Partner Article

Small business, big opportunity

It’s Jobs focus week this week on Bdaily. Here, Beth Farrer, director of Farrer Kane, provides insight about SME recruitment.

Having recently launched a new communications consultancy, Farrer Kane, and brought on board a couple of senior hires, we’re at the exciting stage of recruiting our first graduate trainee.

Exciting because this signals further business growth but moreover because I believe our agency will provide the right candidate with a fantastic opportunity and offer a real chance for fast-track career progression.

Having worked for all manner of agencies during my 12 years in the PR industry, I’m convinced that SMEs provide the best on-the-job training and far greater exposure than graduates sat in a more cossetted role at a larger business.

The advantages versus disadvantages of joining an SME have been discussed ad infinitum, but simply put, an SME can provide many opportunities that simply don’t exist in larger businesses: a greater chance of promotion if the business expands rapidly, more client exposure (because at an SME the management need all hands on deck), greater responsibility at an earlier stage, a more varied working day and direct access to senior mentoring.

There are of course always two sides to the coin and just as working for an SME brings upsides, it is important that those considering a job with a small business understand what they might not get as an employee. For starters, SME by their very nature don’t tend to have dedicated HR and training functions. This means that if you’re after endless formal appraisals and structured training you may be disappointed.

New entrants to either the job market or a particular profession sometimes make the mistake that all businesses have access to the same resources. Just because your friend who is training at a law firm comes home with a new laptop and smart phone doesn’t mean that you’ll be immediately getting one from your SME employer! That is not to say that they won’t be provided eventually, but SMEs need to see real commitment from their employees before making investments.

Which brings us onto how to go about securing a role within an SME? For us, the key is for candidates to understand what the business is trying to achieve and be passionate about helping it achieve its mission. Most SMEs will have been started by one or two entrepreneurial figures and it essential to show that you share their enthusiasm and will work hard for the business. SMEs simply can’t afford passengers.

Given the numbers involved, big businesses may sometimes approach recruitment as a tickbox exercise. It is important to remember that SMEs will never do this. For them, each team member adds an important new layer to the culture and DNA of the business. Researching the business, understanding its approach, attitude and cultural values is essential and then mirror these behaviours within interview scenarios.

SMEs tend to be after self-starters as that means less time spent on micro-managing and more time hunting new business. Show that you are willing to take early responsibility for yourself and that you understand there isn’t the safety-net of other colleagues in between you and the various business stakeholders that you may be interacting with.

In demonstrating a real understanding and desire for the challenge ahead you’ll put the SME owners mind at rest and seriously up your chances of landing the role. Finally, when interviewing with an SME, remember that management may well be looking at you not just as an employee but possibly as a future business owner.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Farrer Kane .