Recruiting Question: How would you respond?

ss265

So recently, someone at my previous company reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in coming back to work there. I left a little more than a year ago for a significant increase in salary and title at my current company. I am not unhappy at my current company but my commute is now 45 minutes to an hour when it will only be 20 minutes if I return to my previous company. I told her that I would be interested in talking to her and then found out that the level she is hiring at is the same level I was at when I left and the pay will likely be a lot less than what I am making now. How do I politely tell her that I won't come back unless it's a similar level to my current level? Titles are comparable across the two companies.

I drafted the following response but I'm looking for some feedback. I want to keep the conversation going but there is no way I will return to my previous company for anything less than a Director level role. The main reason I left was that it's difficult to advance there so the title I have, if I return, is super important to me.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you have!

"To be honest, it would be difficult for me to come back to X company at a manager level role. I was a manager when I left and I got a significant increase in salary and title when I moved to Y company. In order for me to consider returning to X, the role would have to be at the Director level - do you have any open roles at that level that you would consider me for?"

 

MommaP12

@PrivacyWanted put it perfectly.   Good luck - would be great to get that short commute and back in at the Director level.

VegasGal1978

IMO, I would avoid terms like "To be honest" and "it would be difficult". It sounds like your setting her up to hear something bad and puts a bit of a negative tone in your response. I prefer to keep business correspondence positive or at least neutral.

I might suggest saying something like "I am not opposed to a new opportunity, if it were the right fit". Then go on to say that you would be seeking a director level position with compensation comparable to where you are at now. Close by asking if she has any openings available that may be a good fit for you.

Good luck.

TheBorg7of9

Don't apologize or hedge. Just say what you mean.

MommyAtty

I'm not sure how you found out it's at a manager level. So I would prob say "I wanted to clarify with you that the opportunity we were discussing is at the director level with the associated salary. As you know, I loved working for x company, but I left in order to advance my career. I would certainly be open to coming back to the company, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that I would backtrack in order to return."

ss265

@MommyAtty, I asked her for job descriptions and she responded back with the job titles that she has openings for and based on the title, I can tell they are manager level roles. I do like how you phrased it though and will probably steal some of that verbiage. 

Thank you everyone for all your responses! I really appreciate the suggestions on how to respond and will definitely incorporate them into my response to her.

groovygrl

I like privacywanted's 2nd example. good luck!

ss265

Thanks! I used a combination from all the suggestions and emailed her back yesterday but no response since then. Oh well.