Boomerang Techs: Smart Hire or Big Mistake?

Summary

Rehiring a former tech? Shop owners say it can work…but it depends on what’s changed. Here’s what to consider:

Why they left matters: A better offer is one thing. Burning the place down on the way out is…another. 

Fix the original problem: If nothing’s changed, expect the same result. 

There are real upsides: They know your shop and your systems, and can get up to speed fast.

It’s not always a win: Some rehires work out great, but others make you wish you hadn’t picked up the phone. 

If you own a shop that employs people, odds are you will, one day, bid at least one of them farewell. 

People move on for a variety of reasons; maybe they found another job, or they’re moving to a new state, or they’re running away to Antarctica to hang out with the penguins (in which case, you can’t blame them). Either way, they’ve left. You wish them well, blast some Adele or James Blunt, and get on with things. 

Sometimes that’s the end of it.

Sometimes, though…they come back.

Maybe it’s an email. Maybe it’s even a text message, depending on how friendly you are. But the question is always some variant of: “Hey…you hiring?”

Yes, folks, The Tech That Left wants to be The Tech That Returned. 

Do you go for it? Is it a good idea?

This very topic came up in Fullbay’s Diesel Community a few days ago, when shop owner Andy W. posted a question about whether rehiring had ever gone well. He’d lost a tech seven months prior after the tech received a better offer; that tech, Andy said, wanted to come back because “he’d learned his lesson.” Andy wanted to know if other owners had dealt with the same issue, and if so, what the outcome had been.

We found the conversation that followed so interesting that we decided to write an article about it. If you’ve got someone who wants to give working with you another shot, here’s what to consider.

Why — And How — Did They Leave In The First Place?

The why and the how are important to consider because they determine whether you even want to see this person again.

A tech departing for a better opportunity may sting, but it’s also understandable: the offer of a higher salary, or more room for growth, or a role with less of a commute are all decent reasons for a tech to leave.

Was it a friendly, if bittersweet, departure that included a decent notice time and maybe a farewell party? You’re probably still on good terms with them. Were doors slammed and insults hurled, a lamp broken over someone’s head?

Yeah, maybe they don’t need to come back.

In Andy’s case, “The fact that you are entertaining bringing this employee back suggests that he is a great tech and left a positive impression on you,” said Ryan W. 

What Has Changed For The Employee? 

When Brian R. left jobs as a tech, he said, the #1 reason was usually because he was overworked, followed by having a bad manager (which, he pointed out, was also the reason for #1). 

The benefits of rehiring someone are plentiful, he added. “You already know what they can do, and they already know you as an employer.” 

But with that said, you’ve got to have the conversation with them. “Hey, Boromir is still a manager,” you might say. Maybe that tech has relaxed and can now deal with Boromir. Maybe you got Fullbay and Boromir can now better schedule techs instead of working them to the bone. But if your rehire left for a specific reason that hasn’t been addressed and resolved, odds are that problem is just going to show up again. 

It’s important to note that sometimes people do change. Your potential rehire may well have gone off to another shop filled with high hopes and gotten a taste of how awful a poorly-run joint can be. They’ve gained perspective. That kind of employee can be a real winner — Mike B. had one of them, and the guy ended up coming back and staying for 35 years.

Usually, he said, they “have a better attitude because they know what they have now that they have tried something else.” 

The Upsides And Risks Of Rehiring

There are some perks to hiring someone who already knows how you run. They’re established, they know what they’re doing, and unless you’ve changed systems dramatically, they know your processes and how the shop runs. You won’t have to train them — they’ll pop into place and be pretty close to operating on all cylinders quite fast. (And with shops still struggling to hire technicians — something Fullbay’s State of Heavy-Duty Repair report makes clear — bringing back someone who already knows your operation can be a pretty smart move.) 

If the tech left for greener pastures and ended up in, oh, let’s call it The Bad Place, they’re going to be all the more grateful to “come home,” to put it lightly. 

With that said, bringing back someone who left carries some risk. Again, if they don’t air out the original reasons why they left, if not outright correct them, then they may end up having the same issues all over again. In other words, just because they think they’re over something doesn’t mean they are over something. 

Would You Rehire A Former Tech? 

Overall, most responses to Andy’s question leaned toward the positive. Shop owners recounted plenty of stories about giving returning techs a chance; for the most part, it seems like these “comebacks” have worked out well. And if it doesn’t work out, there’s a silver lining: you’ll usually know pretty quickly. Like…within a few weeks. 

It was a fascinating discussion, and it’s one of many going on at the Diesel Community. Want to add your two cents? Got a rehiring story? Or maybe you’ve got something else you want to talk about with your peers? Well, we’ve got the place for you. Join the Diesel Community and add some fuel to the conversation!