The IES’s principal research fellow, Dilys Robinson, says that working for a small business means that employees have better relationships with colleagues and teams because they ‘can see the effects of what [they] do much more clearly. The job satisfaction can be more immediate and obvious because you can see the direct results of what you are doing as opposed to being far removed from it, as you would at a big company.’

Employees also tend to know everyone working for the company, meaning that they experience a greater sense of belonging, Robinson comments.

Research by the IES is carried out independently and concerns manpower planning, labour market change and business productivity. It is also an evidence-based consultancy providing information on the labour market, employment and human resources.