Comeback Colleagues

The walls of the Duke Cancer Center Quiet Room hold Cyndi Duke’s grief.

The room is where she first grappled with her husband’s cancer diagnosis and again when she learned the disease was terminal. And it’s where Cyndi retreated shortly after making the decision to leave Duke in 2014. 

When doctors diagnosed Cyndi’s husband, Sam, with terminal colorectal cancer, she knew it was time for the couple to fulfill their dream of living on the Gulf Coast. Cyndi, who worked in various departments at Duke for 17 years, knew saying goodbye to Duke would be one of the hardest parts of the move to Alabama. 

“When the doctors told us there was nothing else that could be done, we moved to the Gulf Coast to spend what time we had left with family,” Cyndi said. “We needed to make what time we had left count.”

Cyndi’s coworkers also understood when she wanted to return to work at Duke about a year after her husband died. 

Now a staff assistant in the Division of Cardiology, Cyndi is one of about 6,400 employees – 13 percent of Duke’s workforce – who left the University and Health System in recent years but returned to work at Duke. In fact, 15 percent of U.S. workers have returned to a former employer, according to a 2015 national survey by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and WorkplaceTrends.com. And employers are more accepting of hiring former employees than in the past, as the labor market has more jobs than workers. 

At Duke, many returning employees cite a sense of community, emphasis on well-being and benefits as factors for reapplying to work at Duke, the second largest private employer in North Carolina. They return with new knowledge and skills and don’t require extensive training because they are familiar with the culture and have a stronger commitment to Duke. 

“They’ve gained insight into work culture and climate in other places,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke’s vice president for administration. “So, when people come back to Duke, it’s very intentional. They’re reinvigorated and passionate about this place.”

Finding community again

Mitch Yelverton didn’t have to worry about saying goodbye to Duke when he graduated from the university in 2005.

He had a position lined up at the Duke Alumni Association, planning reunions, serving as a liaison to the Duke Annual Fund and creating the Duke Alumni Association Affinity Program, a networking structure that connects alumni with similar interests.  

After working for nearly five years at Duke, Yelverton left to attend Campbell Law School full-time in Raleigh. He received a law degree in 2013 and worked for a consulting firm and ran his own practice for four years. 

He learned how to advise small businesses, litigate for pharmaceutical companies and handle intellectual property disputes. He gained valuable skills, but he missed the Duke community. As a Duke employee, Yelverton regularly attended faculty and student chamber music concerts in the Nelson Music Room on East Campus and enjoyed being around the hustle and bustle of student life. 

Yelverton tried for four years to get back to Duke, applying for a variety of positions. He’s not alone. Nationally, 85 percent of human resources professionals said they’ve received job applications from former employees in the past five years, according to The Workforce Institute, a think tank that collects insights on employee engagement and performance. 

During his job hunt at Duke, Yelverton kept in touch with former coworkers. They met for lunch around Durham, and Yelverton’s friends sent emails when job opportunities opened, which led to his current position in the School of Medicine. 

After interviewing for 11 positions, Yelverton landed a position at Duke, where returning employees go through the same hiring process as other individuals applying for a position. Each month across Duke, an average of about 10,000 people apply for a position.

“I missed Duke and being in a place where there's always something new happening,” said Yelverton, now research agreements manager for Duke’s School of Medicine. “With other employers, the only thing happening was the business. At Duke you're part of a bigger community that includes the arts, sports, and so many other things.”

Rhonda Brandon, chief human resources officer for Duke Health, said she has noticed a trend in employees who return to work at Duke. She said they come back committed to Duke’s principles and values and routinely cite missing the pride they carried while working here. 

“Employees who return to Duke are engaged with the organization’s purpose,” Brandon said. “We’re here to educate, heal, cure and save lives. It’s an environment where you can flourish professionally and personally.” 

Returning with new skills

As a multimedia developer for the Fuqua School of Business, Terri Laakso worked with faculty to transfer Global Executive Master of Business Administration courses to e-learning modules. 

After four years, Laakso was ready to take on a leadership position. In 2008, she left Duke to manage the creative direction of marketing materials for Kimley-Horn and Associates, a civil engineering firm in Raleigh. She left that position in 2017 to start her own e-commerce business, Savoir-Flaire, where she curated and sold wedding favors.

A year later, Laakso closed Savoir-Flaire, which didn’t become as profitable as she hoped.

“I took a step back from sending out resumes to reflect on where I was happiest in my career,” she said. “I came to this realization that my biggest career regret was leaving Duke.”

In Laakso’s 11 years away from Duke, she learned project management skills that help in her current role as assistant general manager for the Duke eStore, the online shop for Duke University Stores. She hit the ground running when she returned this year, planning inventory levels for gifts and apparel and executing online marketing strategies to track analytics, improve the website and engage customers through social media. 

“Now, I’m using these skills to serve an audience I love most – Duke fans,” Laakso said. 

Denise Motley, head of Duke staffing and recruitment, said rehiring former employees benefits Duke because individuals return with enhanced skills and expertise and fresh perspectives. 

“Often this was a good environment for someone, and they saw an opportunity elsewhere to improve themselves,” Motley said. “If someone wants to come back, we should take it as a compliment because it means we’re doing something right.”

In her time away from Duke, Laakso continued to visit Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Duke University Chapel. Every time, she felt like she was missing out on something. 

“I felt like I was observing it all from the outside, and I wanted to be part of it again,” she said.

Now, on her walks around campus, Laakso takes pride in the DukeCard ID clipped to her clothing. 

“I’m happiest at Duke,” Laakso said. “I found my place.”

A family-friendly workplace

Joel Ragland always dreamed of working in the food industry.

In 2008, he left his position as a health unit coordinator at Duke Regional Hospital to manage a food truck, “Pig Out,” and catering company, “It’s All About You.” 

He whipped up barbecue, lasagna and fried chicken and enjoyed cooking comfort food specialties like meatloaf, but the work often required evenings and weekends away from home. He rarely had time with his son, 9-year-old Eli, or 11-year-old daughter, Kayla.

After four years, Ragland was ready to make another change. 

Duke’s insurance coverage and family-friendly benefits were top factors that prompted Ragland’s return to Duke in 2012. It turned out to be the right decision for his family. Earlier this year, Ragland’s son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 

The diagnosis means a lifetime of insulin shots and diet planning for his son, but Ragland enjoys peace of mind. His Duke medical insurance plan covers $30 a year in insulin pens, which could cost as much as $400 without insurance.

“Benefits and job stability were important to me,” said Ragland, who now works 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. as a supply chain associate for Duke University Hospital. “It means so much to me that I can work a schedule that allows me to see my kids as they get home.”

Ragland’s reasons for coming back match current trends. Nationally, a robust benefits package and career path are tied as the No. 1 reasons employees return to a company, according to a survey of HR professionals by The Workforce Institute, the think tank that collects insights on employee engagement and performance. 

Every day at 2:45 p.m., Ragland stands outside his home in Bahama to greet his kids with a hug as they hop off the school bus. From there, it’s a busy afternoon of soccer practices, homework and getting dinner on the table.

“Duke lets me be a soccer dad,” he said. “I’m grateful they give me opportunities that benefit me and my family.” 

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