First question for Joran: you started your career with EY, then changed employers for 2 years, but returned in November 2021. Why leave? But most importantly: why come back?
Joran De Luyck: “The project I worked on required me to travel to London every week, which began to weigh me down. It had a big impact on my hobbies and social life. Also, I encountered other job opportunities through social media or email almost every week. This sparked my interest to work for a different company.
Eventually I left around the time the coronavirus began to sweep through our country. My last workday at EY was at the very start of the lockdown. But I found that my new position did not meet my expectations. I quickly started to miss the EY experience, the colleagues, the interaction with people, and the variation and responsibility of my job at EY.”
How do you look back on your departure?
Joran De Luyck: “Honestly? I feel like maybe I should’ve never left. I would’ve handled the situation differently today, with more clear communication and perhaps more patience. EY really has an open company culture where everything can be put on the table. That is something I only noticed with my return. This makes me wonder why I didn’t try to discuss it 2 years ago. I assume that I lacked the courage and maturity at the time [smiles].”
How did the idea come about to return to EY?
Joran De Luyck: “It was quite a big hurdle to even ask the question whether or not a return was possible. Somewhere I experienced it as a failure. I didn’t know how they would respond. This haunted me for several weeks. Eventually I grabbed the phone and called Tom. Almost instantly did I get the feeling that everything would be alright. I first got together with Tom, then with HR. After that, it went rather smooth – which was a big relief.”
Tom Van Herzele: “I ran into Joran a couple of months before I received his call. We talked for a bit and I got the impression that he was looking for a change. I can vividly recall the moment when he eventually contacted me. To be honest, if he hadn’t, I would’ve most likely called him myself [laughs].”
Fast recruitment
How do you proceed as a company when, like with Joran, an old employee asks to return?
Tom Van Herzele: “We assess a few different things. What was the reason why said person left in the first place? What evaluations did he/she receive here? In case of Joran, they were all very positive [smiles]. With every recruitment EY checks if the candidate matches the corporate culture. Of course, with Joran this was an unnecessary check. Candidates also need to show that they possess adequate knowledge to work as a consultant. This, too, was no issue with Joran. That’s why the whole process went so smooth. Joran may’ve spent some time away from EY, we valorized that time when we recruited him for his new position. As far as his career path is concerned, it seems almost as if he’s never left EY.”
What was the first day of your return like?
Joran De Luyck: “It felt like coming home. I got many positive reactions from colleagues. Of course, it is not like I was gone for a very long time. But what I do today is completely different from what I did back then. I also work in a different team, just in a familiar environment. People and their interests need room to evolve, and that is exactly what makes it so interesting to shape a professional career at a large company like EY. I gladly share the positive experience I had returning to EY, because I know how unnerving that sense of doubt can be when you’re considering to come back.”
EY ambassador
How unique is such a process?
Tom Van Herzele: “EY is a company that offers its people perspective. Young people especially can find their fair share of opportunities here to shape their long-term careers. But everyone can cultivate a desire to do something else after a while, and EY is mature enough to respect that. We approach these decisions as positively as we can. The way we see it, those who leave the company remain in some sense EY ambassadors. We really value the training of our employees. When they distinguish themselves elsewhere, they contribute to our image. And when they do decide to come back, they return with more working experience under their belts. Returning employees often cause an increased interplay between consultants and the industry, which is something we deem of great value. Listen, the strength of EY lies in the many opportunities it provides to build experience in long-term projects. EY is flexible enough to welcome back whoever once decided to leave.”
Are you as a company proactively searching for former employees who may want to return?
Tom Van Herzele: “I wouldn’t put it so bluntly, but yes we do maintain our alumni network, which is something EY actively invests in. We are aware of the advantages that returning employees bring to the table. Their attained experience is both a boon to our company and our customers. They know how we work and don’t need a lot of time to orient themselves. However, they do need to have the right reasons for returning. They need to actually feel like their future is with EY and not treat us like a plan B.”
Closing question Joran: how do you see your future?
Joran De Luyck: “With EY of course [laughs]. It may sound cliché, but the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side. I am convinced that I want to be part of EY’s company culture. There are a lot of opportunities here that I want to seize with both hands. I’m here for the long run.”
Tom Van Herzele: “That long-term thinking is the biggest advantage of returning colleagues. We at EY are transparent about what to expect from long-term careers.”
At EY, we are committed to building a better working world. Building and maintaining positive and strong relationships with all our alumni is an important way to achieve that ambition. It is also a testimony to putting people first, as reflected in our purpose, strategy, and values. EY is an organization based on a clear purpose and set of values, building a better working world and our commitment to inclusiveness. These are crucial guides through changing and disruptive times. We put people first and central as to provide our employees with a unique EY experience. Placing people at the heart of the organization, not so much as a strategy, but out of conviction. It is our starting point. Because when they thrive, we thrive.
Want to learn more about our alumni network? Join the Alumni network here or via LinkedIn.
