Would You Like to Downsize Your Company?

Gone are the days when one would work for the same large company for about forty years and then retire with a gold watch and a fat pension. Today, employees don't think twice about switching jobs and moving to a small company if they are getting better benefits and job flexibility.

With the increasing popularity of entrepreneurship and the mushrooming of a lot of small companies, large companies are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain good talent in spite of offering significantly large salaries and better health benefits. The primary reason for this shift in employee preference is the flexibility offered by the small companies. For instance, managers at small companies are quite OK with granting leaves at short notice and allowing their team members to work flexi-hours in order to accommodate their personal responsibilities. At a small company, your manager would most probably not mind your going to pick up you kid from school everyday. Such flexibility and allowances are hard to find in large companies.

Further, with fewer levels of hierarchy and less red tape, these small companies offer better chances of growth and a more fulfilling set of job responsibilities. More freedom at work to implement innovative ideas also attracts a lot of bright and creative talent to small companies.



Also, since the bottom-line impact of mistakes is lower at the small companies, there is less stress at work and less severe consequences of decisions gone wrong. Hence, a lot of people are now opting to move to similar roles in a small company if the pay is equally good.

However, there are a few things you need to consider carefully before you make the move. Is the company stable enough to last a while? Are the leaders of the company sufficiently competent to steer the company through troubled waters? In today's economy, everyday, we hear of companies going bankrupt and closing shop. You would definitely not want to leave a good job in a large company to join a small company that goes bust a couple of moths down the line. Hence, do your research and ensure that the company has the right people at the top who can handle the company affairs well.

Further, do a matrix analysis of your skill-set and your priorities when it comes to selecting a job. For instance, if money and other benefits are important to you, you may reconsider your decision to move to a small company. However, if your contribution to the company's growth and the potential for quick career growth are more important to you than your take-home, a job at a smaller company may prove quite satisfactory.

Moreover, when you are negotiating the move, remember that your large-firm experience is considerably valuable to the small company you are in talks with, so negotiate a good compensation package in case things go wrong. Many companies agree to pay you six to twelve months of salary in case the contract is terminated without cause.