Files
Abstract
This qualitative study conducted within a Fortune 100 corporation examines experiences of employees who leave an organization and then later choose to return for a second round of employment. It examines the communicative processes of employees who leave and the mechanisms by which they maintain and use their network of former co-workers to aid them in returning to the company. This study compares the experiences of returning employees who left voluntarily (e.g., resignation) with those who were forced to leave (e.g., laid-off). The circumstances of exit and return are different for both populations, but the findings of this study suggest common experiences in the organizational re-socialization process. Findings of this study offer compelling evidence to reconsider prevailing theoretical views of organizational socialization. This research proposes a revised model that conceptualizes organizational socialization as a circular sequence of events, rather than a linear progression of phases. By not only expanding the structure of this model, the concepts outlined in this paper provide insight into the lesser-studied organizational practice of rehiring employees which is gaining popularity in a growing global trend of career mobility.