Amazon Reaches Out to Former Employees for AI and Cloud Jobs

Amazon is contacting former employees about available positions in its artificial intelligence and cloud-computing teams, including some workers who were previously laid off. The outreach has been described in recruiter emails obtained by Business Insider and confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson.

One recruiter from Amazon's AI agent organization contacted former employees with artificial intelligence and machine learning experience about available roles. The message referred to the effort as the "Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative." In another case, an AWS Finance recruiter offered a former employee an accelerated interview process that could lead to an offer and asked whether Amazon's return-to-office requirements had influenced their decision to leave.

Amazon spokesperson Haley Silva said bringing back former employees is an established practice across the company and is not a newly created program specifically focused on AI or cloud computing. She confirmed that employees previously affected by layoffs can be considered for available positions. According to Amazon, the outreach is based on open positions and staffing needs rather than an effort to bring back employees who left because of its office attendance policy.

Amazon has eliminated more than 30,000 positions through multiple rounds of layoffs over the past year. Earlier this year, the company also reduced its workforce in its artificial general intelligence organization as it narrowed its focus to key initiatives. A broader round of cuts announced during the same period affected about 16,000 employees.

The company's return-to-office requirements have also been linked to challenges in attracting AI professionals. Business Insider previously reported that Amazon's five-day office requirement and restrictions around office locations were making some AI positions harder to fill, with some candidates choosing other employers that provided more remote-work flexibility even when those positions offered lower pay.

The move toward rehiring former employees reflects a wider increase in companies bringing back workers who previously left. ADP payroll data showed that returning employees represented 35% of U.S. new hires in March 2025, compared with 31% a year earlier. In technology, returning workers represented nearly two-thirds of new hires during that period. ADP said returning employees often bring skills that are in demand and can become productive more quickly.

Amazon has considered rehiring former employees in the past. In 2023, Business Insider reported that AWS HR Vice President Ian Wilson told employees that many workers who had previously lost their jobs could be eligible to return and suggested exploring ways to proactively contact former staff interested in rejoining the company.