Differences between working in a large company and a small one.

falko89

I want to know if my experiences are the norm as I've never really worked in a large company before, all previous employers have been small.

My last job there was maybe 12 of us, we all knew each other from the cleaner right up to the boss, it was a lot more personal and more like a big family so to speak and we had the odd night out here or there for various reasons.

In this new job there are 100+ employees, you only really know the 1 or 2 people you work directly with and the chain of command is made clear from the start, I once had an occasion when the boss was standing directly beside me, he shouted over to the supervisor to get me to do something, I thought to myself "I am standing right beside you and speak fluent English, !!!!!!?" but this happens to everyone else aswell, I found it all rather alien or rather some kind of ego boosting exercise.

Small companies seem to have better working conditions, going out for a quick fag or having a coffee was no big deal, in a large company going to the toilet outside of breaks earns you a look of utter contempt.

Small companies seem to have better job security, I guess you seen as one of the family so letting you go is harder, in a large company people come and go like clockwork.

I think the biggie for me is in a large company the old saying is true, you are just a number, in a small firm you are an important part of the team, its more personal.

ILW

Small companies are much more likely to go belly up. So less secure.

MissSarah1972

falko89 wrote: »

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Small companies seem to have better working conditions, going out for a quick fag or having a coffee was no big deal, in a large company going to the toilet outside of breaks earns you a look of utter contempt.

Small companies seem to have better job security, I guess you seen as one of the family so letting you go is harder, in a large company people come and go like clockwork.

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Sorry I can't agree with you there. Small companies do not have better job security at all.

Also conditions in a larger company are normally better like more holidays, sick pay, pensions etc where as I have worked for small companies and you get no sick pay other then SSP, only 20 days plus b/h and no pension etc

falko89

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

Sorry I can't agree with you there. Small companies do not have better job security at all.

Also conditions in a larger company are normally better like more holidays, sick pay, pensions etc where as I have worked for small companies and you get no sick pay other then SSP, only 20 days plus b/h and no pension etc

I can't agree with you on that later either as got better holidays in smaller companies, never got a pension or sick pay other that SSP where ever I worked.

-sparky-

It depends. My first job was at a large corporation and I've really enjoyed it so far. Compared to my friends who worked for smaller firms I got some nice advantages:

-There's a streamlined induction programme for new employees, especially for trainee and graduate hires.

-Large companies can shell out on good IT systems - stuff like customer orders, business expenses, customer information databases, company intranet sites, etc. With small companies this stuff tends to get done in some crappy Excel sheet and is a nightmare for administrative staff. They also tend to subscribe to financial databases, research journals, and other proprietary information tools that make your job easier.

-There are usually courses and training programmes that you can sign up for just by looking around the company intranet site. Generally there's more stuff going on which you can get involved in. Both career-related and social/recreational.

-If your position is under threat, quite often they'll transfer you to another department instead of firing you. It hasn't happened to me but many coworkers I know took that option and kept their job with the company.

-The "more personal and informal" environment of a small company can be a gift and a curse. I come to work in the morning, do my duties to the best of my abilities, then leave and go home. What happens in the company outside the responsibilities of my role doesn't concern me. My friends who worked in smaller companies are often harassed with special favours and requests to do stuff completely irrelevant to their role (often at weird out-of business hours) because "we all need to chip in".

-It sounds good on your CV and is a brand everyone recognises. If you worked for Deloitte or Shell, no one will go through your CV and wonder what the hell that is - the name speaks for itself.

MissSarah1972

falko89 wrote: »

I can't agree with you on that later either as got better holidays in smaller companies, never got a pension or sick pay other that SSP where ever I worked.

So apart from holidays what else makes a smaller one better? You haven't really said? If one is better than the other are you just judging it on loo and fag breaks?

MissSarah1972

There is or course in smaller companies if you are of sick or on holiday your work is still on your desk to do when you get back therefore not really getting a paid holiday as you have to work twice as hard and take stuff home or work late to get it all done compared to some parge companies where the work is split between the team when people are not in equalling it all out or the supervisor does it.

falko89

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

So apart from holidays what else makes a smaller one better? You haven't really said? If one is better than the other are oyu just judging it on loo and fag breaks?

I suppose its the more personal thing, you know everyone and can talk to everyone, It makes for a better working atmosphere, OK your there to work but I find little things like that make all the difference, It's nice to be able to go to the loo without getting the evil eye.

falko89

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

There is or course in smaller companies if you are of sick or on holiday your work is still on your desk to do when you get back therefore not really getting a paid holiday as you have to work twice as hard and take stuff home or work late to get it all done compared to some parge companies where the work is split between the team when people are not in equalling it all out or the supervisor does it.

Yep I have had that too and then the pressure to get caught up again, In larger firms someone covers you or the works split up.

MissSarah1972

falko89 wrote: »

I suppose its the more personal thing, you know everyone and can talk to everyone, It makes for a better working atmosphere, OK your there to work but I find little things like that make all the difference, It's nice to be able to go to the loo without getting the evil eye.

The people make for a good atmosphere not the size of the team. You would work with 4 people and hate all of them where as you could be in a team of 20 and all get on.

MissSarah1972

falko89 wrote: »

Yep I have had that too and then the pressure to get caught up again, In larger firms someone covers you or the works split up.

so therefore a smaller co is not better? Nor is a large one - both are different