Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Recruitment and Selection in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 213

Exercise 7.2: Boomerang Database Used to Recruit Retirees

Back to the Labor Force

Boomerang is a new database that allows retirees to list their expertise and

interests, while letting California state agencies know they are available.

“ With the baby boomers retiring in large numbers, we are going to have

a big gap between who is leaving and who we can bring in, ” said Andrew

Armani, state director of e - services. “ So Boomerang will be a piece of

what we are trying to do to remedy that problem. ”

Organizers of the program plan to promote the effort among the

state ’ s four to fi ve hundred thousand retirees. They are working with the

state controller ’ s offi ce to publicize the program on pay stubs. A Boomer-

ang newsletter will go out to retirees, and planners are coordinating with

CalPERS, the state ’ s public employee retirement system.

Boomerang is easy to use. Most registrant information can be fi lled

in with a mouse click or a pull - down menu: last agency worked for, skills,

and experience. Retirees are asked to review a list and check the box for

what they want to do. No confi dential information is collected. No Social

Security numbers or driver ’ s license numbers are needed.

Registrants can also specify their preferred work schedule.

Questions

1. How would you integrate the recruitment of retirees back into service
   with an agency or department SHRM strategy?


2. What are some additional strategies that public and nonprofi t organiza-
   tions can implement to recruit retirees to work for their organizations?
   Source : Adapted from Stone (2008).