LONDON, December 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

A friendly atmosphere, having a close relationship with colleagues and bosses, and having a say in the future of the company are key benefits of working in a SME according to new research from Nescafe Alegria and YouGov.

The study which questioned over 1200 SME employees and over 550 SME employers, focused on the advantages of working for a SME and quizzed respondents on what makes them most happy at work.

Friendly colleagues came out on top for most employees (82%) and employers (78%) in terms of providing a positive working environment, whilst 54% of employees and 55% of employers also stated that this was a key advantage of working in a SME as opposed to a larger company.

Relationships seemed to be a fundamental reason why people choose to work for a small company with both employers (54%) and employees (55%) stating that being able to know more of the employees is an advantage over working in a larger company, and almost half (49%) of 18 - 24 year olds employees feeling they have a better social life with their colleagues in a SME.

The importance of working relationships was a consistent theme in the research as 45% of SME employees stated that having a closer relationship with their manager or supervisor makes them happy at work - and 58% employers indicated this as a an attribute that would make their employees happy.

The study went on to find that 31% of SME employers think staff taking coffee breaks provides them with a great chance to catch up with each other and can boost morale, further implementing the importance of relationships in a work environment.

Being able to have more say in what happens in the company was also highlighted as an advantage, however more SME employers considered this important (61%), than employees (41%), indicating that SME bosses may need to work a little on making their employees feel more relevant to their organisation.  

Flexible working hours was identified as a positive attribute and a good management structure came out on top with 72% SME employees and 74% employers stating it is important for a positive work environment.

Katrina Webb, Category Manager for Nescafe Alegria, which commissioned the study, commented: "Many SMEs can't afford provisions such as pensions and gym memberships so we wanted to find out exactly what is attracting so many employees to work for these organisations.

"Our research findings show that a choice of workplace doesn't just come down to monetary and materialistic benefits these days - we are seeing more people opting for motivational perks and thinking beyond the payslip.

"Better relationships are a key factor in why people are opting to work for a SME, and coffee breaks have been identified as a key opportunity for employees to build upon them. The quality of coffee is important to employees, so by offering them delicious café-style coffees at work that can be made at the touch of a button, employers can reap the benefits - particularly with staff spending less time popping out to buy coffee from a local chain."

To view or download the infographic to accompany this research, please visit: https://uk.nescafe-alegria.com/the-advantages-of-working-in-a-sme.html

For more information about Nescafe Alegria, visit https://uk.nescafe-alegria.com/

About NESCAFE ALEGRIA  

NESCAFÉ^® Alegria A510 is the convenient and affordable coffee solution for a small workplace or business. It's easy to use by simply plugging in and creating a range of speciality coffees at the touch of a button.

Key research findings: Nescafe Alegria and YouGov SME Advantages Research (1272 SME employees/566 SME employers (excluding sole traders),  October 2014  

• 82% SME employees and 78% SME employers say friendly colleagues are important for a positive work environment
• 72% SME employees and 74% SME employers say a good management structure is important for a positive work environment
• 31% SME employers and 16% SME employees say having a coffee break at work is a great chance to catch up with colleagues, and can boost morale
• 55% SME employees say that being able to know more of the employees is a benefit of working in an SME compared to larger companies
• 61% SME employers and 41% SME employees say being able to have more of a say in what happens in the company is a benefit of working in an SME compared to larger companies
• 54% SME employees and 55% SME employers say that a friendlier atmosphere is a benefit of working in an SME/benefit to employees compared to larger companies
• 45% SME employees say that having a closer relationship with their manager or supervisor makes them happy at work and 58% SME employers also believe this makes their employees happy
• 49% 18-24 year old SME employees say having a better social life with colleagues is an advantage of working in an SME compared to larger companies

All figures for GB SME employees (excluding sole traders), unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 6,382 adults, of which 1,262 were SME employees (excluding sole traders). Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th - 16th October 2014.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

All figures for GB SME employers (excluding sole traders), unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 566 GB SME employers (from businesses with less than 250 employees, excluding sole traders). Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th - 20th October 2014. The survey was carried out online. All results have been weighted to GB business size.

SOURCE NESCAFÉ Alegria