2009 Gen-Y 50

Brill Street + Company is proud to present its annual ranking of the 50 most Generation-Y friendly companies in the Chicagoland area.

1

#1 Morningstar

"You might think most people at Morningstar studied business or finance in school, but that isn't necessarily the case. We heavily recruit folks with liberal arts backgrounds."

2

#2 Digitas

"Digitas is fast-paced, transparent, empowering, fun, exciting, and entrepreneurial."

3

#3 Deloitte LLP

"We feel that it is important for our employees to customize their careers."

4

#4 Orbitz

"Everyone has a Blackberry, so you can call into a meeting or work from home."

5

#5 NCSA

"I had the opportunity to create my own role here at NCSA and re-shape a portion of the business."

6

#6 Equity Residential

"More Detail Coming Soon."

7

#7 Careerbuilder.com

"We have many individual learning opportunities and a lot of e-learning modules containing engaging and interactive content ..."

8

#8 Accenture

"This is a company that is truly dedicated to its employees’ growth, development and well being in and out of the office."

9

#9 MSDSonline

"... you can share your ideas with your managers and directors, everybody’s open to listening and really helping you better your career and move forward."

10

#10 Total Attorneys

"I tell them this is their place; they shouldn't be afraid to change things up. If you want to paint the office wall red, do it."

11

#11 Starcom MediaVest Group

"Gen Yers in the industry love to start their careers here because of the robust training programs."

12

#12 Performics

"It's a very fun, friendly, laid-back environment. No matter how stressed I am, there's never a day where I don't want to go to work. "

13

#13 RealTick

"Providing a clear path for their employee’s upward mobility is one of Realtick’s greatest strengths."

14

#14 US Cellular Inc

"We're guided by our core values of customer focus, respect for associates, ethics, pride, empowerment and diversity. "

15

#15 Assurance

"Their (Gen Y) ability to communicate effectively and quickly gives young professionals an edge over other generations in the workforce."

16

#16 Avanade

"We have a gadget bonus to spend on technology 'toys' to enhance our knowledge."

17

#17 Kraft Foods

"There is no need for junior level staffers to feel inhibited, as all ideas and contributions are acknowledged equally."

18

#18 Anixter, Inc

"At Anixter, your career begins as an open book—it’s up to you to write it."

19

#19 West Monroe Partners

"I definitely appreciate it when the managers are invested in my career and constantly providing me feedback."

20

#20 Sandstorm Design

"They own it, they own the culture, and they own their space."

21

#21 Sonoma Partners

"I enjoy working at Sonoma Partners for the flexibility as well as the company culture and the overall energy that is in the office."

22

#22 Plante & Moran, LLC

"At Plante & Moran, (recent) graduates are as much a part of our team as any manager, staff person, associate, or partner."

23

#23 Acquity Group

"We don’t set up artificial boundaries ... There are no walls to break down, so to speak."

24

#24 Fieldglass

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

25

#25 Content that Works

"... we encourage everyone to take a leadership role in what they do,"

26

#26 Orbit Media Solutions

"... it’s people who love what they do, who they work with, who their working for, and they love the place they’re in."

27

#27 McGraw-Hill Companies

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

28

#28 Total Quality Logistics

"It’s definitely not every man for themselves; we have a great team atmosphere."

29

#29 Burwood Group

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

30

#30 Wrigley Company

"Our belief is that as senior leaders align and own our strategy, lasting change will occur."

31

#31 American Transport

"The owners of ATG work on the floor of the exchange side by side with their employees, listening to them and evaluating their input."

32

#32 Akoo International

"Akoo offers its employees additional perks to keep them happy and constantly developing."

33

#33 Grainger

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

34

#34 Zeno Group

"no walls, lots of energy and filled with people obsessed with making headlines."

35

#35 Ifbyphone

"The workspace even has a Ping-Pong table, golf putting course and scooters for employees who prefer rolling instead of walking to their destination. "

36

#36 MKTG, Inc

"We ask them, ‘What brands do you want to work with,’ and we go after them."

37

#37 rEvolution

"This year, they ditched the traditional holiday party and opted for a holiday pub-crawl to make things interesting."

38

#38 First Midwest Bank

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

39

#39 Adage Technologies

"... working hard is important and so is having fun."

40

#40 The Kenrich Group

"You will love the challenging, fast-paced atmosphere in which you’ll have a great deal of responsibility early in your career."

41

#41 Doejo

"Every single day rocks."

42

#42 Leapfrog

"Generation Y employees are bright, articulate people who want to provide solutions, and you can see that as an asset or a threat. We see it as an asset."

43

#43 Alterian

"We are always searching for dynamic, skilled individuals who aren't afraid to take risks and drive change."

44

#44 Marketing Werks

"As a new employee you are given a great deal of responsibility and the freedom to run with it. There is a lot more experience to be had compared to others starting out."

45

#45 Littelfuse

"This age group is attracted to all things technical, so naturally one of the leading technology companies would be of interest to a young professional."

46

#46 Culligan

"We are honored to be recognized as a top Generation-Y friendly company."

47

#47 Homescout Realty

"“Fun, energetic and family are the first things that come to my mind when describing our culture."

49

#49 Emerging Solutions

"In the office, a collaborative environment is fostered and mentoring and coaching opportunities are frequent."

50

#50 InnerWorkings

"InnerWorkings assumes that you aren't going to be here forever, so they let you work on projects and learn new applications that will enhance your resume."

Brill Street's Top 50 Generation Y Employers Chicago represents companies from all industries, sizes, and backgrounds that are incredible places to work. Some you may have heard lots about, others will surprise you in a good way - and many of them are hiring.

Our program, launched this year in partnership with GfK Custom Research North America, recognizes companies whose best practices attract, retain, and leverage the future of our workforce: Generation Y.

Each company on this list employs many Gen Yers, all of whom said the nature of the day-to-day work is second to none. They told us their offices offered unique and interesting perks, and again and again we were told of opportunity, transparency, and (maybe most often) flexibility.

We conducted extensive research asking Gen Yers what they value in a workplace in order to determine which companies truly stood out. We visited each and every employer on our employer-nominated roster to dig deeper and uncover what made each a great place for Gen Y.