Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal’s open invitation to former employees highlights a growing shift in how companies view exits, loyalty and long-term talent
In a corporate world where layoffs arrive without warning and exits are usually final, returning to a former employer has long been viewed as unlikely, if not awkward. Once the badge stops working and access is revoked, doors tend to close quietly.
Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has challenged that assumption. In a recent post on X, Goyal publicly invited former employees to return, stating that the door had never truly been shut.
“If you left the company, or ever had to leave, the door is not closed. If you want to come back, please do so,” he wrote.
It was a rare admission in modern corporate life. Goyal acknowledged that earlier phases of the company—and even his own leadership—were not right for everyone. The organisation was chaotic, lessons were learnt, and the company has since evolved.
Now operating under the corporate name Eternal, the organisation is more structured and self-aware. More importantly, it is signalling a shift in mindset: exits are no longer viewed as permanent failures, but as pauses in a longer professional relationship.
The rise of the boomerang employee
Goyal’s message is not symbolic. Over 400 former employees have already rejoined the company, some for the second or even third time. This reflects a growing HR phenomenon known as the “boomerang employee”—professionals who leave an organisation, gain experience elsewhere, and later return.
The logic is simple. Former employees understand the culture, the challenges and the mission. They require less onboarding, integrate faster, and often return with sharper perspectives and new skills.
What was once seen as unconventional is now being recognised as strategic.
What exactly is a boomerang employee?
In HR terminology, a boomerang employee is someone who exits a company and later rejoins it. The term comes from the object itself—thrown outward, only to return after a circular journey.
For decades, this was rare. Leaving a company typically meant closing that chapter for good. Today, that mindset is changing.
Organisations increasingly recognise that former employees:
Adapt faster
Require less training
Fit more easily into teams
Bring external experience back into the organisation
In many cases, the benefits outweigh the risks.
When did this trend gain momentum?
While the idea of returning to a former employer isn’t new, it gained real momentum during the pandemic. COVID-19 triggered mass layoffs, hiring freezes and unprecedented uncertainty. Many professionals who left in search of better opportunities found that stability and familiarity carried renewed value.
The trend accelerated further during the Great Resignation, when job mobility peaked. As markets stabilised, companies also reassessed their approach to hiring, realising that rehiring known talent was often faster, safer and more cost-effective than starting afresh.
Today, boomerang employees reportedly account for every third or fourth hire in several organisations, particularly in the technology sector.
A global shift, not just an Indian one
The trend is visible globally. Google has rehired former employees for its AI teams. Companies such as Microsoft, Deloitte and McKinsey actively maintain alumni networks to keep relationships intact.
Even Meta has made headlines for rehiring engineers who were previously laid off, often into more senior roles. The message is clear: corporate relationships are being preserved, not discarded.
India Inc. is catching up
Indian companies are increasingly embracing the same approach. Organisations such as IBM, Lenovo and Coca-Cola Beverages have reopened doors for former employees.
Compass Group India has rehired thousands, while companies like Paytm, MakeMyTrip and InMobi are also seeing boomerang hiring emerge as a practical solution to talent needs.
The common factor is reliability. Former employees are already tested, trusted and operationally prepared.
Why companies want ex-employees back
From a business standpoint, the reasons are straightforward. Rehiring former employees saves time, reduces hiring risk and lowers training costs. These professionals return with additional experience and greater clarity about what they want from their careers.
For many employees, leaving also brings perspective. The realisation that the “grass isn’t always greener” often makes previous workplaces feel more aligned than before.
What this shift really signals
Deepinder Goyal’s invitation reflects a deeper change in corporate culture. Careers today are no longer linear or defined by lifelong loyalty to one employer. They are fluid, iterative and shaped by learning cycles.
What has changed is how organisations view exits. The old belief that quitting burns bridges is fading. In its place is a more mature understanding that professional relationships can pause, evolve and resume—often stronger than before.
So when someone says they are returning to a former company, it may not be a step backwards. It could be a smarter step forward, built on experience, perspective and better alignment.
Sometimes, the most meaningful new beginning comes from a place you already know—at exactly the right time.
