Husband About to Get a Job Offer from His Former Employer - Question!!

Maybe it's casual day for employees but he is not an employee. So what if he's an ex-employee and knows the company protocol.

Next... He can't " know" he's getting an offer. They may be feeling him out to see just how sorry he is that he left and moved. Don't be counting on an offer. You don't know what you don't know. Don't go in with the attitude that an offer will certainly be there.

Wear a suit and treat this as an interview with a new company.

IF he does get an offer, don't expect everything to go back like it was when he left. He'll need to prove himself all over again. I agree with you... No cocky attitude

Agreed!! He should treat it as a formal interview. There's nothing like leaving a job and being asked back. No better form of flattery. He should at least wear a jacket. It's respectful and he shouldn't appear cocky. Good Luck!!

A suit is probably not necessary but I think he should still wear a sport coat, dress shirt, tie and khaki pants. Good luck!

Then it's double important that he dress for success. There's a reason they called him. My friend had this same situation, and even though it was just a formality, she dressed up, makeup, heels, etc. She was applying for a position, just like a hundred other people that day, but he rehired her on the spot, because she NEVER LOST HER PROFESSIONAL MANNERS. His words. She didn't have to dress up. She's known him for years, worked for him for years. She went in just like the others. She interviewed like it was the first time(even though the owner didn't personally interview her the first time). She put her considerable experience to work for her, and didn't take for granted that it was a given, even though he asked her to come in for an offer.
She left for what she thought was more money and better chance of promotions. What she got was a +$200 a year pay increase, 50lb weight gain, loads of stress, health problems related to this, and her kids missing her, as the owner of the business was a numbers man. She went back with a slight pay cut, from the last job(she declined the higher paying offer, and gave a DAMN GOOD REASON for it) no stress, lost most of the weight, has more time with her kids, and is getting her health back. It's all to dressing for success.

Bottom line. Dress like it's your first time, interview like it's your first time. Don't treat former employers like well-known friends.

Remember, YOU left it for "greener pastures"...I assure, they will. Show them what you're worth.

Just my 2 cp.

I'm with you. Wearing at least a jacket and tie telegraphs a message that he's a professional. The attitude of "I know it's casual day back at the ol' workplace" and dressing down telegraphs a message that he is taking a job offer for granted and already acting like he's on the staff. Even if they want him back badly, they do not want to think he's taking this for granted.

For all he knows they might have changed the casual day and he'd look odd coming in wearing his khakis that day. And there may be others in the office who've never met him who would get a poor impression if he turns up for a job interview looking too casual, even if he did work there formerly.

The fact he's emphasizing that it's "a casual conversation" may be reflecting the owner's own casual approach to it, but it also could mean your husband is totally assuming any job is his already. Dangerous assumption. He should treat it as a formal interview and if it turns out more relaxed, great. But if it doesn't, he'll be prepared instead of blindsided.

Your husband needs to wear a suit. However, if he feels that he wants to project "casual Friday", then tell him to carry a tie in his pocket. He should peek in before the man sees him and see if the man is wearing a tie. If he is, he should put on his tie. If the man is not wearing a tie, then he keeps the tie in his pocket.

You are right about the suit. My husband wears white shirts and suit pants to work every day and they have "casual business" philosophy in his business. However, because he is management, he feels that he has to set a good example. It is always better to overdo it rather than under do it. Especially when the offer isn't yet in his hand.

By the way, I ran this by my husband, and he agreed with what I just said. My husband isn't the owner of a business, but he hires a lot of people. I would listen to my husband if I were your husband!

Dawn

He should wear the suit and be humbled he is wanted back. Hope it goes well!

Semi formal at least. Jacket. It's a sign of respect.

My vote is to trust your husband.

He's the one who worked this job, with these people, and knows both best.

...

Comparatively... in most families I know with a SAHP, while both parents get a 'vote' (aka voice) in details about their kids, the SAHP gets 2 votes. Since they are the ones that are there, day in and day out. The one who works that job and knows it best.

