If you worked in corporate, can you be happy in SME?

[SparklyNewMe]

I have mostly worked in large, stock market listed organisations. The appeal has been job security, career progression and credible employer names on CV. As I have progressed to middle management (F46, slow burner clearly), I am disillusioned by this environment daily - every time we need to improve margins, there are senseless job cuts and people who are left are burning out picking up extra workload. Career progression is mainly facilitated by people made redundant or those who leave, and with new hire freezes, people moved into senior roles are often incompetent. I have been myself promoted when I was not ready and it nearly broke me. And the credibility of the name in the local market is being eroded as rumours spread in the industry about this place operates. And on daily basis, I just get nonsensical instruction from SLT to execute and fully justified pushback from below. I feel numbed to work, and this awful grey feeling spills into evenings and weekends, it is eroding the joy of life. Long hours spent at work do not feel constructive but like I am wasting my life. Sorry for the rant. DH in the same position.

So, my question - is it any better in a privately owned business? What are the cons and pros vs corporate I have described above? I do not want to risk losing what I do have if it’s the same everywhere. But I am a grafter and need to feel achievement, happy to make a real effort.

Interview the owner hard! It’s their mood, their attitude that permeates a business.

I’ve loved, and hated SME’s. I’ve also hated big business. on balance, small is usually better as you can influence things more easily.

How is there “job security” in the corporate world when you yourself say every time there is pressure to grow margins they cut jobs?

Business is business so the same things happen in companies without stock market listings. Privately owned businesses are less regulated, though this is increasing. Management can take decisions without thinking about the impact on stakeholders in the same way. I think it really depends on your field whether it would be a good move. The speed of decision making and reaction can be faster and the year doesn't revolve around results and Annual Report in the same way. Bonus schemes for shares obviously don't work in the same way - you can't sell a share award on the open market. Think why someone might want to employ you in the private sector.

I’ve gone from blue chip to SME. If you decide to make the move to need to go into it with eyes wide open. It’s very very tough. It’s the owner’s mortgage/family holidays etc on the line so they can be challenging to say the least. They may have a great product but no realistic ideas of how to support it/grow it in the market. In my experience the benefits that you get as standard in blue chip won’t be there. And there typically isn’t HR.

Personally I wouldn’t do it. I wish I hadn’t. I’m struggling to get back into blue chip now.

It’s very very tough. It’s the owner’s mortgage/family holidays etc on the line so they can be challenging to say the least.

This is an important point, the business is personal for the small owner and that can easily tip into their business practices. I’d interview hard and walk away from any red flags, eg no HR function, the business is a “family” or signs that they’d struggle with staff who aren’t ever available. I think a sense of connection is important when you’re working in close proximity to the owner, so would want to “click” with them at interview more than I might for a bigger organisation. I work for a type of SME having moved from the public sector - it’s going really well but the interview was a dream and if it hadn’t been I’d have walked away despite the job itself sounding really good.

While I'm sure there are exceptions, my personal experience is that small companies which are family businesses are shitty places to work if you're not one of the family.

I moved from corporate to a small charity, (via running my own business serving corporates for a few years). The charity was actually a membership society, turnover around £1 million.
Like you I was burnt out with the corporate world but I found the skills gained there very applicable in my new role. It’s hard work, no doubt, but I had a great time.

Thank you. This has been very helpful to appreciate what I do have.

You are clearly not happy where you are and going through the motions. Maybe another blue chip would be better? Not all SME are the fiefdom of one family! I've worked across the spectrum of organisations and now work for a charity where I enjoy a large degree of autonomy.

In my career, I have never really noticed much difference between large corporations (mostly US owned on my case) and SMEs, other than with an SME If you have a serious issue, it's generally easier to speak to the person with the power to do something about it.

However, what I would urge you to avoid at all costs are charities and the so-called "third sector" which have been some of the most mean-spirited and "office-politics" employers I have ever encountered. That may be a generalisation, but I don't think it's a sweeping one.