Having to confess to an employer that you need to return to your job can be an intimidating prospect. Whether you’ve taken a break from work for personal or professional reasons, asking for your job back can be a stressful process. Luckily, there are strategies you can implement to make the task much easier. Knowing the right steps to take can increase your chances of getting your job back and make the process less stressful. In this post, we’ll explore the best practices for asking for your job back and provide tips on how to increase the likelihood of success.
By understanding your employer’s perspective, being honest and staying professional, you’ll be able to present your case in the best possible light. Additionally, you’ll need to be prepared to demonstrate how you can continue to add value to the organization and be ready to address any potential concerns. Whether you’ve taken a sabbatical, left the company for a few months, or walked
- Address your former employer. …
- Write the introduction. …
- Explain why you left the position. …
- Ask for your old job back. …
- Craft the conclusion. …
- Proofread your email. …
- Include a subject line. …
- Check job availabilities.
How to ask for an old job back
To politely and effectively request your prior position be given to you again, follow these steps.
1. Ensure youre still in good standing with the company
Consider your actions when you resigned from the position. If either of these conditions were met, you may have left the company in good standing. Were you professional and gave notice in advance? If you were fired, were you cool and collected when they told you? This indicates that you might still be thought of favorably by your employer.
Additionally, you can maintain contact with these former coworkers and superiors by regularly contacting them. Maintaining close contact with any employees will demonstrate to your employers that you still value your working relationships and that they will endure should they decide to rehire you. If a manager is thinking about rehiring you, it might also increase the likelihood that coworkers will recommend you.
2. Research other open positions at the company
If you previously conducted research and learned that your old position was no longer open, you can investigate other job postings to see if they’re comparable to it or if they match your skill set. If so, when requesting to be hired again, you can list the responsibilities and duties of this position and ask about them.
You can still ask to be rehired even if there aren’t any open positions that match your qualifications or skill set. Your supervisor may have options available that arent listed online.
3. Write a list of possible questions they may ask
Your former employer might be curious as to why you left and why you want to come back. You can make a list of possible inquiries related to your decision to leave so that you are best prepared.
Following your request for your previous position, your employer might ask you the following questions, as examples.
4. Email or call to request an in-person meeting to discuss details further
You can get in touch with your former boss by phone or email to let them know you’d like to be hired again and why. After reaching out, you can request to meet in person to go over more specifics. You can explain to them why you’d like to return to the company via phone or email.
You can be direct and succinct in your phone call or email. The primary objective will be to explain why you want to go back. Now is the time to find out how your former boss feels about your return. Request a face-to-face meeting to talk with them further if they appear to respond favorably and are willing to listen to more of what you have to say.
5. Explain why they should rehire you and what you can contribute.
Once you’ve had a face-to-face meeting with your boss, make an effort to respond in a sincere but appropriate manner. Consider the reasons why the company decided you were no longer a good fit if you were fired. If you decided to leave, explain the reasons you left.
Saying, “I chose to leave because I felt that this other role would help me become more independent and self-sufficient,” for instance, if you quit your job. After working there for a few months, I became aware that I benefited more from the atmosphere of cooperation I experienced here. “.
Consider the abilities you have acquired since leaving and how they can help the business. You can describe how you’ve developed these abilities to deliver a stronger work performance that will increase the company’s productivity and efficiency.
You could say, for instance, “I understand I was fired because I lacked planning and organizational skills. I’ve taken online courses since I left the company to help me hone these abilities. If you would let me come back, I would love to show you how much this has improved my work performance. “.
6. Dont be afraid to compromise.
Try to persuade your former boss that hiring you back would be a wise decision and that doing so would have benefits for the business. They might present a temporary position that develops into a full-time position. If this is something you’d like to pursue professionally, you can accept it.
They may also offer you a position you werent expecting. It might include various compensation or benefits you previously received while employed by the business. It might be best to accept the position they have offered you and work toward a higher position if you are still determined to work for the company again.
7. Remain professional throughout the entire meeting.
There’s a chance the business doesn’t have any openings right now. If this occurs, express your appreciation by thanking them for the chance to meet with you. If you leave the meeting with the business on good terms, they might keep you in mind if any upcoming opportunities arise.
When to ask for your job back
You should first decide if you’re ready to ask for your job back before you decide how to do it. If you go back to your old job, you’ll have to go through the difficult hiring and firing process all over again. Because of this, you should consider whether asking for your job back is a decision you’re ready to make. Before deciding to request your job back, consider the following questions.
Did you leave on good terms?
Why did you leave the position?
Examine your reasons for leaving your old position. You can still think about asking for your old job back if you left because of minor issues. Instead of going back to your old job if it made you unhappy or demotivated you, think about looking for a new position.
Is your old position still available?
Make sure your old job is still open for you to pursue as you weigh your options and decide whether or not to go back to it. The business might have interviewed additional candidates before filling your position. You can confirm this by looking at their online job postings, getting in touch with the human resources department, or asking a friend who works there.
Are you still connected with employers and employees?
Your chances of being rehired may increase if you are still cultivating close bonds with employees. You can reassure people that you want to keep a positive working relationship with the company by liking and following employees, employers, and the business on social media.
Have you carefully considered your decision?
Asking for your old job back is a bold decision. Making a list of the benefits and drawbacks can therefore be beneficial. You can list all the reasons why you want to quit your job and why you want to work for your former employer again. After compiling this list, you may be better able to decide whether you want to keep pursuing this option.
If you feel confident about moving forward after asking yourself these questions and carefully evaluating your answers, you can request the return of your previous position. You can get ready to meet with your former boss and request a promotion.
An example of asking for your job back
You can first contact your supervisor by phone, email, or a written letter when you ask to have your job back. Here is an illustration of how to request your job back and arrange a meeting to talk things over in more detail:
Dear Mr. Daniels,
I hope everything is going well for you and the rest of the team. I’m impressed by how successfully recent social media campaigns have been performing based on what I’ve seen on social media.
I’ve come to the realization that I’m not happy in my current role with XX company. I want to know if you would think about hiring me again to be a part of your team. I noticed you hired a new marketing coordinator; I held that position previously. I was wondering if you would instead give me consideration for the open marketing content writer position. During my time away, I improved my writing abilities, teamwork efforts, and communication skills. If I returned to the team with these skills, I think I could help the department.
If you’re available this week, I’d be happy to meet and talk further.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Abby Smith
Ask for Your Job Back
FAQ
Is it OK to ask for your old job back?
However, there is good news if you regret leaving your previous job: You can request to have it reinstated. The frequency of “boomerang” workers — those who opt to return to their previous positions — is increasing as the Great Resignation and the pandemic continue.
How do you apologize and get your job back?
If performance-related reasons led to your termination, admit your shortcomings and offer a strategy for improving them. Finally, ask for your job back. Reiterate your apology, express gratitude to your boss for the opportunity, and ask for a face-to-face meeting to talk about your employment in the next few days.
Is it weird to ask for your job back?
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. : I appreciate your honesty. Yes, you have the option to request your previous position be restored, but before you do, there are a few factors you should think about. After all, you left your previous position for a reason.
