Recently, CEO Ravi Kumar shared a remarkable statistic: 13,000 former Cognizant employees from 40 countries have rejoined the company. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a statement. It’s proof that, in an era where loyalty seems a relic, a company can still cultivate a culture people want to return to. And it speaks volumes about Cognizant’s employee value proposition at a time when others are struggling to keep their best talent.
Chief People Officer Kathy Diaz noted that Cognizant has seen a 40 per cent surge in returning employees over the past two years. “We’ve seen a 40 per cent increase in returners… a testament to the entrepreneurial, high-energy, and collaborative culture we work hard to maintain,” Diaz said. It’s a bold declaration and, in today’s labour landscape, one that’s not easy to achieve. While most companies are preoccupied with preventing employees from leaving, Cognizant has mastered the art of bringing them back—a strategy that’s arguably more visionary.
Why boomerangs matter: Breaking down the numbers
In the corporate world, boomerang employees aren’t new, but Cognizant’s scale is unprecedented. Boomerang hires are far more common in retail and manufacturing than in tech, where only 14 per cent of hires are returnees. This return wave hints at a deeper phenomenon—a loyalty to something more than pay and benefits. It’s about a company that seems to genuinely value its people, creating an environment so magnetic that employees are willing to re-enter.
For many returning employees, it wasn’t about money or title—it was about culture and connection. They left for better offers, only to find that their new employers lacked the intangible qualities they’d taken for granted at their former workplace. Loyalty isn’t simply a one-way street. The psychological contract—the unspoken, mutual respect between employer and employee—still matters.
The departure playbook: why exit culture is everything
While most companies say goodbye to employees with a handshake and a form letter, great companies leave the door open. This isn’t accidental; it’s a deliberate strategy. Too many organisations take resignations personally, treating departing employees like traitors. But the idea is not to burn bridges. Organisations need to recognise that a respectful exit is an investment in a future return. Exiting employees should be valued, supported, and reminded that the company remains an option if they ever wish to return.
The formula is simple: treat people well on the way out, and they may walk back in. Organisations with high boomerang employees adopt this approach in stark contrast to the “stepparent treatment” too many firms give to resigning staff, forgetting that employment is a mutual contract. Instead, organisations should build long-term relationships with their former employees, which makes the return all the more natural.
Keeping the connection alive: The art of alumni engagement
The best companies maintain a connection long after employees leave. By keeping in touch with their alumni, sending updates, and inviting former employees to events, organisations ensure that they’re never far from their minds. It’s a strategy that reinforces loyalty, keeps the culture alive, and ensures that the employer remains top-of-mind for those who once called it home.
Deloitte is another company that understands this approach, with an extensive alumni network that keeps over 20,000 former employees engaged. By investing in alumni programmes, organisations like Deloitte create a community rather than just a workplace—a rare achievement in a world where corporate loyalty is increasingly scarce.
Boomerang employees: More than a convenient hire
When companies rehire former employees, it’s not just about filling a role quickly. It’s a strategic advantage. Boomerang employees arrive with a deep understanding of the company’s culture, operations, and vision, which significantly shortens onboarding time. They know the expectations, the nuances, and often bring new skills or insights acquired during their time away.
However, rehiring shouldn’t be a shortcut. It’s tempting to bypass the formal hiring process and assume a returning employee will fit right back in. But companies need to assess returning employees as rigorously as new hires. Boomerangs come back with fresh experiences that can be invaluable, and this re-evaluation ensures they are equipped for the role’s current demands.
The challenge: Balancing boomerangs and loyalty to long-timers
There’s a delicate balance to strike. While welcoming former employees back, organisations must avoid alienating their loyal workforce. Favouring boomerangs with special incentives or promotions can sow resentment among those who stayed and weathered the storms. It is essential to understand this balance, rewarding loyalty in current employees while valuing the skills and experience returnees bring.
