the world, added completely new competencies to your portfolio or just became a stronger professional, these are all very attractive to former employers.\nWhen you approach a former employer about coming back, make sure you have an end-goal in mind, and be upfront about it. Don\u2019t beat around the bush with general questions, leaving them unsure of your intentions, and communicate the new talents and skills you can bring to the table as a result of your experience.\nWhile you may not get an offer right away, letting your former employer know you are interested in coming back will allow them to keep you in mind for positions that do open up \u2014 in the best-case scenario, they may even make up a new position for your newly built skill set.\nOn the opposite end of the spectrum, your former employer might realize that your new skills no longer make you as close of a fit for the company, or they may worry that you have grown beyond what they can cater to. In these cases, it is important to show how you plan on continuing your growth within the company for the long-term and how it will positively impact their business moving forward.   \nKeep the job switching to a minimum\nIt is not uncommon for individuals in their twenties and early thirties to want to explore the job market and get a feel for what their ultimate career path will be. However, you have to be careful not to take it too far and become a chronic job-hopper. Changing jobs for a better opportunity and further growth is great; changing jobs because you just can\u2019t seem to find the position that lives up to some unattainable picture in your mind is not. \nRecruiters and HR professionals have been warned to screen out chronic job-hoppers and seek prospective employees who appear to stay in their positions longer-term. If you ever want to return to your former employer, they will likely not be impressed by multiple new jobs on your resume within a short period of time. \nWhen you leave a job for something else, make sure you\u2019re putting thought into the path you\u2019re taking, and do your best to understand whether it will be a fit for your personality and your goals. As a general rule, if you have started at least two new jobs within a couple years, it's a good idea to re-evaluate and figure out what path you need to take to find a position with some longevity. \nComing back: Considerations\nEmployers that consider bringing you back on as a rehire can reap many benefits, including decreased cost of onboarding, higher guarantee of a cultural fit and less chance of turnover. However, because you\u2019ve already left the company once, what is to stop you from leaving again? Employers will likely worry about this and want to ensure that you will stick around the second time you join the organization. \nAdditionally, when discussing startups in particular, you run the risk of losing your spot on the founding team if the business does go big. If your departure is positive and they do let you back in down the road, just be aware you likely won\u2019t have the same stake in the company. Within larger companies, you may have to be patient with promotions, and you shouldn\u2019t expect to be brought on in a position higher than the one you left.  \nWhen you\u2019re in the process of talking with a former company to rejoin the team, chances are that the interview process will be much more relaxed and informal than a standard interview. Questions will likely focus on what you did at your last company, how you grew from the experience and why you want to come back. Be prepared to answer the following:\n\nWhat new skills will you be able to bring to the position?\nHow will you be able to benefit our organization immediately upon your return?\nWhat makes you confident that you will want to stay with us for the long-term?\nWhat is your main reason for wanting to rejoin the team?\nWhere do you see yourself in five years?\n\nBecoming a boomerang employee has plenty of benefits, especially if it is for a company and team that you really enjoy working with. From the employer\u2019s perspective, bringing in someone that already knows the culture and general processes is huge. Maintaining a professional relationship with your former employer and displaying your growth \u2014 and clearly explaining how it will benefit them \u2014 will put you well on your way to becoming the ultimate boomerang employee.  \nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\nMashable Job Board Listings\nThe Mashable Job Board connects job seekers across the U.S. with unique career opportunities in the digital space. While we publish a wide range of job listings, we have selected a few job opportunities from the past several weeks to help get you started. Happy hunting!\n\nDirector of Digital Demand Generation at Hunter Douglas Inc. in Pearl River, New York\nAd Operations Specialist \u2014 Programmatic Trading at Sawyer Studios in New York, New York\nMarketing Manager (Digital) at WildTangent, Inc. in Seattle, Washington\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/08/16/boomerang-employee/>