Feeling Torn: Can I Rejoin My Old Company After Just 7 Months Away?

I am in a big dilemma. I was associated with a company (MNC) for about 7 months. However, I had to resign after 7 months. In this regard, I have served the notice period as stated by the company. So I have resigned by following all the exit processes with no issues from HR. It has now been 1 month since I quit, and I feel like returning to my old company.

Considering Rejoining My Previous Company

Therefore, I am planning to talk to my hiring manager and HR, asking them to reconsider me. Kindly let me know if I would be considered for re-hire, since I was with the company for only 7 months, and what are my chances of being re-hired. Do you see any issues with the same?

Try talking to your old boss; maybe nobody has been hired for your position yet. From there, you will gain clarity, and then you can approach HR using your boss's approach.

You can discuss with HR, as there are many companies that provide rejoining opportunities to ex-employees based on performance, behavior, and other HR factors. Under that policy, they can consider you for rejoining.

It is said and believed that "every grain (rice/wheat) has the ultimate user's name written on it." So, definitely, you'll have your chances provided, subject to ifs and buts. I'm eager to believe that if your performance during your seven months has truly impressed them, the one-month absence is inconsequential. They might even consider rescinding your resignation letter and treating the one-month absence as Leave Without Pay. Who knows? I don't think they would have filled your vacancy within one month, but it depends. Try it out steadfastly; you can have your day soon. All the best.

Just walk up to the appointing authority with an application explaining the condition that made you decide to resign and request reappointment. You will be considered based on your performance. There will be no need to go through any selection process again. Your performance will speak for you. Even if it is 60%, you will still be considered. Try—you will lose nothing but may gain a lot.

I agree. I have seen it happen that an employee left a job for a new one by giving one month's notice. After completing all the formalities, he left the job. In the new job, he was uncomfortable, so he talked to his old boss. The old boss scrapped his resignation, marked his leave as without pay, and continued with his old role.

Evaluating the Decision to Return to a Previous Job

First and foremost, it is quite usual for someone to feel uncomfortable in a new surrounding, having been used to a certain way and now having to do things differently. When you join a new position, there is initially euphoria, followed by an awakening after the honeymoon period that, well, maybe it's not a dream come true after all. So, please be sure to thoroughly and logically evaluate the reasons why you'd want to quit the current job.

Steps to Rejoin a Previous Employer

Having said that, if you really want to get back to the previous job, you should talk to your previous boss. He/she may want to take you back depending on your past performance—on-the-job performance and how you carried yourself during your exit period. After all, for a manager, it makes better sense to get a known face in than going through the trouble and uncertainties of hiring a new employee. I have seen such instances of employees joining back and staying productive and loyal to the organization for long afterwards.

Thank you very much for all your kind inputs. Please guide me on how to approach my manager and what the HR process would be.

Regards,
Vinayak

As an HR Professional, I have seen numerous cases where an employee considers moving forward using their current job/organization as a stepping stone. They often believe that progress should be the sole focus in today's fast-paced professional environment. I am not blaming anyone for this aspiration, as reaching new heights is everyone's dream. However, I would like to discuss our preferences. Should we aim solely for advancement or prioritize moving forward within a good organization?

Many times, employees feel that their current organization is not suitable for them and continuously seek better job prospects, positions, or salary packages elsewhere. In this pursuit, they overlook the facilities, working environment, and opportunities available in their current organization if they put in their best effort. Their primary goal becomes reaching the top quickly, and they proceed with this mindset.

After some time in a new role, they may find better job prospects, positions, or salary packages but realize they are missing the facilities, working environment, and opportunities that were present in their previous organization. They understand that with a little more effort in their previous organization, they could have achieved the same results. Subsequently, some try new companies while others consider returning to their former employer.

So, what should our preference be?

I urge all CiteHR members to share their views on this matter. This discussion can help everyone make informed decisions before changing organizations.

