Boomerang Bosses: 66% Return by Invitation, but at What Cost to Morale?

• Average time boomerang managers stay at a new job before returning to a previous employer, by generation:
  • Gen Z: 12 months
  • Millennials: 9 months
  • Gen X: 12 months
• Average time boomerang managers stay at a new job before returning to a previous employer, by industry (shortest turnaround times):
  • Hospitality/food/beverage: 7 months
  • Information technology: 8 months
  • Retail: 9 months
  • Finance: 11 months
  • Healthcare: 11 months
• Nearly 1 in 4 managers rejoined their former employer within 3 months.
• While 38% of employees left their previous employer for better compensation, 45% returned for the same reason.
• Millennials (44%) are the most likely to leave in search of better compensation, while Gen Z’s top reason is burnout and work-life balance concerns (31%).
• 1 in 6 managers regret returning, and 68% are thinking of leaving again.
• Only 51% of managers achieved the goals that they had set when they initially left their employer.
• Gen Z (61%) is the most likely to have achieved their goals while away, while millennials (28%) are the most likely to say they didn’t.
• Compared to managers working onsite or hybridly, remote managers (33%) are the most likely to not have met their goals while away.

• 80% of managers earn more after returning, with an average salary increase of 15%.
• Remote managers saw the highest average salary increase upon returning to their previous employer—18%.
• 1 in 5 managers saw a pay jump of over 20%, with remote managers (36%) being the most likely to report a salary increase this high.
• Boomerang managers working remotely (83%) are the most likely to consider leaving their employer again.

• After a manager returned, 1 in 4 employees is considering quitting. 15% have already left, with Gen Z (20%) being the most likely to have done so.
• Gen Z (58%) are also the most likely to feel they could do a better job than the returning boss.
• Only 28% of employees feel their boomerang boss brought fresh perspectives upon returning, while 29% say their return caused disruptions.
• 33% of employees say their former boss’s return negatively impacts team cohesion and morale, while 35% report it increases team stress levels.

We surveyed 259 managers who left an organization and later returned to work for the same employer and 701 employees to explore motivations, impacts, and perceptions surrounding boomerang managers. Among boomerang managers, 15% worked remotely, 41% worked onsite, and 44% followed a hybrid model. In terms of generational distribution, 14% were Gen Z, 58% were millennials, and 28% were Gen X. For employees, 16% were Gen Z, 59% millennials, and 25% Gen X. The survey was conducted in November 2024.

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