People Don’t Want to Work in Large Companies

Few people today want to work at large organizations, those with 10,000 or more employees.

When asked what size organization they would prefer to work for given today’s economy, the majority (71%) of business leaders chose a medium or small organization, according to a worldwide survey of senior executives and managers conducted by NFI Research.

Forty percent say they would rather work in a medium organization while 31 percent chose a small organization.  Only 14 percent prefer a large company.

When asked what factors are most important when it comes to staying with an organization, three quarters of senior executives and managers say compensation.  After compensation, senior executives and managers say confidence in leadership (73%) and autonomy or challenge (70%) are the other most important factors.

“Given the economic downturn, it appears compensation is at the forefront of people’s minds,” said Chuck Martin, CEO of NFI Research and author of SMARTS (Are We Hardwired for Success?)

More senior executives than managers would prefer to work for a small organization, based on the survey of 156 executives and managers.

Given today’s economic climate, 45 percent of senior executives say they would like to work in a small organization while almost half (49%) of managers would rather work in a medium-sized company. 

The three least important reasons for staying with an organization are lack of other opportunities (6%), education (13%), and vacation time (17%).

“There are far too many companies, and leaders at those companies, that lose sight of taking care of their top performers in a down economy like the one we are in,” says one respondent.  “They do not realize or think about the fact that top performers are still heavily sought after in such an economy, and will look to leave if they believe their current employer is not taking care of them.”

Katy Peters
Director of Marketing and Publicity
NFI Research
5 Hoyt Pond Road
Madbury, NH 03823
603-750-3020
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