Dear Vinayak, please do not take offense. This is simply my perspective. I also encourage you to share your reasons for leaving your current organization and now considering returning.

Thank you.

Are you and Anonymous one and the same? If so, people have given you some sound ideas based on the limited information provided by you. Hence, please let us know why you had to resign after 7 months. Also, kindly inform us why you want to rejoin the MNC.

Though you have gone through the exit process smoothly, did you have any issues with the manager you reported to or your colleagues?

Hi All, Thanks for all your valuable comments. I wanted to know which would be the best way to approach my manager (either through phone or email) since I want to be professional in my approach. Personally, I feel that I need to communicate via email. However, if my HR friends feel otherwise, kindly let me know. As far as I am concerned, I did not have any issues with my manager or my co-workers. Thanks again to everyone for your comments.

Vinayak

Without wasting time, you must visit them personally or speak to your boss so that you can present yourself with a strong interest and valid reasons. However, it also depends on the reasons for your resignation and their (employers) needs or policy guidelines that actually play an important role in these kinds of cases.

I second Mr. Simhan; you must share the reason for your resignation and why you want to rejoin them. This will help the community suggest properly to you and to the other members.

Secondly, you have worked with them for only 7 months, and I believe it is not enough to reconsider your candidacy and judge your performance. As stated by other members above, this can help you and your employer feel inclined to rehire you. Such a short work period cannot help the employers judge the performance or candidacy of an employee who has chosen to leave the organization (resignation).

I'm not here to make you feel bad or hopeless, but to present facts that I believe are important for you, which will be a learning experience.

Lastly, I would suggest you to be very careful when making decisions in your career and life because a single hasty decision can leave you feeling stuck where you are today or in an even worse situation.

Take good care and best of luck.

Nice piece of advice by Mr. Simhan and Anil. Let me add, you have already wasted considerable days thinking about how to approach this situation. The best way is to seek an appointment with your HR or first with your HOD to whom you were reporting. Tell them openly what mistake you have made and why, and seek their pardon and reinstatement in whatever way possible (if it suits you).

However, my opinion is that you shouldn't sound desperate to get back and have nowhere else to go. Present your case convincingly with nice words as to why you want to return. A word of caution: don't mistake me, but what if they refuse and politely decline to take you back? You should be prepared for the worst, as by now you should gain self-confidence to say, "come what may." In other words, you should be prepared for anything.

I am not surprised to note that you are good at asking questions rather than answering questions put to you.

An Incident of Voluntary Redundancy

Let me narrate an incident that took place years ago. A friend of mine opted for VRS (Voluntary Redundancy Scheme) from an MNC, as he had a written offer of a job from a small company. His application was under consideration. During that time, the manager who had offered the job had left the new company. The company notified him of the situation and was still prepared to honor the offer. The person's boss, who was instrumental in advising him about the new job, felt sorry and was prepared to reject his application. However, the person said, "Beggars are no choosers." That's what happens when you approach the old firm. You want them more than they want you.

Considerations Before Re-approaching Your Ex-boss

If they offer you a lower position than you held before and offer you less wages, do you want to join them? There are a lot of questions that you need to answer before you approach your ex-boss. It is preferable to ring your ex-boss, if you can; otherwise, drop a polite email requesting a quick meeting with him/her.

Regards,

Thank you for your inputs. Kindly note, the reason I quit was for a better opportunity. However, I realized that the work atmosphere is not great compared to my previous job. Except for the benefits, nothing seemed good, be it the work itself or the work environment.

Hence, I am feeling that going back to my previous organization makes more sense. I am aware of the working conditions there, and though the benefits are less, it is still acceptable.

Regards

I hope you have reached a conclusion based on the advice provided by our members. Mr. Simhan, Mr. Anil, and Mr. Kumar have given you valuable guidance, and if you follow their suggestions, you could succeed.

Advice on Rejoining

My advice on this matter is, "Please do not delay any further." Reach out to your line manager for their opinion and advice regarding rejoining. Subsequently, approach HR (after confirming the position is still open) with the recommendations from your manager. They will assist you based on your company's policy.

