Why are more people ditching corporate roles for startups?

After coming across a few articles reporting that large, corporate employers are losing staff to startups, I couldn’t figure out why that would be the case. Would someone really want to leave a safe, permanent job and move to somewhere less stable? Could it truly be the case that 86% of people working for a company with over 500 employees want to leave for a startup1?

Well, it certainly seems that way! There’s many reasons why startups are appealing to people who are stuck in a career rut, as they offer something a bit different.   

They’re less stressful. How many examples of cool offices have you come across? Ping pong tables, foosball tables, drinks on a Friday, free artisan coffee, dogs running around the office…you can bet that you won’t be restricted to a cramped cubicle slaving away all day! With recent research discovering that 40% of work-related illnesses were related to stress2, it certainly seems that more people are taking their health into account and making career moves that will reduce the stress they’re under.

A healthy work-life balance. Most startups need staff to work long hours, but some are taking a different route and testing out a 30-hour working week3. Whether or not you work 30 hours or 60, startups are certainly more flexible with how those hours are worked. Want to work from home, condense your hours, or work weekends and have days off during the week? Startups are much more receptive to these requests, because it’s about making their staff happy – and if that means it takes the business to the next level, then that’s what it takes!

There’s room for creativity. How many times have you thought of a great idea, only for it to be shot down because “management don’t like it”? Startups can be limited with what they can finance, but they’re more open to thinking outside of the box and actively encourage their employees to be creative. You’re not limited to rigid brand guidelines

More opportunities to progress. If you impress, you’re much more likely to be promoted. At large corporations, being promoted is dependent on a lot of factors you can’t influence, such as annual reviews, orders from above, budgets…the list goes on. At a startup, you’re not dealing with layers of management. Want a raise or promotion? You can speak to the person who’s in charge without jumping through countless hoops.

You have responsibility. Most startups are small and have fewer than ten staff. That means you’ll likely be the head of an entire function, such as marketing or design. The decisions you make come from you, and you have the overall responsibility for the vision of your department. That’s pretty fulfilling, right?

Are startups really the place to be? If the figures and research are anything to go by, then the answer is yes! Whether your stint at a startup is just a temporary thing or if it turns out to be career-defining, we can be sure that it’ll be an experience to remember!

References:

1. Tyba – ‘The great escape: how our survey revealed the secret struggles of corporate life

2. AXA PPP healthcare – ‘Help manage stress in the workplace

3. The Guardian – ‘For some startup employees, less time spent at work is more

About the author

My name’s Emily and I run my own travel and fitness blog. Growing up in the expat world, I got a taste for travelling and continued to do so independently. You can keep up with my travel and fitness posts at www.bordersandburpees.co.uk.

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