Dive Brief:

• The use of alumni employees (employees who once used to work at the organization) is on the rise as employers continue to seek out ways to manage keeping the talent pipeline well-stocked, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• The article notes that some employers, such as McKinsey & Co. and Ernst & Young LLP, already have a long tradition of utilizing ex-workers as a both talent source and a new business and candidate referral outlets.
• But with today's tendency for talent to jump around regardless of industry, the alumni network concept is catching on with more employers who want to keep their competitive edge sharp and their talent levels at their optimum.

Dive Insight:

The Journal explained that McKinsey, which normally experiences turnover due to the nature of the consulting business, maintains contact with its 31,000-plus former consultants using strategies that include online webinars and face-to-face networking events, along with free access to ongoing firm research.

Sean Brown, global director of alumni relations, told the Journal that alumni are seen as “brand ambassadors." Of course, alums can rejoin the company either full-time or as a contractor. And there is also the chance that, even if they don't return, they can refer business back to their alumnus.

The article goes on to explore employers in other sectors who are engaging alums and boosting alumni programs, including Nielsen Co. the ratings firm, and SAP SE, which recently transformed the data of ex-employees from paper documents and old computer files into digital files. Mike Ettling, president of SAP’s SuccessFactors unit, a cloud-based software platform for HR, told the Journal that the effort's goals are to "stay connected to alumni talent as well as drive sales and brand awareness through word-of-mouth."