Boomerang back to Fluido

The grass is not always greener on the other side. Changing jobs is always a risk; the new job might be different than what it said in the job ad, or there are problems with leadership. It is usually hard to know beforehand how the new company, team and role are.

There’s much talk about the “Great Resignation” these days. People are leaving their jobs because the pandemic made them realise they have changed as people, as well as employees and should be looking for something better. According to a Pew Research Center study conducted in the US, besides seeing the pay as being too low, the top reasons for changing jobs were seeing no opportunities for career advancement and feeling disrespected at work.

There are reasons why returning to a company you have previously worked for can seem desirable. It helps when you know something about the culture and company’s ways of doing things and perhaps still have your old colleagues working there.

The boomerang employee

The term “boomerang employee” refers to people quitting their jobs and returning to their old company. This untapped talent pool interests many companies as the war on talent is high, and they struggle to fill open positions.

After six years away, I returned to work at Fluido, so I’m a “boomerang” myself. I am a good example of someone who appreciates knowing the workplace somehow beforehand. I was away for six years in between so the company was not exactly the same but much was also unchanged – like the unique company culture that I much appreciated.

From an employer’s perspective, the boomerangs have the advantage of knowing the ins and outs of the company, so they should get to work fairly quickly, even if the role is different from before. Knowing the company beforehand makes a start easier for the employee as well.

People coming back is almost a trend here at Fluido, so I was keen to discuss this with a few of my colleagues who have also made the same decision.

Sigrun Sørensen, a Senior Service Engagement Manager, was the fifth person hired to the Norwegian office. She worked in the company for four years before taking a year off.

“I came back when we were 30 people. It was gratifying to see all the growth and people joining. Even when I had some similar responsibilities than before, I felt I could start afresh,” Sigrun says.

Sigrun Sørensen

Adnan Baaji returned to Fluido as a Senior Solutions Consultant. He works on customer projects helping customers achieve their vision with Salesforce technology.

“I knew what I was coming back to, which was reassuring. Our Country Lead, Erik Aas Johansen, and I talked about what I previously did or didn’t enjoy. It wasn’t that I was unhappy before, but I’m even happier now. There is variety in work tasks, an amazing work environment, and a great work-life balance with small children. I’m thrilled to come back – I missed a lot of people!” Adnan explains.

Great expectations

One usually knows reasonably quickly if the new company is right for them or not.

For Adnan, it didn’t take much time to long back to Fluido. He resigned within the trial period and returned soon after. For him, the main reason was that the expectations didn’t meet reality.

“I had certain expectations when I switched jobs. And the reality didn’t live up to my expectations. I felt that the environment, culture and way of work at Fluido were a much better fit for me. I have learned so much and, at the same time, had so much fun. I also think it’s amazing how much Fluido has grown and evolved over the years,” he says.

Sigrun also highlighted the unique culture as one of the reasons she decided to come back after a year away.

“The Fluido culture is special – we even have “friends don’t let friends down” written down as one of our values. We have a very can-do attitude but no elbows: we support each other. And here in the Norwegian office, we are like family. For example, we have lunch every day together,” Sigrun describes.

Stepping up the ladder

Adnan Baaji

Before Adnan was curious, he had seen people he looked up to moving into these large consulting companies. He thought it might be a clever next step career-wise to take.

“But there’s no difference at Fluido regarding career options. In the beginning, I worked as a Junior Consultant, but at some point, I got a map of the different career options possible, and I could choose the path I wanted to follow. Now I’m on the technical path because that’s what I enjoy the most,” Adnan enthuses.

The big enterprise companies were also not suitable for Sigrun.

“The enterprise world was not something for me. I want closeness to the customer and the technology. I enjoy the wider variety of responsibilities,” she says.

“I love the fact that Fluido is a pure-play Salesforce partner. The team working on customers is highly skilled as they know Salesforce like the back of their hand. The level of competence is high, and I take pride in how educated we are. We can deliver a great solution to the customer.”

Both mention that various tasks and projects at Fluido keep them interested and engaged.

A great place to work

There might be people reading this article who research Fluido as their future employer. At the end of our chat, I ask Adnan and Sigrun the same question: what would they say to someone considering Fluido?

“It’s the best company ever – you’d be lucky to join us. Here I’m valued for the work I deliver and what we try to accomplish. We are a bunch of hard-working people. There is room for everyone, but at the same time we expect you to accept everyone. You don’t need to be a certain type, just interested in Salesforce and working for our customer’s success. I can always keep my integrity; I can always give my best advice to the customer,” Sigrun says.

Adnan is on the same lines as Sigrun:

“I would say it has been the best workplace ever. It is fun, and we have a significant variation in our work. You handle your day-to-day work and can choose between different paths for career development. There are many possibilities. Fluido is a great place to work,“ Adnan tells me.

I think I can happily sign off on these views myself, too.

See our open positions here.