Brill Street + Company

"Ninety percent of the time, people come in as a Brand Ambassador," says Katie Nichol, Associate Director of HR. This means the newbies are on the road, meeting with clients and doing "trench work" marketing events. "Then you might move up to account coordinator, senior account coordinator--it depends on how well you do. The superstars dig right in to help launch a tour. [We want] people that are really good with follow up and communication and get stuff done."

For most at Marketing Werks, "getting stuff done" isn't a problem, largely since those in the office have worked hard to get where they are and appreciate their position. "You basically go on a 9-10 month interview process to determine if you're an all star in front of a client," says Nichol, who paid her own dues on the road, donning a Hershey's Kiss costume early in her tenure at the company.

That kind of work is what helps keep the employees sense of humor intact, and according to Partner Julia Guida, Generation Y has the best attitude of anyone. "Gen Y works so well here because they want to try things, they want to make a difference in the world, they want to understand why they're doing what they're doing. They're everything we're looking for." The company seems to be what Generation Y is looking for too. Guida says many employees who come to the firm out of school stay for 8-10 years.

The sense of fun has something to do with it. "It's work hard, play hard in terms of culture," says Account Manager Ellie Meyer. "Half of the office has their heads down doing work, but towards the end of the day we play around. What's special about our culture is that everyone cares. There's friendly competition, but we're all friends at the end of the day."

Thursday nights are reserved for softball, and Fridays are relaxed and flexible. It all adds up to a comfy, productive environment.