Why You Should Hire People You Fired Before

Episode 24 of Hiring & Firing tackles a counterintuitive strategy: rehiring former employees who were let go for performance issues. Lucas and Luna examine a 2026 study from the Society for Human Resource Management showing that boomerang hires who were previously fired outperform new external hires by 17% in retention and 12% in productivity over two years. They drill into the case of a mid-size Seattle tech firm, Nebula Logic, which actively tracks separations and has a dedicated 're-engage' pipeline for ex-employees who left under non-egregious circumstances — including those terminated for performance. The hosts break down the three criteria Nebula uses to decide if a fired employee is worth a second chance: whether the performance gap was situational, whether the employee left on good terms despite the firing, and whether the role has changed enough to reset expectations. They also address the legal and cultural risks, including how to handle reference calls and team morale. The episode closes on whether this practice could become standard as labor markets tighten. #HiringAndFiring #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BoomerangHires #Rehiring #PerformanceIssues #SHRM #NebulaLogic #WorkforceStrategy #Retention #TalentManagement #HR #Recruiting #SecondChances #LaborMarket #Termination #EmployeeExperience Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo