Two years ago, your company offered Bob a job, and he turned you down in favor of a newer, flashier start-up.
Now that new, flashy start-up is out of business, and Bob is back and asking for reconsideration. Should you give him another chance? What about Jane, who left your company six months ago for a competitor but now wants to come back?
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Like people, companies can hold a grudge against applicants or former employees. While this may be understandable, making hiring decisions based on “corporate emotions” can lead to depriving your company of valuable talent.
Just because an employee may have left your company for perceived greener pastures in the past doesn’t mean that he or she is no longer the best person for the job — especially since that person has received additional training and experience in the meantime.
Similarly, an applicant who turned down your job offer in the past may have made that decision based on misrepresentations or unfulfilled promises of a competitor. The fact that the applicant is returning to you could mean that he or she now sees, more clearly than ever, all that your company has to offer.
In the end, what matters most is how an applicant can improve the company’s bottom line. More often than not, the reasons you hired or offered to hire a worker in the past will still be good reasons for hiring the person now.