While it’s not a major recent trend, we’ve been hearing some unusual requests from workers wanting to get out of management and back into a more junior role. Who would want to move down that pole of management right? Is it just a grass-always-greener thing? As we talk more and more, we usually find out that it isn’t just a grass-is-always-greener type thing, and that very skilled self-starting workers start in roles that make them very happy so they succeed and then they advance into managerial roles. That’s where they find themselves much less happy, and they realize they’ve taken a wrong turn, but how do you move down without screwing up your resume and taking a drastic pay cut?

It takes a lot of confidence to swim against the current of upward mobility, so we really respect candidates in this position. At the same time we want to protect their salary potential. But before we talk about salary, let’s talk about the big reasons why this is happening. One is called flow, and it’s a state you get in when you are so absorbed in your work that time and everything else falls away. It’s a great feeling and for many, it’s more important than money. The second reason is feeling a part of a team and the camaraderie and sense of purpose that comes from working with others. Both flow and camaraderie are major factors in job satisfaction, and managerial roles don’t always offer these.

So now that we understand why, we have to figure out how to make this move without sacrificing salary. This isn’t an easy thing to do, but the best way we do it is by positioning the move as lateral as opposed to downward. Then we sit with potential employers and talk very honestly about the types of things that this candidate needs to feel happy and satisfied. As we mentioned before these workers are typically very talented and skilled, so we have that confidence that they will deliver.

It’s happening more and more that people who are promoted to management don’t really enjoy being managers, but they’re good at what they do. The good news is there’s a way to position the move that doesn’t make your resume look suspicious or compromise your salary. If this is something you’re interested in, we can help you make the move.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.