How to Go Back to Your Former Employer
There are several reasons why an employee might want to leave his current job. The most common is when the employee gets a better offer from another company either in monetary terms or an increase in the employee’s position. Some other reasons could be when the employee does not like the work culture in his current company or when the workload is too much. Another stringent reason could be when there is a need for relocation either for school or family purposes. Whichever reason it is, the possibility of returning back greatly depends on the condition the employee left and the impact the employee created.
If the employee was of good conduct and is highly productive, then it will be easier to return to the company. But if the employee didn’t leave any positive impact on the company, it will be really difficult for the company to take back such an employee. This is the reason why every employee is advised to part with the company in good fate. It is required that the employee follows the regular procedure required to leave a company. Some companies require that the employee give a notice letter weeks or months before leaving, failure to do so attracts a month’s salary refunded to the company. Hopefully, if the employee left the company in good fate, then the following guide will help you to get a position in your formal organization.
Make a decision and do not regret it
In a situation when an employee is already working in a new company but wants to go back to his former employer. Then that employee has to do a deep down study or self resolution to make sure he/she really wants to quit the new job role to go back to the formal one. This is because the reason why the employee left might not have changed or improved. The working culture, salary, or workload might still be the same. The employee has an important decision to make and has to carefully conclude to avoid having regrets. It is always easier for an employee that left a company for schooling purposes to decide to return because the employee has nothing to compare his formal role to. The employee should consider the possibility of returning to the exact same level he left or salary, as the previous employer might want to penalize him for leaving.
Come back as a more experienced boomerang employee
A boomerang employee leaves his company for another company and comes back to his previous company. Do not be like any other boomerang employee, but be one that is better equipped with skills, knowledge, and experience. Every company is looking for employees that will add to the growth of their organization, especially if the employee is coming in as an experienced hire. No company wants a liability. As a boomerang employee, a lot more is expected from you. The employee has to prove he has improved in different areas since he left. A boomerang employee has an upper hand in recruitment because it is believed that the employee is originally acquainted with the company’s culture, mission, vision, and objective. This knowledge will help the employee to blend in better than a new recruit. Also, it is even more exciting, if the employee’s place of work is a direct competitor of the company he is trying to return to.
Check the company Policy
It is very important that the employee research the company’s policy before making a decision. Some companies have a strict policy for not hiring former employees, regardless of the reason the employee left in the first place. While some companies are flexible. These companies can consider the employee depending on certain conditions that have been laid out in the company’s regulations. So before making a rash decision, it is crucial the employee conducts a deep research on the company he intends to go back to.
Check for available job openings
The next step is to check for available openings in the company the employee intends to return to. No organization leaves a particular role unoccupied for long. This can only happen if the company cannot find a capable hand to fill up the position. In a situation the employee’s position has already been occupied, the employee has to search for other positions or departments in the company that closely relates to his formal position.
Connect to your formal boss or direct supervisor
After the employee has searched and found a suitable job role, it is advisable he connects directly with his formal boss or supervisor. It is easier if the employee has been keeping in touch with his boss, as this can create a friendly environment to foster new business deals. The manager will probably want to know the reason why the employee left in the first place, the employee’s reasons should be positive. Avoid giving reasons that will demean or undermine the company. He might also ask why the employee wants to leave his current place of work, the response should not be criticizing. A perfect example could be that you have gained a particular kind of skill from your current company which you feel can be beneficial to your former company and also propel you to a higher role. This way, the employee has managed to communicate both the benefit the previous company stands to gain without criticizing his current company.
Resign gracefully and stay connected to your colleagues and company too
After the employee has concluded the steps above and the response is positive, then the next step is for the employee to resign from his current place of work. The employee will need to write a letter of resignation. The employee is to do this gracefully, following all the necessary procedures laid out by the company. This is essential because you do not know what the future might present through the same company.
Start Afresh
When the employee returns to the company, he should not assume everything is still the same way it was. A lot can change within months or years. The employee should be open to learning the new system on the ground. Also, the power structure would have also changed. The employees handling different roles must have changed. There will be new faces and old faces as well, so there will be a lot to get acquainted with. The new colleagues might be easier to bond with, because your former colleagues may have some kind of resentment against you. This can be as a result of fear of competition or jealousy that you were given a better position or even a position higher than the one they possess. Do not distance yourself from your colleagues but be careful who you mingle with. The employee should also try as much as possible to be productive and prove that the company made the right choice by taking him back.