How soon can I request a transfer?

May 24, 2009 5:36 PM

How soon can I request a transfer?

After many years away, I moved back to the small city where I grew up to take a very good job. The job is great, as jobs go. The office culture and my co-workers are, too. My bosses have been very good to me and have, I think, gone out of their way for me (raises and promotions). However, I still don't like this town and hope to transfer back to the city I moved from, where there's also an office. How long should I decently give it before I request this? I've been here over one year now, and I really don't want to screw over the people I work with. I'd like to move in the next year, while housing prices in my old city are good. Asking anonymously because I have no idea if my co-workers read MeFi, and if this is known, it will have the same effect as making the request already. Email at [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (8 answers total)

I think companies expect that the people requesting transfers are doing so for personal reasons, and that the timing of requests may be relatively random. It sounds like you're well-liked at your office, so they may want or even encourage you to stay, but if your company allows transfers like this, then they have to make the decision based on business needs. If you're replaceable in your position and a position realistically exists for you at your desired location, then I think you should ask whenever you want - no delay needed.
posted by chudmonkey at 5:45 PM on May 24, 2009

It seems appropriate to bring this up after a year, especially if you put it in a reasonable timeframe context. Frame it in such a way that you are interested in moving back to the city within a year or so and that if there are any opportunities available, you would be very interested in pursuing them. You don't want to wait 6 months and then find out the only transfer opportunity passed you by when they hired someone new at the city office 3 months ago.
posted by sophist at 6:12 PM on May 24, 2009

Sophist said:

Frame it in such a way that you are interested in moving back to the city within a year or so and that if there are any opportunities available, you would be very interested in pursuing them.

Just want to add that you should stick on a bit about "...but I really like working with this group of folks, and if I decide not to leave town I don't have any desire to leave this team." Never hurts to point out that your reasons for leaving have nothing to do with them, especially since you sincerely like working with them.
posted by davejay at 8:30 PM on May 24, 2009

As a point of comparison, at IBM Canada it's 2 years before you can change departments/cities.
posted by furtive at 8:57 PM on May 24, 2009

What's with all the tentativeness? Here's something you should remember: your company doesn't like you. By that I mean that, whatever company your work for (assuming it's a business here, but most other employers are the same) was not created in order to like you and support you. You may like your co-workers, and they may like you back, but that's not why you all come to work every day. Your employer looks after its own interests, and you should do the same.

Of course you should be polite, tactful, respectful, etc...but you should do what's right for yourself, so of course a year is plenty of time, especially since you are only inquiring about a possible transfer. If anyone takes your inquiries personally, that their problem, not yours. Business is business.
posted by hiteleven at 9:24 PM on May 24, 2009 [1 favorite]

I was talking to a friend who requested a transfer 2 months after starting. So yeah, I think this really depends on your company.
posted by chunking express at 8:33 AM on May 25, 2009

Also, start making it easier to leave. Make sure things are well documented, and that others know about critical processes. Be flexible about the timing.
posted by theora55 at 9:13 AM on May 25, 2009

Get the process going as soon as possible!

They're not going to transfer you on your schedule, they're going to do it on theirs, so at best you have to wait for the first opening in [big city] that you're qualified for. Depending on the company and the economy, this might not happen for a year or more.

If you're worried about seeming like you took the job in bad faith or whatever, I don't think you have to worry about that after a year on the job. Just say it to them like you did to us. You really like the job, you really like the company, and you really like the people, but the overall situation outside of work is making you unhappy. They'd rather keep you (a rather expensively trained asset) inside the company by transferring you than lose you completely. That's the only reasons that transfers work anyway--they'd rather work with someone they than hire someone new.

So don't worry about it. Be honest and upfront about it. When the boss comes back with "What can we do for you here to make you stay/make it better/etc.?" have good honest answers prepared. And make sure they don't have anything to do with the job. And let the boss know you're patient (and you won't screw off at your work while waiting for a transfer) but that this is something you've given a lot of thought about and really want.
posted by Ookseer at 11:44 AM on May 25, 2009