To not want to swallow my pride!

[Mrslewski]

I made my personal assistant of 15 years redundant back in July.

It wasn't a decision that was taken lightly but we couldn't afford her position anymore. Cuts had to be made and I felt I could manage my job without a personal assistant.

We already have a team of admin staff and it was decided the PA's work would be separated between them and one extra admin assistant brought in. We offered her the opportunity to be the admin assistant but she refused.

She has been very happy working for us and made sure to let us know she understood the decision and love working for us.

Fast forward a year and we have realised we made a massive mistake. We never appreciated how hard she worked, her 'can do' attitude, her ability to know what needed to be done without being told, how she completed tasks to such a high standard and and more. She never needed to be told what needed to be done. She just knew.

Yes this experience meant she had a salary of 30k but it was worth it.

We've had a string of people since that didn't even come close. Our reviews online have gone from over 90% to 60% with delays and poor service now commonplace.

We're not falling apart but my days are spend having to tell the assistants what to do and this slows down processes and means delays and poor customer service. I'm doing twice the work by having to spell out what needs to be done all the time.

The admin assistants are not poor workers. They just don't work closely with me so can't know to the same standard what needs to be done. I also think my old PA had particularly good initiative.

We're going to make an assistant manager position and offer it to my old PA. she will get a salary of 45k.

We don't know if she will accept this but she is currently on 26k so I think she will.

I was planning to explain that while we couldn't afford her as a PA, we have realised an assistant manager position was necessary and we felt she would be a very good choice for the position.

My Manager says he doesn't want to run the risk of her declining and so he feels I should explain that we've realised we made an error of judgement and we do in fact need her services at the company. For this reason we'd like to offer her a position higher than what she had before and would love to welcome her back at the company if she accepted the offer.

But, I don't want to admit we were wrong. I accept it in myself but I don't want to have to work with her day in day out knowing we couldn't cope without her and having to swallow my pride. It will be even worse if she doesn't accept!

AIBU to word it like I want not my other manager? I don't want to swallow my pride!

As a PA who worked my way up from admin assistant to Administrative Manager with 20 + years experience (recently promoted after 1 year in a PA job), I can assure you, she already knows.

I already knew before I got calls on how to find and do things 6 months after I left. What I have found (and my friends and I have lamented about outside workplace) is that businesses like to do stupid things like get rid of hardworking, initiative using, invested, loyal, decent people and then say they can't afford them, hire people who are cheaper and put up with suffering.

Your approval ratings are down but your business can suddenly afford her, with her experience and skill set, at what is a fair rate of pay but couldn't afford her when you were getting everything else for £15k less.

Know it, own it, accept it. Offer her the job, not telling the truth means you do not respect her. Try honesty. You tried to go cheap and didn't realise all that she did (she did her job and more by the way), now you do and want her back. Trust me PAs like that break the mould they don't make them like that anymore. Give her what she deserves. Put it matter of factly and it doesn't have to be harped on anymore.

Admit your mistake. You made a bad managemental decision, you did not value your employee and now here is the pay off. Use it as a learning opportunity. By admitting fault you can make her feel valued. If you offer a job without she may come back but may after what happened last time think she wont put in all the extra work and do bare minimum which I would not blame her for after having worked in the past where all the extra stuff I did was not appreciated. As they say pride goweth before a fall. You wont be the first person in charge to make this mistake but admiting your mistake will gain more respect especially if you consider her a friend. People are more likely to work with you if they respect you. The worst bosses I have had in the past is the ones who try to cover own mistakes and do not appreciate those below them

Why would you not want to give credit where it's due? People don't just work for money, they want to feel valued and recognised for their work too.

As a boss, surely you know how important validation is for morale?

Thank you. I will take the advice given and let her know we realise me really need her as part of our company.

I hope she accepts!

Mrslewski I hope she does too. Good Luck!

Not rtft but I hope it has gone well op and that your former PA is considering your offer.
For what it's worth, I have just been made redundant from a position I love and am very skilled at. Should my employer come to me at any point in the future (which I think they may once they realise how much work I do and how much activity within the company I play a pivotal role in) I would only consider returning if they made it clear that they realise letting me go was a mistake that they are keen to rectify. Being acknowledged and appreciated for your work is worth a lot.
Staff are more likely to go the extra mile if you value them and are honest in your dealings with them imo.

Op - what happened?