Employee alumni programs can convert former employees who have left the organization into “boomerang hires,” bringing with them their knowledge of the organization and its culture, as well as valuable external experience. A well-designed alumni program can help recruiters find top talent more easily, as former employees and their referrals often make excellent candidates.
Done well, employee alumni programs can be a very effective hiring and brand advocacy strategy, especially for hard-to-fill roles. These programs can enhance the generational diversity of the workforce and provide access to a broader candidate pool while paying for themselves by reducing recruiting costs and boosting time to productivity of returning hires. However, employee alumni programs require time and resources and need to be thoughtfully designed and executed if they are to achieve these benefits.
At the request of some Members of our Talent Portfolio Councils, The Conference Board convened a “virtual huddle” in June 2024 for Members interested in discussing employee alumni programs. The discussion yielded the following actionable advice about designing effective programs:
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