The Cognitive

The Boomerang Playbook

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MR
M. ReyesSenior EngineerLead Engineer
4 yrs gone
AK
A. KhanAccount ExecutiveSenior AE
2 yrs gone
JL
J. LinProduct DesignerSenior Product Designer
3 yrs gone

Example · people are made up

01

Pull who left


  






  
02
Keep who grew

  
FunctionLeft asNow, one level upAlso counts

  






  
03
Skip under 12 months

  






  
04
Read what they built

  





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05
Ask the manager

  

    
To the hiring manager
Subject: 3 names for [role]

Hi [name],

Three quick questions:

1. Who are 3 people who left [company] in the last
   few years that you'd rehire tomorrow?
2. Which projects or skills from those years matter
   most for this role?
3. Which team should a returner sit in?

Reply with names by [day] and I'll start with them.

[your name]

    

      
To HR
Hi [name],

For [role], can you confirm whether these former
employees are eligible for rehire? Yes or no is
enough for each, plus whether they're already in
your ATS or covered by the former-employee clause
in our agreement:

- [name], left [year]
- [name], left [year]
- [name], left [year]

Thanks,
[your name]

      
Find more like them

    

  






  
06
The first message

  

    

    

      
Version A

      
Version B

    

  

  
Example · people and companies are made up






  
07
The call

  
First 3 questions
1. "When you left [company] in [year], what were you
    moving to?"

2. "What have you done since then that you couldn't
    have done there?"

3. "If you came back, what would need to be true:
    team, title, pay, or schedule and location?"

  

  
Example · people and companies are made up






  
↩
Run it

  

    

      
In The Cognitive

      
    
        
  1. Start your free 7-day trial.
    2. 
        
  2. Open Sourcing and paste your alumni brief.
    3. 
        
  3. Shortlist, then send the first line from your own mailbox.
    4. 
      

    

    

      
In Claude

      
    
        
  1. Start your free 7-day trial at The Cognitive.
    2. 
        
  2. In Claude, open Settings, then Connectors, and add a custom connector:
    https://app.thecognitive.io/mcp
    3. 
        
  3. Sign in, then paste your alumni brief.
    4. 
      

    

  






  

    
Your next hire already worked there.

  

  

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    100 people free · or book a demo