As a professional social media platform designed for career networking and job hunting, LinkedIn allows users to display information about their work experiences on their profiles. One important piece of information that can be showcased is the size of a company that a LinkedIn member has worked for or currently works for.
LinkedIn uses standardized size ranges when displaying a company’s number of employees. Understanding these LinkedIn company size ranges can help provide useful context about someone’s professional background and the types of organizations they have experience with.
Overview of LinkedIn Company Size Options
On LinkedIn user profiles, the company size for current and past positions is displayed as one of several preset ranges. Here are the main company size range options on LinkedIn profiles:
- Self-employed
- 1-10 employees
- 11-50 employees
- 51-200 employees
- 201-500 employees
- 501-1,000 employees
- 1,001-5,000 employees
- 5,001-10,000 employees
- 10,001+ employees
These size ranges allow LinkedIn members to quickly communicate whether they have experience working at small, medium, or large organizations based on number of employees. The brackets also let viewers understand at a glance if someone has expertise with startups, small businesses, mid-size companies, or major enterprises.
Definitions of LinkedIn Company Size Categories
LinkedIn’s preset company size ranges closely align to common definitions used to categorize small, medium, and large businesses based on their workforce numbers. Here is an overview of how each LinkedIn company size bracket corresponds to standard business size classifications:
Self-Employed
The “self-employed” designation on LinkedIn refers to freelancers, independent consultants, solo entrepreneurs, and sole proprietors who work for themselves instead of being employed by a company. This size essentially means having zero full-time W-2 employees beyond the business owner.
1-10 Employees
A company with 1-10 employees is considered a “microbusiness” by most standards. This category includes early-stage startups and small businesses in the very beginning phases of growth.
11-50 Employees
The 11-50 employee range falls into the “small business” categorization. At this size, companies are likely established but still small in scale and overall workforce.
51-200 Employees
Companies with 51-200 employees are generally classified as “small to medium-sized businesses.” They have moved past the stage of being a very small operation but are still not at the size of a large corporation.
201-500 Employees
Firms with 201-500 employees are considered “medium-sized businesses.” They have grown beyond being a small business but are still not at the level of having several thousand employees on staff.
501-1,000 Employees
The 501-1,000 employee range is at the upper threshold of what is defined as a medium-sized business according to most standards. At this employee headcount, companies are often mature firms that have been around for some time.
1,001-5,000 Employees
Companies with 1,001-5,000 employees are generally classified as “large businesses” in size. This employee count represents firms that have achieved significant scale and market share in their industries.
5,001-10,000 Employees
The 5,001-10,000 range constitutes very large companies by most measures. Hitting this bracket typically signifies that a company is a major established player within its particular sector.
10,000+ Employees
Firms with over 10,000 employees are in the realm of huge multinational corporations with expansive operations. The 10,000+ size on LinkedIn indicates extremely large and prominent companies.
Common Company Sizes by Industry
While the LinkedIn company size ranges provide a standardized way to categorize business workforce numbers, typical employee counts tend to differ significantly based on industry and sector. Here are some examples of common company sizes within particular industries:
Industry | Common Company Size |
---|---|
Technology startups | 1-200 employees |
Consulting firms | 201-1,000 employees |
Law firms | 51-500 employees |
Accounting firms | 501-5,000 employees |
Investment banks | 5,000-10,000 employees |
Pharmaceutical companies | 10,000+ employees |
As this table illustrates, industries have significant variance in terms of typical workforce numbers. While a 50 person technology startup may be considered a large firm in its sector, a professional services or banking firm may need over 1,000 employees to have a similar standing in its field.
Advantages of Displaying Company Size on LinkedIn
Showcasing company size for current and past positions has several potential benefits for LinkedIn users:
Demonstrates Career Progression
The company size ranges can illustrate career growth and advancement. Moving from a role at a 10 person startup to a position at a Fortune 500 firm with 50,000 employees shows significant trajectory.
Signals Industry Experience
The size of companies someone has worked for can signal the types of industries they have experience in. For example, having only large company experience may indicate a career focused heavily in banking or manufacturing versus startups.
Conveys Leadership Abilities
Having senior executive experience at large companies with over 1,000 employees can display substantial leadership abilities required to manage large teams and complex organizations.
Shows Varied Work Experience
When someone has worked at companies of different sizes, it demonstrates exposure to both the nimble cultures of small businesses as well as the structured approaches of major corporations.
Key Takeaways
In summary, here are some key points on LinkedIn’s company size ranges:
- LinkedIn uses preset brackets to display company size on member profiles, such as 1-10 employees or 5,001-10,000 employees.
- The ranges align closely to standard size definitions of small, medium, and large businesses based on number of employees.
- Typical company sizes differ significantly across industries.
- Showing company size can convey career progression, industry expertise, leadership experience, and varied work environments.
Understanding LinkedIn’s company size designations can provide helpful context on someone’s professional background and career path when viewing their profile. The standardized ranges make it easy to quickly assess the general scale of organizations that a LinkedIn member has been a part of during their work history.