Once you have contacted your former employer, please provide feedback on the developments at your current company.

Wishing you every success.

First of all, I would like to suggest you contact the HR department of your previous organization and confirm whether they follow a rehiring policy. I hope they will consider you if they adhere to this policy because you served the notice period and left the job in a genuine way. Many organizations implement a rehiring policy, which is beneficial as former employees are familiar with the work culture and can adapt easily again. However, there may be specific rules and conditions regarding rehiring, such as performance evaluation, HOD feedback, and company deadlines for rehiring after resignation. Therefore, it is highly advisable to contact the HR department.

Secondly, I would advise you to remain loyal to your current company if they have given you the opportunity to work for them. Initially, there may be cultural differences, but changing jobs is not always the best solution. Take the time to discover yourself and good luck!

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

Regards

You have already received good advice. I suggest keeping it simple. If you strongly feel like rejoining your old company (assuming you are sure of your decision this time), you can start by contacting your old boss. If you had a good relationship with your boss and your performance was satisfactory, this would be an appropriate starting point. You can express your interest in rejoining if there is still an opening or any other suitable position that aligns with your skills.

Your boss can act as a bridge between you and the HR department. Typically, the line manager (boss) will internally review the rehiring policy and then respond to you with the available options. Usually, if the line manager is convinced and there is a need, they will recommend to HR to rehire the candidate. Therefore, I believe it is important for you to reach out to your ex-boss first.

However, be prepared for the possibility that they may not consider rehiring you. Therefore, continue to perform well in your current company too.

ALL THE BEST!!!

Regards,
Gia

You have a few options:

1. If you still have not opened up a channel, try this: why don't you talk to some of your ex-colleagues, friends, or well-wishers in the previous company who are still there, and send out feelers to your ex-boss to ascertain whether there is a possibility to rejoin before officially moving on record for rejoining? Probably this channel will not damage your image.

2. If the first option is not giving the right signal, you might as well try to get into another company, a third one, that is better known to suit your expectations.

3. Have you tried to think and ask yourself if the present environment could be changed, or you might start liking them in due course? This is especially required since you do have a jump and work for some more time to have another jump in yet another new company, so treat this as a springboard.

4. Have you ever tried to sort out your dislikes by discussing them with appropriate persons in the present company? If you didn't, why?

And remember, try all or any of these while keeping the present one intact.

I reached out to my manager a few days back, and it was a simple hello email. I chose not to ask him for my job back in my first email. However, I did not receive any response from him, and now I am unsure whether I should send an email requesting him to reconsider me or if I should start looking for other opportunities elsewhere.

Performance Rating

P.S: My manager rated me as a good performer during my appraisal process.

Your input is highly appreciated.

Thanks,

Vinayak

An update: I reached out to my manager a few days back, and it was a hello email. I did not want to ask him for my job back in my first email. However, I did not get any response from him, and now I am unsure whether I should send an email requesting him to reconsider me or if, since he has not responded, I should look for another opportunity elsewhere.

Performance Rating

P.S: My manager has rated me as a good performer during my appraisal process.

Your inputs are highly appreciated.

Thanks & Regards,
Vinayak

Please stop communicating through email or mobile. Personally go and meet him to appraise him of your current position, request re-entry, and assure him of your dedication and future performance. If you do so, he may consider your case, provided your company's HR policy allows for the re-entry of ex-employees. Otherwise, you must explore other options.

Thank you.

I take this opportunity to point out the time wasted in answering questions without full information about the scenario. For example, many have suggested to Vinayak to approach his manager in person. Now, after so many messages, we are told that the manager is based in the States, and the only way to reach him is by email. I also wonder what is meant by "based out of the USA"!

Contacting Your Manager

Dear Vinayak, I would have thought your boss would have given his phone number when you were working. If so, can't you ring him?

Regards.