It’s no surprise to us that American Transport Group, LLC ranked on Brill Street + Company’s “2011 Top 50 Chicago Generation Y Employers.” Our reason? They make college recruiting and hiring college grads their priority. When we interviewed Human Resources Director Lauren Russell, she was actually at a university preparing for a recruiting event!

Russell says, “We love to get new talent right out of school. We hire a wide range of majors from marketing to transportation. We recruit people who are eager to start working and we enjoy that we can train them with our way of doing things.”

ATG’s training session is no flash in the pan. Gen Y employees are trained for around two months before the are let loose and ready to fend for themselves in the transportation industry. Russell says that their training program is effective in creating happy and long-term employees.

Speaking of employees, there is no shortage of diversity among them. ATG prides itself on being a diversified company, from years of professional experience to languages spoken. All of the different backgrounds make connecting with customers that much easier. Not only does it fill Generation Y’s need for diversity, it also benefits the workforce.

ATG’s office environment isn’t just diverse, it is casual and open, too. The office has an open floor plan, sans cubicles. The set up is similar to a trading floor and is conductive for business. Desks are organized in pods grouped in teams. There are up to 10 employees in each team. Pods offer easy communication amongst team members and the open floor plan helps everyone get to know each other and make work fun (or in ATG’s case, MORE fun).

Russell says, “Our office culture is a huge draw for young professionals. We have a casual work environment with no dress code. “

Speaking of fun, how about those Cubbies? ATG is a season ticket holder of a variety of Chicago athletic teams including the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. Employees are able to use these tickets at their leisure or to entertain clients over business. Other company-sponsored events include a yearly holiday party at Gibson’s that has nearly 100% participation each year. The employees also partake in whirly ball and bowling competitions, and bond over dinner and drinks in the city.

And let’s not forget about health. Employees receive discounted gym memberships in their competitive benefits package. In the office, employees can receive health evaluations from a chiropractic group. Young professionals at ATG can expect to work in a diverse and casual environment, be trained for success, have fun, and maintain a longstanding relationship with the American Transport Group.