Big vs Small – who is the more attractive employer?
We recently posted about the rise of boutique recruitment agencies and though small, what a highly effective and invaluable resource they can be when it comes to tapping into niche and local markets. This got me thinking about start-ups and SMEs generally and I stumbled across some interesting figures that I thought were worth sharing. Across the 15 years I’ve been in recruitment, I have gained the most satisfaction from working in and working with small to medium sized business, starts ups and micro business (Next Chapter Marketing Recruitment agency are proud to be one!) yet remarkably, according to a report commissioned by Santander Business Banking, those starting out in their careers are apparently failing to recognise the significant job opportunities that they offer. Just one third of Generation Z and Millennials leaving full time education say that want to work for an SME, and just one in six wants to work for a start-up or micro business. In contrast, the most popular career aspirations are to work for a large firm, the public sector or a global multinational.

SMEs are vital to the health of the UK economy and our current record high employment levels. The UK’s SMEs have created three times more jobs over the past five years than larger business while firms employing more than 250 staff added 650,000 jobs between 2013-17, firms employing fewer than 250 added 1.7million!

At Next Chapter Recruitment we support thriving SMEs hiring Digital, Marketing and PR talent every single day. There is some great talent out there, but it’s a competitive market and with SMEs on the back foot if the above figures are to be believed, it’s essential to present a compelling story and opportunity to win it. Many of those surveyed will never have given any thought to the benefits of working for an SME and the incredible opportunities they present. We’re not simply about filling jobs and sending CVs, we are about helping you futureproof teams and supporting you in shaping your EVP to ensure you stand out from the crowd and promote the benefits of working for an SME over and above the corporate world.
We’d love to know what your aspirations were when you first set out and your experience of big vs small in the corporate world!

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