Going back to a previous employer

budgettraveller

I left a job I was bored with and decided on a total new career. I got a job with a large company that had lots of offices throughout the UK. I started the training for my new job and was really enjoying it. The training was done in their training centre so all new employees could be trained at the same time, so not in my local office. By the end of the training course I thought I was going to love my new job. Unfortunately, whilst I was on the training course the powers that be decided to have a change round of all the managers and some of the staff, and switched the very nice person who had interviewed me to another office and replaced them with the manager of the office they had been moved to. They also changed some of the staff round, so the ones I'd got to know when I'd gone in for a taster day were no longer there.
The new manager was one of the most rudest, unhelpful people I have ever met. He didn't seem to have any regard for company policy, would belittle his members of staff etc.
When I'd left my previous job my manager had said if I ever wanted to come back to let them know, and I'd said thanks for the offer but I would never go back.

I stuck it out for a few months but I was getting more miserable by the day in my new job. I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to go into work each day, but I couldn't afford to quit without another job to go to. It was affecting my confidence, my sleep and I was so unhappy.
So, I swallowed my pride, rang my old manager, told him I'd made a big mistake and if he was recruiting in the near future would he please let me know. He told me he was surprised that I'd want to come back but luckily someone had just handed their notice in, so he did have a vacancy. I went in for an informal chat, I was advised the salary they were recruiting at was less than my previous salary. At this point I wanted to cry, I hated the new job, but I couldn't afford to go back to the old job for less money. So, I said that I'd love to come back but could only afford to come back at my old salary. My old manager told me he would have to speak to the M.D. who was on holiday, and he would get back to me in a few days. Those few days seemed to take forever, but then he rang me to say it had been agreed I could return on my old salary, HR were e-mailing out a copy of the contract as we spoke (I'd said as soon as I had something in writing I would hand in my notice in my new job) and that he'd see me a week on Monday.

I was dreading the first day back as I knew there would be comments. It was a bit awkward for the first 2 hours or so with everyone saying 'why have you come back?', 'if you leave again your not having another present' but within a day I'd settled back in and was happy to be with my old friends. I've never settled into a job so quickly. Knowing that the grass wasn't greener I no longer found my job boring. There was supposed to be a 6 month probation period, but as I was up to speed in weeks I got my probation signed off early because I met all the criteria. Shortly after that I got promoted. Going back was the best decision I ever made. Within days I was happy and smiling again, and my sleep returned to normal.
It turned out I wasn't the only person who'd left and come back. About 3 other people who left the same month as me reappeared over the following weeks!

flossyann

hi martyp,
hope you got your job sorted out.
i spent 2 miserable years at a job i hated because i was too proud to leave and ask for my old job back. i knew it was a big mistake on the first day and i kept telling everyone it was great!! i even had 6 months off sick with work related stress and i still stayed there!? oh well i'm older and wiser now and if the grass isn't greener be strong and admit it sooner rather than later..
best of luck xx:D

HelsBells74

I'm just about to go back to an old employer and it'll be the second time I've done that (not to the same ex-employer, you understand!). It probably isn't the most strategic career move that I could make, but the company and people are great and the salary's right and there's so much to be said for all of those things. I had my contract prematurely ended (contractor=no redundancy and 1 week's notice) due to the economic downturn 7 weeks ago and as a single person with a £100k mortgage and no savings, there's an awful lot to be said for a permie job with a great company in this climate!! I've been turned down for entry-level jobs paying not a lot despite having 10 years experience, because the job market is so competitive at the moment. So best of luck indeed and enjoy the stability, because there's not a lot of it about at the moment!

msrk

Hi,
I left my previous job a year ago after working there for 8 years as I've got a good opportunity. Now I was laid off and I came to know that they have reopened my old position. So I have decided to go back. I have very good relationship with everyone over there. But they wanted me to apply for it formally from their web site etc. So what kind of interview questions I can expect from them and how to answer those?

Thanks in advance
msrk

sharkie

In my last company one sales guy left and came back. We were all OK with it, however the management that brought him back viewed it as a favour and for then next 2 years he worked there constantly reminded him of that favour and how his family situation would be if it was not for this 'benevolent' company. He was really treated as crud on the bottom of a shoe.

The also used it to subdue and manipulate the rest of the workforce by telling us all what a favour was bestowed on him and what may likely happen to us if we left.

I vouched I'd never to go back!