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Employees prefer to work for SMEs

Jul 21 2009

Working for big business is not a top priority for employees, with the majority claiming they would prefer to work for an SME, says recruitment consultancy Angela Mortimer.

Of the 600 employers questioned, 63 per cent thought that being a market leader attracts candidates. However, this was only a priority for 20 per cent of the 800 candidates surveyed.

John Mortimer, company chairman, says: ‘We’ve been operating for over thirty years and it seems SMEs are more creative in their recruitment processes [compared to larger companies].’

Mike Morgan, CEO of PR company the Red Consultancy, says: ‘For candidates, big is no longer beautiful. Twenty years ago received wisdom was to join BA or BT or a big bank. Now they value the flexibility that SMEs can offer.’

According to a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, businesses are now planning to concentrate on retaining their staff instead of recruiting fresh talent.

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