Sign of the Times

The tighter the job market, the more companies want to stay on good terms with their former employees. The Associated Press ran a piece on this today:

Departed employees are courted with official employee alumni networks that offer electronic directories of former colleagues, job listings, continuing education, even discounted group insurance. Microsoft's alumni group rented the entire Seattle Aquarium for its after-the-holidays party last year. Accenture toasted its alumni with drinks and appetizers at New York's Museum of Natural History.

Alumni from Big Four firms gather online and off, I'm told by, among other people, a former Peat Marwick CPA who gets testy when he's not treated "right" by folks at successor firm KPMG.

Companies court former employees [AP via N.Y. Daily News]