ADP Reveal Boomerangs Made Up 35% of All New Hires in March 2025

Over the last decade the ‘thanks, bye’ approach to leavers has been firmly put to bed and employers know that boomerangs are a compelling, swift, cost-free and high-quality source of recruits.

In research released this month, ADP confirmed that activating former employees who could return as boomerang hires to their prior place of work is essential, with boomerangs making up 35% of all new hires in March 2025.

This marks the highest hiring rate for boomerangs since ADP began tracking in 2018. The shift is particularly pronounced in the IT sector, where 68% of new hires were returning employees.

ADP’s 2025 Findings: The Boomerang Surge

Boomerang hires are on the rise:

Source: ADP payroll data for March of each year

Boomerang hires deliver measurable advantages:

• Cost-effective: Reduced recruitment and onboarding spend
• Faster impact: Familiarity with systems, processes, and culture
• Proven quality: High-performing individuals returning with external experience
• Built-in trust: Established internal relationships and culture fit

This trend is no longer anecdotal: it’s quantifiable, scalable, and accelerating. 

Dr. Nela Richardson, Chief Economist and ESG Officer at ADP, released the data confirming the growing prevalence of boomerang hiring:

• 35% of all new hires in March 2025 were returning employees (up from 31% in March 2024)
• The highest March rate of boomerang hiring since ADP began tracking the data in 2018
• The IT sector leads with an extraordinary 68% of new hires being alumni
• Other high-boomerang sectors include Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, and Education

Dr. Richardson notes that this pattern reflects a stable but cautious labor market, where employers seek trusted, experienced talent. Flexible working models also make returning more viable, as alumni no longer need to relocate for a new role.

The rise in boomerang hires is broad-based:

“It’s like the best of the new hires and the best of the existing workforce in one person.”

— Dr. Nela Richardson, Chief Economist, ADP, in interview with HR Brew, May 2025

The Strategic Value of Alumni Networks

At Enterprise Alumni, we believe alumni engagement is a strategic differentiator for talent acquisition, workforce planning, and brand advocacy.

When alumni relations are treated as a phase of the employee lifecycle – not the end – you unlock long-term value and competitive advantage.

Read more from ADP’s research at
https://www.adpresearch.com/boomerang-hiring-makes-a-comeback/

Prepare your Boomerang Advantage with EnterpriseAlumni

EnterpriseAlumni helps its clients to activate, engage and maintain a connection to former employees to drive rehiring, revenue and reputation. We know that a programmatic approach to offboarding employees into our modern, intelligent alumni network allows companies to keep commercial connectivity to this important population.

Our clients realize measurable benefits:

• Reliable contact access: Maintain permission-based, up-to-date details
• Faster time-to-hire: From a warm, trusted talent pool
• Improved productivity: Due to faster onboarding and cultural familiarity
• Stronger employer brand: Powered by authentic alumni advocates
• Greater employee lifetime value: By extending relationships beyond tenure

Backed by our proprietary engagement framework and hands-on expertise – from strategic program design to tailored content creation – EnterpriseAlumni delivers a bespoke alumni ecosystem that fuels long-term recruitment success and measurable business impact.