It’s the beginning of 2011 and at some point “churn” was going to begin to happen in the market and I think time that is now. Churn is the natural movement of people from one job to another because of promotions, resignations, etc. What happens in a company is that for every one resignation at least one or more moves are made internally into the organization before the position is filled. If a company is managing their talent correctly, this provides upward mobility to people within the company. Churn has been stagnant for the last two plus years and no one was moving for fear of not having a job and the fear that another company may not do well, etc. There was the feeling, and maybe still is right now, that nothing is worse than being out work and trying to find a job during this employment market. Another part of churn that is rare, but happens, is the returning of an employee back to a company that they once left. The reason this doesn’t happen as much as it could actually revolves around the employees’ concern of how they will be received and accepted after having left the company and their teammates. Can they go back is very dependent on how they think they will be greeted with the news. We should welcome back those we have lost from our companies and we would all be better off if we had the attitude that having a great talent back on our team is better than them being on another team and most importantly we put aside our own concerns about what happens to us if they return. Having a spirit of welcoming back those who have strayed is what God tried to tell us in the story of the Prodigal Son. We read in Luke 15:20; “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” Is there someone who has strayed away from your company, or even someone who is still in the company buy who you know is disengaging and just needs to feel welcomed to come back? If so, then we as believers can be the first people to model that it is okay to return home. Imagine what our lives would like if Christ did not welcome us back consistently when we turn away from Him over and over?

Reference: Luke 15:20 (New Living Testament)