It’s been a smart idea for years. When good employees leave your organization for greener pastures and the departure is amicable, why not keep in contact? You never know, some may find that that grass isn’t, in fact, greener and that your firm was a pretty good place to work after all.
A recent WSJ article shares what some firms, especially the larger professional consulting firms, are doing to maintain a former employee “alumni network.” These can be elaborate initiatives involving message boards, news/blogs from your organization, jobs you post externally, features on former employee alumni, and even social gatherings.
The main benefits of this strategy are to:
- recruit former employees
- get referrals from them for other potential job candidates
- generate business with their new employer
You don’t have to get that elaborate or invest a lot in a fancy alumni network. But I think it would be wise to consider those individuals who have left over the past few years that would be worth getting–and keeping–in touch with and how you might do it.
