It can be difficult to find reliable staff members for your food truck. Because of this many vendors will consider rehiring former employees. The grass may seem greener on the other side but if a former employee wants to return to your food truck it’s time to ask some difficult questions. A former food truck employee can often make for a successful rehire.

They are known quantities and are familiar with your mobile food business’ unique culture. Employees may be rehired for various reasons. A useful starting point is revisiting why the employee left the company in the first place. Maybe they were laid off due to your food truck’s financial situation. Or perhaps they were let go unfairly and you realize it was a mistake.

Reasons To Rehire Former Staff Members

  • Save money. Former employees may need only a quick review on workplace changes to hit the ground running. Even if some training is required, rehiring a former employee is less expensive and time consuming compared with a brand new employee.
  • Add new skills. Returning employees may bring everything from new industry skills to expanded networks.
  • Boost truck morale. Rehiring a former employee can be a big boost to truck morale, especially if the employee was well liked and respected before their departure.
  • Strengthen team loyalty. Rehiring former employees can give everyone a big boost of company loyalty, especially if you are able to bring back one of your popular “star” employees.
  • Avoid recruiting. Recruiting highly qualified hires can be expensive and time consuming. When you bring back a former employee, you can bypass this costly search process.

How To Rehire Former Food Truck Staff Members

Bringing back a former employee as a rehire needs to be done thoughtfully.

  • Do your due diligence. You may assume you know what you’re getting when hiring back former employees. But, you should go through a rigorous interview and screening process — just as you would for a new candidate — to be sure the returning employee is truly qualified for the job at hand.
  • Communicate. Be sure the rest of your staff, especially those employees who were candidates for the position, knows the reasons for bringing back the employee.
  • Brief the returning employee. The employee will need to know what the current situation is at the company, with special attention paid to what has changed since their departure.

RELATED: Giving References For A Staff Member You Fired

The Bottom Line

Not all former employees are good rehire material. Especially if they were fired, or departed under unfortunate circumstances. But for some employees, especially those who left to pursue other career goals, like a culinary or business degree, or due to a change in family circumstances rehiring makes sense for everyone involved.

Have you rehired former employees for your food truck? Share your stories about this topic in the comment section below or on social media. Facebook | Twitter