A recent BioSpace LinkedIn poll found that more than half of biopharma professionals surveyed would consider returning to companies that previously laid them off. Of the 1,267 respondents, 51% indicated they would work again for a former employer that let them go.
One marketing professional who was laid off by Pfizer in 2024 said he holds no ill will toward the company and is currently applying for new roles there. “It’s business, and I understand how business decisions are made,” he told BioSpace. He added: “Pfizer treated me very well in terms of my severance and my package that I received. So, I hold no grudges. I know there’s great people that work there. I always felt proud to work for Pfizer. So, I would feel equally proud if I went back again.”
Industry experts say the current job market plays a significant role in these decisions. Jane McDonald, founder and principal at Stonehouse Technology Consulting Services, noted that many professionals are struggling to find opportunities elsewhere. “I think it has a lot to do with the state of the job market, because people are just really struggling to either get a response or even get an interview or even get a phone screen,” she said.
McDonald herself is open to returning to a previous employer depending on the circumstances behind her layoff. She stated: “But my decision to return would be strictly based on my due diligence assessment of that company’s operational health at the time I was asked to go back, because I would want to know if they had improved their internal processes from what was lacking or inefficient.”
Geography can also influence decisions about returning after a layoff, according to Angie Allen, managing partner for pharma/biotech at executive search firm Kaye/Bassman. In regions without major biopharma hubs, former employers may be one of few viable options for professionals not wishing to relocate.
Allen pointed out that many former employees return as consultants rather than full-time staff: “That is a win-win for everybody, right? It’s something for people to do to be engaged with our space while they’re searching for their next full-time role; company gets the sure thing.”
However, there are risks involved in returning after being laid off. Yesica Ontiveros experienced two layoffs from VGXI within two years after returning following an initial workforce reduction tied to restructuring efforts. Reflecting on this experience, she said: “My lesson there was I guess if they did it before, they can do it again.” Ontiveros stated she would not consider going back if laid off again: “I just wouldn’t go through that again. Wouldn’t want to.”
Concerns about repeated layoffs are common among those rehired by former employers. Theo Rowley of Novartis observed: “I know speaking to people that have been rehired at companies, they have always had that hesitancy of if they’ve experienced redundancy before, is it going to happen again?”
Leadership stability and strategic changes within companies play important roles in such decisions as well. McDonald commented: “If the executive team hasn’t clearly defined a new direction, the company may still be operating under the same short-sighted goals that caused the original instability… Without a documented shift in how they manage their technology and talent, the professional risks are facing the same ‘business math’ layoff again within a year or two.”
Experts recommend thorough due diligence before accepting an offer from a previous employer post-layoff. Ontiveros advised making sure any potential employer is on solid financial footing and suggested larger companies generally pose less risk than smaller biotechs.
For Larry Algaze of BPM accounting and advisory services firm, diversification in research and development pipelines is key when considering whether or not to return: “If you’re a one-drug company… and they run out of money… it will be easy [not] to get money to continue funding through Phase 3 and commercialization.”
McDonald emphasized additional caution when evaluating re-employment offers: “If you return to a company that hasn’t overhauled the flawed processes that led to the initial layoffs, you are essentially walking back into a sinking ship.”
