If you are looking for a job today, you are likely attracted to big, well known organizations. I am sure that right now, the multinational companies are overwhelmed with job applications. This is not the case with SME’s. Many SME’s are looking for good employees or figuring out how to retain them. However, very few people are showing interest in them. Although it may not seem like it, SME’s are really good employers. They have a lot of value that goes unrecognized.
Here are some Reason why you should join an SME;
- You will learn a lot. When working for small or medium organizations, you will get an all rounded experience without the fear of stepping on anyone’s toes. At Centonomy, people who were initially employed for administrative tasks have found themselves travelling around the country speaking to large audiences. An accounting job in a large company is very different from one at an SME.
- At an SME, an accountant will perform several tasks. He/she may even learn how to do sales budgets. Not because reports were delivered to their desk, but because at some point, they participated in the on-ground sales or witnessing sales. It could be that the sales person got sick that day and they happened to be in the office. The show needs to go on. In SME’s everybody has to pitch in to get projects off the ground. You get to learn how a business works. The learning curve remains steep and rewarding.
- Growth: In SME’s the boss is extremely happy when you take work off their hands. They position you to be a problem solver. In SME’s, the decision maker is a desk or corridor away. You don’t have to go through layers and layers of people just to get your voice heard or ideas implemented. Therefore, you have the freedom to use your skills, creativity, execution and communication to add value. In SME’s you may have come in to do one function but discover what your passion or strengths are. Chances are you will be given the opportunity to build on them.
- Balance and Personal time. We understand your need for balance and personal time a lot more. Flexi time has now become a common theme in organizations. Many large organizations are struggling with how to structure this. In many SME’s this flexi time is just how they have always operated. The focus is on results and not how many hours you spend in the office. If you join a start up, there may be no office to even talk about. Flexi time and remote working is an immediate benefit. I know a business where they have simply decided not to come to the office on Friday. They are more productive than ever.
- SME’s are more in touch with purpose. Big companies spend huge amounts of money on crafting a vision and mission statement. If asked, over ninety percent of the work force doesn’t even remember it. In the SME world we may not always have the perfect words, but people seem to have a good idea of why the business does what it does. The business has such an impact that the people who engage with the business treat it as their own.
If you run a business, you may not be doing all the above. There are a few things here you could consider doing. Keep improving and make yourself more accessible to potentially good employees through social media and search engine optimizations.
Experience with SME’s can accelerate you when you start working in the corporate world or start your own business. You will have an all rounded exposure. SME’s may not pay you as much, especially when they are in the early stage of growth. However, there are employees who have given such value to these businesses that they become shareholders or get a profit share. This is a long term benefits that is much higher than a salary. They may have smaller resources, teams and budgets to work with, but you become very efficient and creative. SME’s might also struggle with lack of systems and processes. Let’s just say they will have problems that need problem solvers. Are you willing to get a different work experience?
If you would like to learn how to package yourself and look at your potential career differently, contact Wendy – 0735 095549 or Waceke on waceken@centonomy.com|Facebook/WacekeNduati| Twitter@cekenduati