Is Working at a Small Company Right for You?

As a Life Sciences recruiter I hear all kinds of reasons why people want to move from the corporate world to a smaller company—most are bored, feeling underutilized, or want to have more influence over decisions. Some have previously worked for small sized organizations and some have not. If you too are thinking about making a move from a large(r) organization to a startup or smaller company, and haven’t done your research, you might be in for a culture shock. Here are some things to consider:

Organization:  If you are used to a lot of structure, support, and layers, a small company or startup might not be for you. They will probably appear as being a little disorganized. Or a lot disorganized.  They might not have SOPs in place for everything and information that you need might not be readily available. If you are impatient, this may not work out well for you. 

Note: On the flipside, odds are higher that you will be able to make your mark at a smaller company and even contribute to the development of new policies and procedures.     

Relationships:  At a smaller company you are going to get to know your coworkers well, whether you want that or not.  Some of them are going to want to discuss their personal lives with you and want your advice on work related and non-work related topics.

Note: If you are there just to make money and not friends, a small company may not be for you. After all, you will see the same faces every day and may not have your own office to avoid this.  You will need to be able to get along easily with a variety of personality types. And if you’re human, you may find yourself actually starting to care for these people.  If this sounds like drama and you can already feel yourself getting sucked in, stay away!     

Negotiation:  At a smaller company or startup, you may be able to negotiate (or actually create) your own title. Want to be the SVP of “Getting Sh*t Done”? Then go get ‘em. The world is your oyster. Since these types of companies are most likely growing, they will encourage individualism and creativity, and strict hierarchy normally doesn’t really exist. This basically means that you will get a lot of freedom.

Note: You will probably also have a better shot at negotiating vacation time and possibly even salary, especially if no one has ever done your job before, or there aren’t already five of you on the team.  But a 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement, and a great medical and dental plan that won’t cost you much?  Fuggetaboutit

Visibility:  At a large company, it is quite possible, and probable, that your CEO has no idea who you are.  At a small company, there is no avoiding him or her.  If you need to discuss something, you should be able to get on his/her calendar pretty easily, even if one of you is working remotely. 

Note: There is no hiding. You had better have strong communication and interpersonal skills.  And it would not hurt to have some things in common with your CEO. More importantly, you will be under the microscope so you will need to be on your game.

Flexibility:  If you need to leave early because your child’s home daycare closes at 5 pm you can probably work this out. But, you will need to be flexible too. You might be expected to work long hours or even weekends in order to reach a certain goal or complete a project before the deadline. The same may happen at a large company, but at a small company there may not be anyone else to fill in for you.  You might also need to wear multiple hats, and some of these hats might have never been worn before! If you are concerned about your lack of experience in a particular area, you will just have to figure it out, as there may not be anyone there you can show you.          

At the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else does, and hopefully this guide can help you decide if a move to a small company or startup is really a good match for you, or career suicide!