Boomerangs: Returning to KSM

Not every workplace gets a lot of “boomerangs” – employees who leave for other opportunities, only to come back months or years later. It’s a point of pride at KSM that the firm has many of them. Time after time, KSMers who have moved on to other places realize how much they miss the firm – in particular, the collegiality and supportiveness of the people who work here – and they boomerang back.

These employees’ desire to return reflects the supportive and engaging nature of KSM’s workplace. Others have noted these qualities, too: The firm has been named one of Indiana’s “Best Places to Work” for 18 consecutive years and maintains a high rating of 4.7 on job site Glassdoor.

A Special Workplace Culture

Ezri Stewart, a manager in KSM’s Business Advisory Group, speaks for many of his fellow boomerangs when he says the firm’s magic is its people: “It’s not necessarily what you do, but who you do it with that makes where you work special.”

KSM is a great example of this principle. Those who work here feel well taken care of, encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, and happy to collaborate with colleagues in an attitude of “better together.” They appreciate enthusiastic coaching and guidance and cultivate an ownership mentality that creates a true team.

“I decided to come back to KSM because I realized when I wasn’t here how much I missed the family atmosphere and how much I wanted to come back and be a part of that and help build it and foster it,” says Erin Wagoner, director of KSM’s audit operations, who returned after 10 years away.

Positive Atmosphere, Challenging Work

KSM’s boomerangs often talk about the positive daily interactions as a key differentiator of the firm. Kyle Krause, a senior associate in KSM’s Business Advisory Group, realized he missed KSM after just a few months at another job, where the day-to-day collaboration with colleagues didn’t provide the same sense of fulfillment.

It’s not necessarily what you do, but who you do it with that makes where you work special.

– Ezri Stewart, tax manager

Caleb Martin, a manager in KSM’s Transaction Advisory Services Group, can relate: His teammates’ reaction to both his resignation and reinstatement was a testament to the unique character of KSM’s company culture.

“Everyone was so gracious when I left. They even said, ‘You know, we hope to see you back here someday,’” he remembers. “How everyone treated me on my way out and on my way in – it just really just showed me that KSM is a special place.”

It’s not only the people and culture that KSMers miss when they’re gone. Some of them long for the exhilarating challenge of working in KSM’s fast-paced environment.

“I definitely was taking for granted how much value and fulfilment I get out of … the challenging work,” says Ezri.

Jumping Back In

Whether they were gone for 10 years or three months, KSM boomerangs have a unique perspective on the big changes that have taken place as the firm has evolved. Erin found that the company had grown substantially in the decade she was gone.

“It has been really fun getting to know a lot of the new faces and to meet all new friends and to get to know so much more about a much larger organization than the one I left,” she says.

Caleb was away only briefly but found his team transformed in his absence: “The dynamic of the Transaction Advisory Services Group had changed so much in that three months in a good way. We had a much larger team than when I left. That was a good surprise when I came back.”

Despite the ongoing evolution of the firm and their teams, KSM boomerangs typically feel they can pick up where they left off when they return. That was the experience for Jeanne Yang, a senior manager in KSM’s IT Risk Advisory Services Group. “I felt like I never left, essentially,” she says. “I was able to jump right back in.”

That sense of continuity complements the new perspectives boomerangs bring with them to their second go-round at KSM. While some of them newly appreciate the challenge of the work or the camaraderie they have with their colleagues, others discover how accommodating KSM can be to their work-life needs as they return in a different phase of life.

“The biggest surprise to me when I came back to KSM was just how flexible it actually could be,” says Kyle. “Coming back, you see that they really will work with you, and there’s flexibility in how you’re set up in your career.”

At KSM, we’re proud to have such a supportive and fulfilling atmosphere that many employees return after leaving. If this sounds appealing, we invite you to learn more about working at KSM and discover our open positions.