Most UK graduates believe big corporations are bigger payers and offer more security than SMEs, according to a survey of 200 UK graduates, commissioned by specialist SME graduate recruiter, Give A Grad A Go.

Of those polled, 91% think corporations pay better, 79% think they offer better job security and 74% believe they offer better career progression than SMEs.

However, graduates felt SMEs excelled in terms of work ethic (75%) and job satisfaction (82%), while a massive 92% of all those surveyed felt that SMEs encouraged more creativity in the workplace. Smaller businesses also scored higher (62%) than corporates on work-life balance.

Cary Curtis, Give A Grad A Go founder and managing director, says: “SMEs make up the backbone of British industry and will need to take advantage of the abundance of highly skilled graduates leaving university looking for work.

“Graduates that approach us are often unaware of the fantastic career opportunities that exist in SME organisations and certainly have no idea how to take advantage of them.”