The Boomerang Workforce in Thailand: 72% willing to return to previous employer

• A notable 41% of professionals are considering returning to previous employers for better career progression and remuneration
• A third (35%) admit to having already reached out to previous employer
• Over nine in ten professionals (92%) remain in touch with their previous employer – with more than a quarter (27%) doing so to keep the door open
• Over 80% of employers are open to hiring a previous employee, with 88% of them doing so without hesitation

Almost three quarters of professionals (72%) in Thailand have stated that they are open to returning to their previous employer. They are likely to be considered, with 80% of employers willing to hire previous employees.

According to a recent poll from recruiter Robert Walters (of close to 1,000 professionals across six (1) Southeast Asian countries, of which 130 are from Thailand), 41% of workers in Thailand who had left their job in the past two years did so for better pay and benefits - with a next 40% leaving for a better career progression.

Specifically for Thailand, 26% of local respondents express their intention to re-join their former employer if it offers opportunities for career progression - with another 25% state their openness to the idea if there are changes to the leadership or team structure. Additionally, 14% of local professionals indicate a willingness to consider returning to their previous employer if offered better remuneration.

Keeping a Foot in the Door

Throughout SEA, Thailand is seen as one of the countries with the highest proportion of respondents who still keep in touch with their ex-companies, standing right alongside Indonesia and Vietnam. Less than one in 10 (8%) of Thai professionals do not remain in contact with their ex-employers (compared to the SEA average of 13%)[1].

A remarkable 92% of those surveyed admitted to staying in some form of contact with a previous manager – with more than a quarter stating that this was for the primary purpose of keeping the door open for future job opportunities (27%).

In fact – 35% of local professionals have admitted to reaching out to a previous employer in the past two years regarding job opportunities, while 13% have expressed the intention to do so.

[1] The six countries surveyed were: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam

Managers Very Open to Consider Hiring Ex-employees

The sentiment from Thailand professionals is largely met with positive responses, with over 80% of employers in Thailand being willing to consider re-hiring them for suitable positions. Almost 70% of hiring managers will consider letting “good ex-employees” return and another 12% are open to the idea, although they will proceed with hesitation and caution.

On the other hand, 19% of Thai hiring managers shared that they will not consider re-hiring ex-employees, compared to the SEA average of 9%, making Thailand the most cautious in this aspect.

Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana - Country Manager at Robert Walters Thailand added,

"Our findings reveal that hiring managers in Thailand are open to considering re-hiring their ex-employees, while majority of professionals continue to maintain contact with their former employers. Nowadays, professionals recognise the significance of upholding connections with their ex-employers, whether for networking, references, mentorship, professional development, or due to the positive relationships they have cultivated.  Conversely, employers should also maintain consistent communication with their ex-employees, as these individuals possess a mindset aligned with the company culture and valuable skillsets that may be more challenging to cultivate in new hires. This proactive approach could open doors to potential future re-hiring opportunities."

Toby Fowlston - CEO of global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters comments:

“Whilst the global recruitment market has slowed slightly in 2023, candidate shortages continue – and so the fact there is a pool of talent open to re-joining business should excite leaders.

“Not only that but this is talent that can hit the ground running – they have already been inducted into your business, they will be familiar with processes, and have a previous vested interest in the brand – all qualities which can take years to instil in a new employee.

“In light of this research, companies who are looking to hire can consider re-engaging with alumni, and train managers on holding a positive exit process as ‘boomerang employees’ could well be a solution to skills shortage.

“A key thing for employers is to manage the return of boomerang employees amongst existing workers – in particular if someone is returning in a more senior position than when they left. A balance needs to be struck and employers should assess that they are doing all they can to open up lines of opportunity within an organisation, or they risk sending a message that one route to promotion and better package is to take the boomerang route.”