Almost everyone who works for a living knows not to “burn bridges” with former employers, lest they need a job reference or something else from the former employer in the future. Rarely, however, have I heard this expression applied to former employees. It seems that many employers fail to consider that, one day, when they least expect it, a former employee will attain a position of power, resulting in a role reversal with the former employer. In other words, the former employee can become the current employer/boss/client, with the former employer becoming the current employee/worker vendor. This role reversal has happened twice in my career. One of the members of my research team, when I was a graduate student and he was an undergraduate, is now a client of mine. And, one of my company’s former employees (who is decades younger than me) is now a client of mine. Not only should an employer treat employees with respect and courtesy because it is the right thing to do, but the employer should consider what might happen when the employee goes on to bigger and better things and looks back on his/her employment with fondness or an absence of fondness and whether the former employee, after achieving a high level position, would want to hire the person for whom he/she used to work. In life, many people endorse the view, “turnabout is fair play,” but when this attitude is applied to the relationship between employers and employees, it takes on a whole new meaning. Employees can, and in my experience, do, turn into clients.
The employee turned client is an interesting turn about and, a positive sign in many ways. And, it was also interesting when we had someone who had worked for 2 other trial consulting firms hire us at a firm where he was (once again) practicing law on his cases. He did not hire either of his 2 prior employers; he hired us. I thought that was a telling message that speaks volumes about those well known firms. I know that Melissa and I strive to treat employees well. Some employees have not understood this, but in that we have maintained connections with, and have had the experience of working for a former employee, it is gratifying to know that we have succeeded in our efforts. It is unusual for a former employee of ours to turn into a client because this means he/she went to law school and had an appropriate case. But, it is probably true that former employees are future prospects for business for most businesses – if they are treated properly while they are employed. The world goes round in circles…
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