Rejoining your Old Employer

Rarely do employees leave their organization and think that they'll ever return. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side; career paths sometimes better resemble career circles, as some employees are recycled back into their old workforces for second spins.

By Chris Alfe, Thingamajob.com Staff Writer

Continue on for some quick advice on rejoining your old employer, including: initiating and conducting an effective rehiring discussion, understanding service credit, and rebuilding your network of contacts.

When you arrive back at your old organization...greet all of the employees unfamiliar to you just as you would if you were starting fresh.

Initiating and Conducting an Effective Rehiring Discussion

First, you need a sponsor- someone who trusts you and who believes in your capacity to help the organization. Your ability to produce such an ally rests mainly on how well you maintained your overall relationship since your departure, and on the nature and tenor of the separation itself. You've made your bed, and now you have to lie in it; if you can't find suitable sponsor, then you're probably out of luck.

Ask to meet your sponsor for lunch, and arrive armed with a clear and concise agenda:

• Thank him or her for meeting with you.
• Brief him or her on the skills you've gained since your separation.
• Remind him or her of your skills and experience overall.
• Ask him or her how you may fit into the organization's current plans.
• Request a follow-up discussion with someone who has the authority to hire you. (This may or may not be your sponsor.)

Your goal should be to walk out of the restaurant with a firm follow-up appointment established, or at least a solid commitment that one will be arranged soon.

Understanding Service Credit

If you are extended an offer to rejoin your old organization and you accept it, keep service credit in mind as you negotiate an employment agreement. Service credit is the time you've logged in with a particular organization. The calculation of service credit varies among companies, however, and may be negotiated in some instances when you return from an absence.

What's the big deal about service credit?

Service credit is important because it is often used to determine benefit eligibility and/or benefit coverage levels. As a penalty for having discontinuous service, some organizations may not automatically count some or even all of your previous tenure as time worked for the purposes of service credit. Other companies may ignore partial years, which can also affect benefits such as retirement savings plans or bonus plans.

Lobby to have as much as possible of your actual time worked applied to your service credit, and check to make sure that your previous time was properly applied.

Rebuilding Your Network of Contacts

When you arrive back at your old organization to begin your second tour of duty, greet all of the employees unfamiliar to you just as you would if you were starting fresh. While reintroducing yourself to your former colleagues, pay special attention to how the organizational structure and work flow may have been altered since your separation.

Ask for a current organizational chart, and study up on any changes in your spare time.

Remember that time didn't stand still following your departure; carefully observe which employees may now be the most valuable to you, and begin to build relationships with them. You probably won't be able to rely on your old group of business contacts any longer, so you should be aggressive in forging new working bonds to supplement your existing ones.

Chris Alfe is a staff writer for thingamajob.com.  He has ten years of experience in staffing and human resources and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

Looking to make a career move?  Create a free Thingamajob account and gain access to a wide spectrum of job opportunities from Allegis Group's diverse family of staffing companies including TEKsystems and Aerotek.