Famous for great pizza, multiple professional sports teams, Oprah, and the Magnificent Mile, Chicago always seems to have a great buzz about it. America’s third most populated city has attracted an abundance of awesome companies that take employee appreciation to the next level. Let’s take a peek at the ten coolest companies to work for in Chicago. Find out what other companies have been award the O.C. Tanner Cool Culture Award at www.octanner.com.

1. top 10 coolest companies to work for in chicago

2. Tasty Catering has helped Chicago gain its reputation for excellent food.
Besides providing quality cuisine, this catering company is also a cool place
to work. Employees receive regular bonuses and awards for reaching their
company’s goals. Tasty Catering also gives its workers free lunch every day.
Plus, excellent wages, great benefits, and bonuses all make Tasty Catering
an obvious choice for this top ten list.

3. Tris3ct’s nearly 100 employees enjoy working in an open, loft-styled office
and having a voice in the company. During meetings, the company’s
executives expect to hear from even the lowest ranked employee. Tris3ct
gives its workers a paid comprehensive health care plan and a “perk du
jour”—an employee indoor soccer team, Iron Ch3f competitions, and an
employee art gallery. As if that’s not enough, Tris3ct is also known to have
spontaneous team-building exercises like Jenga.

4. SWC is a team oriented company. They have a reputation for being loyal to their
employees, giving their workers a lot of exposure to different environments and
technology, and organizing a lot of fun, expensive after hour activities. In the
company’s quest to help their employees live balanced lives, SWC organizes
happy hours, lunch activities, employee talent shows, trivia contests, and even
dodgeball games. It’s safe to say that SWC is one of the coolest companies in
Chicago.

5. Red Frog employees are allowed to work in their tree house or anywhere
else around the office. On their breaks, workers can enjoy the in-house zip
line, foosball tables, or even grab a free beer. Seriously. Red Frog
employees also enjoy unlimited vacation time, a 401k, and a health plan
with no deductible. When looking to hold a meeting, employees are
encouraged to use a table surrounded by swings or one made of LEGOS.

6. Nitel, a company that provides telecom services to rural areas, holds
at least one major activity for its employees every month. Some past
activities include an office massage day, Cubs games, and even a
beach volleyball tournament. Nitel also hosts an employee 5k
run/walk and donates all the proceeds to charity.

7. Model Metrics trusts its employees to get the job done, no matter where they are.
Many of its workers use subsidized iPads and smart phones to work from
wherever they are. The company also allows employees to take as much time off
as they want, as long as they fulfill their job requirements. The new office
building doesn’t have any offices, either. Employees can sit wherever and with
whomever.

8. Milhouse Engineering and Construction is all about Fridays. Every Friday is
called “Orange Friday”, and employees are encouraged to wear their best and
brightest orange clothing. Whoever wears the most orange (one of Milhouse’s
primary colors) gets a reward that day. It could be cash or paid time off. The
company’s CEO also has a lunch delivered to the office every other Friday.
Plus, with a monthly happy hour event at various local restaurants and bars,
Milhouse works hard to make sure its employees feel appreciated.

9. If vacation is a priority for you, kCura is the place to work. Its employees
get 18 paid days off, plus another 11 paid holidays. That’s essentially a
whole month of PTO! Throw in a lunchroom with darts, a game room,
and a ping-pong table, and kCura is looking like a pretty cool place to
work. In addition to the fun workplace environment, kCura throws parties
and has activities outside of work. Monthly happy hours, cook offs, and
family picnics help employees enjoy time away from work, as well.

10. Assurance has multiple staff appreciation days, where the CEO and other
executives go out of their way to make sure employees know how much
their work is valued. They have had fresh fruit delivered, dance classes,
and even an massage day. Employee wellness programs are also
important at Assurance. The company provides its employees with
exercise classes, a 5k run, and nutrition seminars to help improve
wellness at work.

11. As an employee at Centro, you can expect yoga classes, fresh
fruit, concerts, basketball games and more. Besides these perks,
Centro also provides employees with a ton of benefits and lots of
time off, too—15 paid days off, 10 personal days, paid holidays,
paid maternal and paternal leave, tuition reimbursement, and a
three week paid sabbatical after your first year. Workers even get a
free gym membership.

12. Visit our website to discover other companies that
have received the O.C. Tanner Cool Culture Award.
www.octanner.com