The idea of the "boomerang employee" in today’s job market has become a trend. These are employees who leave a company, gain new experiences elsewhere, and then come back. At DRMP, we've seen this happen with our team members. This trend drives home just how strong our workplace culture is and the value of the relationships we build at our firm.
According to a Harvard Business Review study examining 3 million employee records from over 120 large organizations between 2019 and 2022, most boomerang employees return to a previous employer within 13 months. Additionally, 26 percent come back within seven months, and more than three-quarters return in 16 months.
Boomerang employees return for various reasons, but the common thread at DRMP is often the people and the unique work environment they left behind. Scott Stagg, a Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) Project Administrator who initially left DRMP for career advancement opportunities, was inspired to return because of the firm’s tight-knit work culture and strong leadership fostered by his former supervisor who has since retired.
“He was an incredible supervisor, incredible person, quality person, and it was a pleasure to work with him, so when I had the opportunity to come back, I couldn’t say no to that,” Stagg said.
Leaving the Door Open
Stagg’s story mirrors a common sentiment among returning employees: the genuine connections and supportive culture at DRMP are unparalleled. For many boomerang employees, leaving and returning proves beneficial to their careers.
Survey Crew Coordinator Jason Stidham, CST III, shared that his initial experience at DRMP was marked by a learning curve in surveying. Upon his return, he brought back more experience and a stronger work ethic, significantly strengthening his contribution to the team. His story shows the importance of continuous learning and the positive impact of external professional experiences.
“You realize that it’s not always greener on the other side,” Stidham said. “So, when you come back, you realize, ‘oh wow,’ it was really great here when I first left.”
When the opportunity to return to DRMP presented itself, DRMP Drainage Group Leader Ryan Mitchell, PE, said it felt like fate. After visiting Raleigh, N.C., with his wife and considering a move from Orlando, Fla., he unexpectedly received a call from his former boss offering him a chance to come back.
“It was just so ironic because I had already looked to see that DRMP had an office in the Raleigh area,” he said. “When we got to talking, it really worked out.”
Eight years later, his decision to rejoin the company has proven beneficial, allowing him to kick start a new drainage group and continue growing in his career.
"I do think leaving and coming back was beneficial," Mitchell said. "I think it just gave me a different perspective on what a different company does. I went to a much smaller company, so I was only one of a few engineers there, so I got to take on a little more responsibility earlier in my career - whether it was project management, marketing, client interactions - things like that. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity as much as a junior staff member in a larger firm like DRMP."
Leading the Way Back
The camaraderie and friendships formed within the firm play an important role in our boomerang employees’ decision to return. Employees often mention the sense of belonging and the strong interpersonal connections they missed during their time away. This sense of community, combined with the company’s supportive leadership, creates an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute to DRMP’s success.
CEI Inspector Whitney Arrington first came to DRMP as an intern and then left the firm to pursue an opportunity as a designer, a career choice she said she later regretted.
“Now that I’m back with DRMP, I feel like I appreciate the company culture more,” she said. “I feel like as an intern I just genuinely thought that everywhere you went that you were always going to meet people that just were such a good mesh. But once I’ve been away, I realized how actually unique it is here at DRMP as far as the company culture goes.”
Leadership at DRMP is instrumental in fostering this environment. Arrington’s return was significantly influenced by the leadership of Erica Jernigan, a Senior Vice President and Construction Services Director who mentored Arrington during her internship.
“I had always just really valued how smart she was and how successful she was in anything that she ever did,” Arrington said. “And I knew that DRMP was going to be the place for me to do my career switch back into Construction Services.”
Stagg said his supervisor embraced new ideas and incorporated beneficial practices from other firms that he suggested upon his return. This openness to improvement and the focus on employee well-being were key factors for him that make DRMP a desirable workplace.
“Learning how other firms treat their employees is beneficial to any supervisor,” Stagg said. “So, when I came back one of the things I requested with my supervisor was that I’d like to incorporate those things into our culture, and he embraced that, and I appreciated that.”
As DRMP continues to evolve, the insights and experiences brought back by boomerang employees are invaluable. They contribute to the company’s growth by sharing best practices from other organizations and helping to maintain a culture of continuous improvement.
A positive work culture, strong leadership, and genuine employee engagement create a boomerang effect where former employees feel valued and are welcomed back, ensuring their potential contributions always have a place in the future.