The one-year mark after an employee’s departure is often the perfect time to reach out. Research shows that this is when many are likely to consider a return, making it an opportune moment for re-engagement. Extending an invitation or rehire offer shows employees that the door was always open—and that returning can be a real career enhancement, not a step back.
Creating a boomerang-friendly culture
A boomerang-friendly culture doesn’t happen by accident; it’s a calculated strategy. The talent acquisition, people and culture teams, and hiring managers need to work in harmony. When an employee returns, the entire organisation should celebrate. Share their story, communicate why they came back, and let it serve as a testament to the company’s strengths.
The value of a boomerang hire extends beyond skills and experience. It’s a testament to a company’s resilience and reputation. If employees are willing to come back, it’s proof that the company is doing something right—a powerful message to current and potential employees alike.
Cognizant’s return revolution: A wake-up call for corporate
Cognizant’s 13,000 boomerang hires serve as a wake-up call to companies around the globe. The company’s return wave signals something bigger than any hiring statistic: a commitment to long-term relationships in a transient age. The lesson? If you want talent to come back, treat people like they’ll be with you forever—even when they’re leaving. In a world where talent is the most valuable resource, perhaps the greatest asset an organisation can possess is the ability to bring its people back home.
12 Comments
This is stupid PPL are back with 60 pc hikes and 2 grades above. Those who left and coming back are winners and those who stayed back are loosers ….get employee perspective and look in data …don’t get blown with stories and narratives
As a former Cognizant employee, I feel your assessment of the situation is an illusion. Cognizant doesn’t treat employees with respect, the more you work the less valuable you are to the company and this is not new, this has been the case for a few years. The people who left Cognizant a couple of years ago are now offered higher salaries and grades to rejoin than what they could have had by staying back.
When I joined Cognizant as a fresher in 2010, we used to talk about core values in the company, over the period those values got diluted, replaced by clueless / disruptive leadership’s hypothetic ideas.
After Frank left, Brain did massive damage to the core of the company, I still don’t understand how it took the board so long to get a hang of the situation. They allowed him to twist and change the foundation of the company in ways that it was no longer the same. During Brian’s tenure, the employees that stayed longer were made to feel miserable and ashamed (and you talk about loyalty being a rare thing now a days, this is why!). By the time new CEO took over, it was too late for me and thousands like me.
I’m still in touch with colleagues back in the company (which are less than I can count on my fingertips- everyone left), the things haven’t changed on the ground. The whole rejoining saga is just another mediocre attempt to boost the image of the company in media.
I am very happy to read the post and I was ex cognizant employee and willing to join back after 12 years but I am not able to find proper channel to move forward
Sir, It’s absolutely non sense.
You should not write stories going my the marketing statements that a CEO issues. It’s a narrative they want you to propagate, don’t fall for it.
You need to ans few simple questions to validate this kind of claim. What does the company do for someone who is completing 5yrs, 10yrs or 20yrs nothing! They will send an automated email. They will keep you on 1% hikes like this year and sub par promotion rates, post promotion hikes of ~12% etc… what do people from outside get 100% hike or even upto 150% hikes. So what does this mean, please don’t be stupid and stay loyal here. Get out, get a hike and come back and get another hike. So nothing fancy here. Ask one of the long timers!
On ground attrition is 35% this quarter you will see this come out in next results and ppl will laugh at this!
Bro I am a current employee Herr in cognizant.. it’s a completely fake news.. people are leaving.. they are not treating employees well
I have applied previously worked in ubs process no one is taking back I have worked around 9 years in cognizant so sad I am not in re joining list Mr director of cognizant
I have worked with Cognizant very closely. Before praising someone and their iniatives you should have holistic view.
Discrimination
If you read news, you might have come across the Cognizant lost the case for discrimination against non indian employee. Not just non Indians they discriminate against North Indians also as higher positions have been reserved for south Indians
Culture
These peoples doesnt have general sense to greet or ask well being while starting the conversation. They just jump on the task.
