New year, new you: 8 Chicago companies hiring like crazy in 2017

by Andreas Rekdal
January 5, 2017

Everyone knows January is a time for new beginnings, which also makes it one of the best times to look for a new job. With that in mind, we've reached out to some of Chicago's most exciting tech companies to find out what they look for when scaling their teams for the upcoming year. Why not send an application their way and make 2017 one for the books?

 

 

What they do: kCura makes hybrid on-premises and cloud-based software for organizing and managing large quantities of electronic evidence during investigations and litigation. Its Relativity platform is used by over 10,000 organizations in more than 40 countries.

Sweet perks: kCura has an in-house continuing education program to help employees grow in their roles and offers ample opportunity to volunteer with coworkers. Employees also have 18 days of paid time off, 11 paid holidays, a 401(k) plan with matching contributions and health, life and disability insurance.

What they look for: “Our people work every day to make kCura a happy, healthy and engaged community,” said Director of Talent Acquisition Matt Garvey. “We want new hires to uphold our core values. That means they should be hungry for complex challenges, engaged in their own growth and development, and eager to help us give back to our community.”

 

 

 

What they do: Jellyvision’s HR software uses humor and behavioral science to guide employees through boring and complicated processes like choosing a healthcare plan or saving for retirement. The company’s platform is used by more than 800 companies, including 88 of the Fortune 500.

Sweet perks: In addition to competitive pay, Jellyvision offers stock options, a 401(k) with employer matching and fully-paid medical, disability and life insurance. Did we mention free snacks, in-office yoga and meditation classes?

What they look for: "We recruit individuals who enjoy doing meaningful and helpful work. Our products are built around the mantra 'be helpful' and we look for individuals who aspire to embody that mantra,” said VP of People Mary Beth Wynn. “We have a fun, relaxed atmosphere that allows us to take our work seriously but not take ourselves too seriously. Those who apply to work at Jellyvision can expect an exciting, friendly atmosphere that embraces individuals as their full, unique selves."

 

 

 

What they do: Engaging with customers on social media is hard work, so why make it more complicated than it needs to be? Sprout Social makes tools that help brands build and execute social media strategies and communicate better with customers who reach out directly. Customers include Anthropologie, Grubhub, Spotify and Zipcar.

Sweet perks: “Our team and our Chicago community are key to our success, and our benefits and company initiatives reflect that,” said Director of Talent Jim Conti. “Our benefits are built for both individuals and families and, in addition to generous company contributions in the staples, they include a parental leave program, employee-led volunteering and community service programs, wellness initiatives and all the LaCroix, free lunch and snacks you can imagine.”

What they look for: “Sprout is a place where your work can make an impact starting on day one, so we look for people who have a strong potential and proven success in previous work or school experiences,” said Conti. “There’s no cookie-cutter ideal candidate: We want to meet people who are driven, creative and bringing new ideas to the team. It’s also important that they share our belief that open communication creates progress — that reflects how our company operates, builds products and engages with customers.”

 

 

 

What they do: Personalized follow-ups can do wonders for customer retention, but many small and medium-sized businesses lack the resources to maintain those connections. ActiveCampaign helps those businesses set up an automated marketing system that takes customer behavior and personal information into account.

Sweet perks: ActiveCampaign offers competitive salaries, catered lunches, a fully-stocked kitchen, work/life balance and 401(k) contributions. It also provides relocation packages to employees moving to Chicago for the gig.

What they look for: "We are seeking individuals who thrive on growth, creating new things and pushing to expand outside the existing norms," said founder and CEO Jason VandeBoom. "It's highly rewarding to have the ability to impact tens of thousands of SMBs with a team that truly cares about innovating the existing marketing landscape."

 

 

 

What they do: Formerly known as VISANOW, Envoy creates tools for employers looking to hire and manage global workforces. Its solutions aid companies with securing visas and work permits for their employees, as well as with ensuring that new employees have a good experience getting settled and established at a new workplace in a new country.

Sweet perks: Envoy offers highly competitive medical insurance, a stocked kitchen, ongoing training and opportunities to participate in company-wide social events and intramural activities. Employees are also invited to partake in shaping the company’s culture as part of committees on community service, benefits and social event planning.

What they look for: “Our customers describe our service and technology as ‘life-saving.’ The ideal candidates for our sales and customer relationship teams must be passionate about delivering big value and working with customers as an extension of the customer’s team, even before they are a customer,” said Vice President of Sales Gretchen Keefner. “Individual contributors at Envoy enjoy the opportunity to earn significant income, while supported with best-in-class thought leadership, marketing and business intelligence support.”  

 

 

 

What they do: Listening to what customers have to say about your business is important, but there are far too many review sites out there to stay on top of them all. That’s why ReviewTrackers has built a dashboard that gathers feedback from all over the web to let companies learn from and amplify the voices of satisfied customers.

Sweet perks: ReviewTrackers offers competitive compensation, retirement plans, great healthcare benefits and paid vacation starting in your first year. Employees also enjoy a casual dress code, a stocked kitchen, regular lunch and learns, happy hours and company outings.

What they look for: "Ideal candidates are intrinsically motivated to do the best work of their lives, yet humble and excited to always be learning," said founder and CEO Chris Campbell. “We value team players who are ambitious and passionate about the ReviewTrackers mission: to help brands transform the customer experience."

 

 

 

What they do: From payroll processing to tracking time sheets, communicating with employees and administering benefits, managing a medium-sized workforce involves a lot of attention to detail. Paylocity builds cloud-based software that helps HR managers stay on top of those details and understand what makes their organizations tick.

Sweet perks: Among other traditional benefits, Paylocity offers employees the flexibility to work from wherever they want in small, cross-functional teams. The company also encourages all employees to share their opinions in order to make its solutions the best they can be.

What they look for: “We look for talented individuals who work best as part of an empowered team with unyielding focus on customers, fearless spirit to experiment in service of our mission, boundless curiosity and a predisposition to ship software,” said Ted Gaty, Senior Vice President of Technology.

 

 

 

What they do: LiveWatch makes accessible and affordable home security systems. The company’s mobile app sends users a mobile alert only seconds after an alarm is triggered and can dispatch the police if the homeowner is unavailable. Since the system is modular, users can add or remove sensors as their needs change.

Sweet perks: LiveWatch has a casual dress code, a fully stocked kitchen, an in-office arcade and weekly free team lunches from places like Chipotle and Portillo’s. Employees also partake in monthly office outings for happy hours, indoor skydiving, WhirlyBall and Cubs games.

What they look for: “Our ideal candidate is someone who thinks like an entrepreneur and thrives in a highly feedback-oriented team environment,” says LiveWatch CEO Brad Morehead. “We’re looking for people who like to win and want to make measurable contributions to an industry game changer."

 

 

Images via participating companies.

Looking for something different? Be sure to check out our jobs board for more opportunities.

Jobs from companies in this blog

Chicago startup guides

LOCAL GUIDE
Best Companies to Work for in Chicago
LOCAL GUIDE
Coolest Offices in Chicago Tech
LOCAL GUIDE
Best Perks at Chicago Tech Companies
LOCAL GUIDE
Women in Chicago Tech