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“What do you see as the big differences between a national company versus a startup?”

ESS Candidate Newsletter – MAY 2024

Columbus, OH – MAY 2024

In this month’s, ask the recruiter, we talk about a the size of the company you want to work for.

Introduction – Aaron Wandtke
Recently Filled Jobs
Ask the Recruiter “What do you see as the big differences between a national company versus a startup?”

Introduction:

Over the last two months at ESS, we’ve been seeing an uptick in new job openings compared to the previous five months. Right now, it feels like both employers and job seekers are proceeding with caution. Employers are trying to find the best value for the compensation range they have which is causing hiring processes to take longer. Job seekers are more cautious and are asking more questions to ensure they land in the right role with the right company. If you fall into either of these two categories and would like to talk about your strategy, please let me know.

Finally in Ohio, the weather is great. (We may be basing this on a one week of good weather sample size). Regardless, this time of year we always see increased activity so please keep me informed of any changes or if there is anything I should keep an eye open for.

Ask the Recruiter – “What do you see as the big differences between a national company versus a startup?”

This is a topic we address with a lot of potential candidates when they see the security of working at a large national company or even a regional company versus a start-up with some venture capital money behind it. There are reasons why each option makes sense. Below are some things to discuss when assessing which company provides you with the best career path.

  1. Security versus risk – People feel a sense of security when working with a national health plan, PBM or pharmaceutical company versus a startup that may have less than one hundred employees. Each person must assess their risk tolerance and something to consider is where you are at this stage of your life in terms of family responsibilities.
  2. Comfort versus challenge – Some people like the 9-5 and some people like the randomness of a new company. A lot of people are attracted to a new or smaller company because they can see and measure their impact on the company. At a large company, your individual contribution becomes much harder to measure and to see the impact.
  3. Consistency versus volatility – Everyone wants to pick the next Amazon, Facebook, or Apple to commit their career to. Many companies do not have enormous success right away. People who can manage volatility do better in start-ups. Typically, in a start-up, there will be several decisions on strategic direction that ultimately determine if they will make it or not. The consistency of a big national company who provides dividends every year is attractive to some people.

This is something everyone must think about and reflect on, taking other people into consideration of this decision. If you are considering either and want to discuss some questions to think about, please let me know.

I can be reached at 614-885-8490 or by e-mail at aw@ess123.com.