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February 9th, 2023
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Large company vs small company – which is for you?
As a recruiter I work with clients of multiple sizes, some smaller with less than 50 employees and others much larger with over 500. When speaking to my candidates for these roles they are either excited or daunted by the prospect of working for one or the other, and they usually have a preference. While I always thought this was down to personal preference I wanted to know the reasons behind it.
Large Company
Pros
As with anything there are multiple pros but when speaking to my candidates one reason kept being mentioned – the ease of starting. Larger companies already have mature products and have the documentation and the process around it in place; this makes it easier to get started on the work as quickly as possible and means you can crack on with any tasks as soon as you start in the position.
And as with any large organisation many areas and departments within the business are set up, making it easier for you to know where you should be and what you should be doing.
Cons
Of course, there are down sides to working for a larger company, many things that may seem easier when in a smaller start-up. With any large company it can be difficult to get your voice heard, as you may just feel like ‘another number’, this can make it harder for you to implement ideas and have the possibility of changing processes. There is also a lot of red tape within these businesses, meaning even some of the smaller and simpler tasks can take a long time to do.
Another con that my candidates mentioned is the path to career progression, while it may seem it would be quicker to move up in a larger company as there are more opportunities this is not always the case and can take much longer than in a smaller company.
Small Company
Pros
The pros of working for a smaller company are varied, many of the candidates I spoke to mentioned they liked the varied amount of work and the autonomy of their role. In many smaller companies there are fewer processes in place, making it easier for you to get involved in decision making and allow you to implement new ideas.
Another pro is the size of teams, as they smaller you can get more exposure to the business, and with that more recognition making it easier to progress throughout the business.
Cons
On the other side having a smaller team can be a negative, if the business is truly a start-up you may be the only employee with a set skill, meaning there is less, or no people to bounce ideas off and you won’t have a big team to learn from. With this there is usually very little structure in place, particularly around budget so some of the projects you are working on can feel limited.
One main reason my candidates don’t work for smaller companies is because of the package that comes with the job, while a start-up might offer a higher base salary and ‘fun’ offices , the majority do not offer good pensions or the extensive benefits you would get with a large company.
From speaking with my candidates it is clear there are multiple pros and cons to working for either a small or large company. My advice to anyone considering making a switch in company size would be to way these up and work out which suits you and your work personality best.
Do you prefer working for a small or large company? What do you believe are the pros and cons?
KDR Recruitment is the home of the UKs best Information Management and Analytics jobs. For more career advice follow KDR on LinkedIn and Twitter
This blog was originally published on LinkedIn. To read the original article click here
