I appreciate the pros and cons of large vs smaller companies. But does anyone have any experience of moving from a very large multinational company to a smaller company (circa 600 employees) but a larger role? Did you find it a good or bad move? Thanks.
Does anyone have experience of moving from a very large company to a smaller one?
- Thread starter Hades
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I don't think 600 people is small enough for you to encounter the genuinely terrible ways that actual small companies are run, so you should be OK. I'd be focusing on the number of staff at the location you are going to be based at, the attitudes to training and the budgets to go along with that etc.
A decent role in a 600-person org. sounds ideal, it's likely big enough to have the sort of talent pool that you need to be successful in your own role, not so big that you end up with faceless entities making decisions that affect you, and not small enough that you end up carrying tons of people or are the only person doing your job. I'm obviously making a lot of assumptions but I assume you haven't had any alarm bells going off at the interview stages?
A decent role in a 600-person org. sounds ideal, it's likely big enough to have the sort of talent pool that you need to be successful in your own role, not so big that you end up with faceless entities making decisions that affect you, and not small enough that you end up carrying tons of people or are the only person doing your job. I'm obviously making a lot of assumptions but I assume you haven't had any alarm bells going off at the interview stages?
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Thanks. Good things to think about. Yes it's an interesting size company. Small enough for upward progression (it's already a reasonably senior role). Small enough to cut through a lot of the red tape a multinational has. But big enough to (probably) not disappear overnight and offer reasonable opportunity.
My ideal size company is one where there's more than one of me so we learn from each other, small enough that there aren't too many layers of management clogging things up but large enough where they've been forced into professional ways of doing things, so that offices are well designed and furnished and travel is considered a thing worth doing properly to ensure you can be productive when you're away.
I have no real desire to go back to a role in a small business where I had the stress of being the only person who could do certain things, efforts to rectify that weren't listened to, and having to deal with basic stuff like broken office chairs and terrible hotel choices.
I have no real desire to go back to a role in a small business where I had the stress of being the only person who could do certain things, efforts to rectify that weren't listened to, and having to deal with basic stuff like broken office chairs and terrible hotel choices.
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It depends.
More specifically. I moved from a reasonably large multinational company (circa 80,000 employees) to a smaller one and found the change to be extremely liberating. But then realised (after 8 years) that the company IT really needed more structure and direction, so move to a slightly larger (multinational) company.
Each has their pros and cons, I would NEVER work for a very large company again. But would probably be happy to downsize further.
More specifically. I moved from a reasonably large multinational company (circa 80,000 employees) to a smaller one and found the change to be extremely liberating. But then realised (after 8 years) that the company IT really needed more structure and direction, so move to a slightly larger (multinational) company.
Each has their pros and cons, I would NEVER work for a very large company again. But would probably be happy to downsize further.
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Soldato
5 years ago I left a $10 billion global corporation employing over 60,000 people to join a team of... 4. And that was including me. We've grown to 22 now. I was at the corporation for 12 years. It required a huge leap of faith.
It's without a shred of doubt the best thing I've ever done. I get so many opportunities and get to work at all levels, from engaging with board members at multinationals to designing and developing solutions to consulting.
It depends what you want. I couldn't stand the whole career-on-rails approach to work but lots of people prefer that discipline. I have a colleague who joined us from KPMG and he misses the rigidity and clear career path to the extent I think he's going to go back.
Like with most things it's horses for courses I suppose.
It's without a shred of doubt the best thing I've ever done. I get so many opportunities and get to work at all levels, from engaging with board members at multinationals to designing and developing solutions to consulting.
It depends what you want. I couldn't stand the whole career-on-rails approach to work but lots of people prefer that discipline. I have a colleague who joined us from KPMG and he misses the rigidity and clear career path to the extent I think he's going to go back.
Like with most things it's horses for courses I suppose.
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I did, public to private. Wish I never now.
Soldato
I moved from a company with 2-300 hundred employees to one with 6.
Loved it. Now 8 years later we have 60 employees and it isnt as good.
Loved it. Now 8 years later we have 60 employees and it isnt as good.
Soldato
Have to admit I agree with your closing point. Even at 22 people I feel it's lost some of its charm. Inevitable things like people you don't quite see eye to eye or have any chemistry with. And being less involved in the running of the company. Still loving it though 
Went from a company of 70,000 employees to one that had just 8.
I wouldn't say it was a good or bad move, just different. As you've already identified there are different challenges to both.
I think I'm currently in the sweet spot of being part of a global company but part of a small team (circa 20).
I wouldn't say it was a good or bad move, just different. As you've already identified there are different challenges to both.
I think I'm currently in the sweet spot of being part of a global company but part of a small team (circa 20).
Worked for companies with over 2000+ employees and it was actually a great place to work.
Moved to a company with 200 employees (but paid a lot more) and actually don't like it because of the massive constraints it has (i.e. it won't invest, etc.)
Personally think it depends on what the company, regardless of size, can over you and whether you like that or not.
M.
Moved to a company with 200 employees (but paid a lot more) and actually don't like it because of the massive constraints it has (i.e. it won't invest, etc.)
Personally think it depends on what the company, regardless of size, can over you and whether you like that or not.
M.
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Left a 15k company to a small 30+ office. Right of the bat you are no longer just a number which is what I wanted.
They put all of us up in a nice hotel in Leeds over the weekend for xmas. All inclusive and drink as much as you want, was very generous.
But then I lost job in recession and now I'm back at big company.
They put all of us up in a nice hotel in Leeds over the weekend for xmas. All inclusive and drink as much as you want, was very generous.
But then I lost job in recession and now I'm back at big company.