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In any organisation, people come and go. Whether it’s a new job or the end of a project, the reality is not everyone stays with the same team for life – and not everyone leaves on the best of terms. However, keeping connections strong with former colleagues can still bring value.
Take McKinsey, for example. As one of the largest and oldest consulting firms in the world, thousands have passed through its doors. Some alumni join competitors, while others transition to clients' teams. Wherever they go, these former colleagues remain part of McKinsey’s global network.
By maintaining these connections, McKinsey has built an extensive alumni network that cultivates strong relationships with different organisations, creates new business opportunities, and attracts top talent.
Everyone in a company has goals they want to pursue. Having an alumni network sends a clear message that pursuing those goals is encouraged, even if your company isn’t necessarily part of that journey.
That’s just the nature of business and people. It’s better to acknowledge this openly so that your team knows that their professional growth is supported. By showing you value them as individuals, not just employees, you build trust and reassure them they can maintain long-term connections as part of a community, no matter where their career takes them.
If that path leads to a potential customer, they could be a valuable advocate for your company. At the very least, having someone outside the organisation speak positively about your business is always a plus. And because they didn’t burn any bridges, it leaves the door open for them to rejoin in the future, bringing with them fresh skills and experience to contribute even more from day one.
Getting your alumni network off the ground is all about communication. Let your team know that they can build lasting professional relationships without cutting off opportunities.
Here’s how you can get started.
Bring together key personnel from HR, marketing, leadership, and, if possible, former employees. HR can ensure internal communications align with company policies, while marketing can shape the external messaging. If available, input from former employees can also provide valuable insights.
Ultimately, this initiative reflects the type of culture you want to promote. It’s essential that leadership is actively involved in shaping the messaging around your alumni program to reinforce its importance and alignment with your company’s values.
When discussing someone leaving the company, it can often become an awkward situation where people are unsure what to say. Instead, make it a point to work positively with their decision.
Supporting colleagues in taking the next step in their careers shows your commitment to their future success. Most importantly, let them know they’ll always be welcome to return if their career path leads them back someday.
Exit interviews are primarily meant to gather feedback on why an employee is leaving. However, it’s also an opportunity to remind soon-to-be former teammates that they’ll always be considered a friend of the company, and that the door is open should they wish to be part of team again.
Ideally, exit interviews should be conducted by someone who wasn’t directly involved with the employee. This approach helps ensure impartial feedback and makes the message of being welcome to return feel more genuine and sincere.
Once an employee leaves the company, staying in touch may become more challenging. Before they go, ask if they’d be open to receiving occasional updates in the future.
You can set up an email newsletter or send periodic text messages specifically for former team members, keeping them informed about company news and job openings. This not only helps keep your company top of mind but also allows you to share other opportunities for them or someone else in their network.
Whether they join a competitor, customer, or another company in a related field, it’s important to maintain strong relationships with former employees. They should remain not just friends of the company, but also connected to their former teammates.
If you hear about their achievements, don’t hesitate to congratulate them and share the news with your team, through social media, or other channels. Invite them to events or informal meetups to network with alumni and current employees. Since they’ve built expertise within your company, consider offering them consulting or advisory roles.
Keep them informed of rehiring opportunities, not just for them but for other potential candidates as well. If you have a referral program, you can extend it to alumni so they can be rewarded for successful hires.
I’ve seen companies react negatively when someone stays in touch with an old teammate. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why they left in the first place. Regardless of their tenure, employees build friendships that don’t end when they leave.
Foster a workplace culture where keeping in touch with former colleagues is normal, not suspicious. Just make sure your team understands what must remain confidential.
Building an alumni network keeps doors open for former employees and brings benefits to the business. While losing a valuable team member can be difficult, having them return often strengthens the relationship and fosters loyalty.
Measuring the effectiveness of an alumni network can be challenging, but a good starting point is to review recent hire sources to establish a baseline. As your alumni network grows, track the hires and opportunities come from it, and compare their performance with those from other channels.
If you observe positive changes in metrics such as cost per hire, employee performance, turnover rates, or financial outcomes, it could indicate that the alumni network is a worthwhile investment to expand and nurture.
A client in the engineering sector wanted a way to stay connected with former employees and contractors. Much of their work is project-based, so they often re-engage contractors with specific skills, preferring those they already had good experiences with.
In this competitive market, some employees leave only to find that the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side. Rather than joining a competitor, the company wanted to encourage these individuals to consider returning.
We suggested using exit interviews to let people know they were welcome back anytime. As an external recruitment team, we could gather unbiased feedback and get permission to keep in touch. We also helped the company develop messages for former employees, reminding them they’re valued and always welcome.
With this approach, the company built strong connections with proven talent, creating an active alumni network of skilled professionals that they could tap into for future needs.
