There is a new trend when it comes to recruiting in Toronto and across most industries. Employers are rehiring former staff. Known as the boomerang trend, it has become a popular recruiting method for filling vacancies with experienced employees.
According to ADP Research, boomerang employees made up 35% of new hires (in March 2025), up from 31% in 2024 and 27% in 2018.
Is your organization rehiring former employees? Many companies are using this strategy to fill talent gaps. In this blog, our recruiters will discuss this trend:
- What is the boomerang trend?
- In what industries is the boomerang trend most prominent?
- What is driving the boomerang trend in 2025?
What is the boomerang trend?
The boomerang trend refers to the growing number of employees who leave a company and later return to work for the same employer.
Instead of treating a resignation as the end of the relationship, many organizations now see it as part of a longer career journey. With shifting job markets, employees often explore opportunities elsewhere, gain new skills or experiences, and then come back, bringing added value to their former employer.
The boomerang trend reflects a shift toward long-term, flexible relationships between employers and employees, where leaving doesn’t always mean it’s over.
In what industries is the boomerang trend most prominent?
This increase in rehires is broad-based, but the information sector stood apart.
“In March 2025, nearly two-thirds of new information hires were returning employees, a two-fold increase from a year earlier. Boomerang hires in information have averaged 45 percent in the last 12 months, compared to 30 percent since 2018,” says ADP.
Other industries that are seeing a boom in rehires are education, manufacturing, finance and insurance.
What is driving the boomerang trend in 2025?
Six key drivers have led to employees and employers working together again:
- An Easier Way To Address Skill Shortages: In industries with highly specialized talent needs, rehiring former employees can be faster and more efficient than searching for scarce new talent.
- Faster Onboarding & Immediate Impact: Returning employees already understand company processes, culture, and systems. This reduces ramp-up time and makes them especially valuable during periods of economic uncertainty.
- People Prefer Familiarity Amid Economic Uncertainty: In volatile job markets, both employers and employees lean toward stability and reliability. Former employees provide familiarity for organizations, while past employers offer a proven, dependable environment.
- There’s Been A Reality Check After the Great Resignation: Many who left during the peak of job-switching in 2022 found their new roles didn’t meet expectations. Their outside experience often underscores the strengths of their former employer.
- HR and Employer Branding Strategies Are Changing: Companies are shifting from seeing departures as final to maintaining positive, long-term alumni relationships. Tools like formal alumni networks and thoughtful offboarding encourage future returns.
- Cost Efficiency: Rehiring former employees is often less expensive than sourcing new talent. It also signals to current staff that the company is a place worth coming back to.
A Final Word About The Boomerang Trend in Recruitment
The boomerang trend is reshaping the way organizations think about talent. By welcoming former employees back, companies gain skilled professionals who can make an immediate impact while strengthening culture and stability. As skill shortages persist and economic uncertainty continues, rehiring proven talent isn’t just a quick fix, it’s becoming a long-term recruitment strategy that benefits both employers and employees.
Read More About Current Hiring Trends
What Is “Labour Hoarding” and Why Is It Relevant Right Now?
How Trump’s Tariffs Will Impact the Canadian Job Market
The Pros and Cons of a Traditional Career vs. The Gig Economy
