The first day at a new company is always stressful. The new employee is introduced to dozens of people. The new employee is inundated with critical information. The new employee is constantly wondering: Can I do this job? Will I like it here? Who will be my allies? Who will be my enemies? Where do I find the office supplies?
The first day that a former employee returns to a company that they had previously left is also stressful, but for different reasons. The new-old employee is re-introduced to dozens of people who they never thought they would work with again. Back for your second tour of duty, huh? There is no pressure to make a good first impression, but there is a certain amount of contrite sheepishness: Yes, I’m back. I was wrong to stray. I missed you all. The new-old employee is inundated with critical information that they had long since given their brains permission to forget about. The new-old employee is constantly wondering: Is so-and-so really glad to see me back? Does that white board have the same systems diagram on it? Will they ever fix the squeaky Ladies Room door? Why did I leave the first time?
Complicating the return of a former employee to a company is if, during the interim, the employee got married and changed her name. Fortunately, this deflects attention from any embarrassing circumstances surrounding the employee’s return, such as getting laid off from the start-up that the employee ran away to join. New-old co-workers are compelled to focus on the more gossip-worthy fact that the new-old employee’s new last name is the same last name of the French guy who also left the company the previous year.
