Small companies are fertile ground for job seekers

I learned "years ago" first hand that smaller companies are best to work for since employees in these companies have more visibility, and their contribution and skills are more readily recognizable. On the down side, these smaller companies seem to be more discerning and particular in choosing their employees.

The other down side is that a bad manager's power is amplified exponentially in a small company. I know--small companies are mostly what I've worked for in my career. Also, small companies are often far less worried about things like violating anti-discrimination laws than large corporations. Mostly because they've gotten away with it and have no reason to think they won't continue to.

And the worst nightmare can often be a family-owned company. I worked for a company in the early 90s where "papa" required all the female employees to kiss him at the xmas party. I refused and was let go the first week of January.

But still, if good people own a small company, the good can seem...gooder!

Oh yeah? Well my old company, 50 employees small, offered me my old job back at less than what unemployment pays me. Mighty nice of them, right?
As someone above noted too, bad management at a small co is magnified. So true. That is dead on correct. That is exactly what happened at my old co. And half the company paid for it by losing their jobs in one day, over a year ago now.

Most small companies hire people they know, I worked for one (25 employees) for about 10 years. Then the co-owner passed away (super great guy) and the co-owner hired a true A HOLE, and his mission was to replace us all with "His people". And he did. I still want to bump into him some day, so I can, well you know.......

Falcon7 wrote:Most small companies hire people they know, I worked for one (25 employees) for about 10 years. Then the co-owner passed away (super great guy) and the co-owner hired a true A HOLE, and his mission was to replace us all with "His people". And he did. I still want to bump into him some day, so I can, well you know.......

I must just be in a contrarian mood tonight...that can happen in big companies too. I've heard of bosses moving in "their people" when they get promoted or just moved to another area. Or the same can happen when there's merger. So I guess there's pros and cons with any size company.