Since he's worked there before and knows everyone, I would think dressing above casual, but not necessarily a full on suit, would be appropriate. If wears nice slacks and a tie, and as someone suggested below, brings a jacket just in case, his bases will be covered. If he dresses the way you think he should rather than what makes him comfortable, I would be concerned that that would come through during his visit. I don't think I would think of this as a formal interview, but rather a second or third interview. For those, my husband usually dressed down a little from a suit.

I agree with everyone else that he should wear the suit, but I also want to say that I would be careful before I went running back to a former employer. My first reason is that there must be a reason he left. He couldn't be lured away if everything was sunshine and roses.

Secondly this sounds like a 'family owned' business. It is my experience that family owned businesses do not take kindly to an employee leaving. They take your departure as a personal afront. Even if they take him back it is likely that there will always be an issue of trust.

So before you pick up and move back, remember the old saying 'You can't go home again.'

No matter what you decide, tread lightly.

There are not guarantees. Your husband needs to dress professionally and in this instance he needs to dress ABOVE business casual. It's not like he's being asked to wear a tuxedo.

A suit with a nice colored shirt and matching (but fun) tie would be fine.

I would trust my husband's judgment on this one . . .

Just tell him to wear the suit so he looks professional and they hire him back. We wouldn't want Las Vegas to give him a second chance.

Doesn't the old traditional rule of "dress one notch higher than the daily expecation" still apply? If he is expected to wear a suit on the job every day, then wear a suit. If he is expected to wear business casual every day, then wear a suit. I would wear a suit just to show the former employers that I'm still a sharp guy and have it together. On the other hand, your husband did work for these people and knows the culture. It's your husbands final decision, but I agree with you.

how about Friday type clothes with a nice sports jacket plus NICE SHOES. Leave the sneakers at home for sure. Dark jean, clean dress shirt (no tie), black sports or suit jacket and black dress shoes or boots.

I think you should trust your husbands judgement on this one ONLY because he's worked for the man before.

Absolutely positively wear a suit. Anything else could be interpreted as laziness, cockiness, or disrespect. Even if the manager and owner don't wear suits and your husband KNOWS he doesn't have to wear one...

He still should!!!

Is he flying in the same day as the "talk"? If so, nice jeans with a button down shirt, I think, would be appropriate. He knows these people. He's worked with them before and he knows the boss is going to be dressed down.

My husband works at a computer company where every day is casual day. I'm talking people come to work in PJs if they want. No one cares. When people come in for interviews in a full suit, it makes an impression on them. They wonder why he's wearing that and if he's done any research on the company. If someone comes in looking like a slob, they wonder why he didn't care enough to at least brush his hair. (Or whatever the issue is.) When someone comes in wearing jeans, and a nice shirt, they can tell the person did their research, but still wants to look good and make a good impression. I would think that would be the way to go.

With that being said, he's an adult and can wear whatever he wants to wear.

Good luck!

Dress like a professional. Wear the suit to impress. Dress better than you normaly would on a Friday.

It depends! It depends on the profession, on the business, how good your husband actually knows these people...

I used to be on a lot of hiring committees and I worked at a place where everyone ALWAYS wore casual. IMO and from my experience being overdressed is almost as bad as being under-dressed, especially if you outdo the boss/owner.
However if this is a place where he would usually wear a suit everyday, the I think it would be appropriate to wear one for this occasion - even though he knows it's casual Friday.

Your husband has already worked there, he knows who he is talking to AND he is an adult man. I say he can make his own decision on what to wear.
I mean he is not going to show up in torn jeans and a t-shirt right? There are many options of "casual" and put together for a man without doing the classic suit.

Good luck.

I think it depends on his occupation....what is norm to wear on a normal day of work. But I would say at least dress pants shirt and tie.

The rule of thumb for a job interview is to dress one step above what you would wear to work. In this situation I'd have him dress just a touch nicer than what people in the office will be wearing at the time.

Think he could come up with a cross between suit and casual Friday.

hello M.. :-) my parents were both raised in the military and they always raised me and my brother to err on the side of too dressy - aka dress uniform -- in circumstances such as these. I would have my DH in a suit for sure and I doubt he would object to it. Just my two cents.!! Best of luck to him and your family. I am sure all will work out for the best. :-) S.

Suit...no question about it. It's an interview. You ALWAYS dress up for interviews whether you've worked there before or not.