There are no 1:1 sessions to discuss the growth of an employee. They have vaccation and but wont allow you take one , encash them or carry forward it.
Rules are different for managers and associates.
13k ppl re joining but what about people who were fired as they were put on bench or they dare to speak against there managers. Number would be higher. I hope you have never recieved/seen an email “Your termination will be initiated within 14 days if you dont find project”.
There is a long list and I can go on
I worked for 20 years in Cognizant and when Cognizant left me, they paid me 2 months pay with 3 weeks notice.
Sounds ridiculous and unbelievable. let me explain. I was with cognizant India for 6 year, Cognizant US for 9 years, Cognizant UK for 2 years and finally Cognizant Canada for 3 years.
When cognizant decided to leave me, a junior HR was assigned to me and she said only the last 3 years will be considered for severance as this is a separate country and considered as separate employment. Well My CEO was same though the countries are different. I was not even allowed to talk to senior person. With a deparate effort, I wrote an email to Ravi and some senior people who call themselves employee friendly. You know what was their response – NO REPLY.
I reached out to the HR team only 4 times in my tenure. 3 times – no reply. 4th time last time – a junior hr who did not solve my problem but made me accept the relieving conditions indirectly implying that the relieving will not be proper if I dont accept.
For everyone who is in Cognizant – If you jump from one country to another country – you lose your previous experience.
For all the people who think Full time job is safe, think twice – contracting is much more better,
I was given only 3 weeks notice. I am doing contracting now and them client is honest and normally tells atleast 1.5 months before. Contracting is a lot better. For those who are stuck in visa and cannot get out – I can only pray for your conditions. for others – always be interviewing and choose what works for you – dont get fooled by the awards and letters you get every year.
A honest advice. If it works for you great. if you have the talent and great tech skills, there are better places where your skills are measured better.
You wont believe the extent the account managers go to save cost.
When I was relocating to London, I was asked by my account manager to stay in a temporary accomodation a house till I get a new apartment.
When we landed in london with my wife and daughter, was shocked to see the house, there were already 4 families in the house, we did get our own room, but had to share the toilet with others. I had to struggle with this for 3 weeks till I managed to find my apartment. I learnt this was not a mistake but happened to many associates in the past.
Also I learnt that there is a perday diem i am allowed, but my account manager wanted to save cost and decided to dump me there.
Cognizant may have policies, but if your account manager is stingy you are doomed.
Another marketing strategy!!! To show cognizant is the company in Media!!
Do you how many people left ??
Do you this 13k return count is the data for how many years ??
While the rehiring of 13,000 employees at Cognizant may sound impressive, this metric alone doesn’t reveal the full story. It’s essential to ask: what truly motivates these former employees to return? Often, it’s less about the company’s culture or values and more about the individual leaders who left an impact. A great leader defines an employee’s experience and shapes their lasting perception of the company—not a flashy statistic.
Moreover, without clarity on the timeframe of this rehiring figure, it’s challenging to measure the depth of this achievement. Are these returns spanning a decade, or did they surge recently? And perhaps more importantly, are these returnees rejoining at similar pay packages, or are higher salaries driving them back? A meaningful measure would exclude those rehired out of necessity, focusing instead on those motivated by a company they genuinely value.
To be fair, rehiring past employees can be an innovative marketing strategy. But the bigger question remains: what qualities make an employee worth rehiring, and what attributes make a leader so impactful that people are willing to return? Addressing these deeper aspects would truly resonate with today’s workforce.
“Great article, Prajjal! While rehiring 13,000 employees is impressive, it raises some intriguing questions about what truly drives employees to return. It’s one thing to create a welcoming environment and maintain alumni connections, but what really defines the pullback—is it the company’s culture as a whole, or perhaps specific leaders who left a lasting impact? Without more context on the timeframe or motivations behind these returns, it’s tough to gauge the depth of this achievement.
With your extensive experience and deep understanding of the corporate world, it would be fascinating to hear your perspective on the values and qualities that make a workplace truly worth returning to.