I'll be the first to admit--I was skeptical of recruiters. After running into so many that didn't…read moreseem to have my best interests at heart, I wasn't sure working with one would lead anywhere meaningful. But Emily Cullen at The Larko Group completely changed that perception. After having a baby, I wasn't actively planning to return to work and was hesitant about re-entering the workforce with a gap in my work history. But Emily saw potential in me that I hadn't yet recognized in myself. She connected me with an opportunity at a medical device manufacturing startup in an operations and administrative role. Following the company's acquisition in 2024, I stayed on--what began as a leap of faith ultimately became the catalyst for a long-term career path. Since then, I've grown into a mid-level corporate role with exciting opportunities ahead in the medical device and technology industry. I'm incredibly grateful to Emily Cullen and The Larko Group for helping me take such a major step forward. If you're hesitant about working with recruiters, just know there are genuine professionals out there--and Emily is one of them. Great value and while it takes effort to apply and evalutate your skill and experience the return on your investment is high. I can't recommend her and The Larko Group enough!

I was recently placed in an Executive Assistant role by The Larko Group. I was very impressed and…read moregrateful for the entire team's efforts throughout the process. Amy was very persistent with the search. She arranged several quality interviews, and Russ helped prepare me for those interviews. Andrea and Julie went above and beyond as well. I feel confident that they found the right fit for both me and the organization I've joined. I definitely recommend working with The Larko Group!

The City Staffing team is exceptionally kind and communicative! They got me staffed in no time…read more What else can you ask for?!

They never responded back to my inquiry for assistance at all. Not sure in this economy how humane…read morethat is.

I cannot overemphasize the quality, professionalism and attentiveness of The Chicago Hire Company…read more Within days of submitting my application they connected me with several companies with whom I got interviews. Before each interview, they sent me a very thorough prep-sheet. They spent a lot of time on the phone with me getting to know my preferences and career goals. They made contact with me before and after every interview to provide guidance and process the experience. I know they are super busy, but it felt like I was their only client. Also, there was a sense of fun about working with them! I'd utilized three other recruiting agencies before I found them and I'd come to expect poor service and constant checking in to remind them to work for you. My experience at The Chicago Hire Company was completely different. They are excellent and I can't recommend them enough!

From start to finish, working with Lisa Chew was outstanding. She connected me to my firm, where I…read morehave been enjoying working for about a month now. Through interviewing, Lisa was able to understand and align my values with my current company. Lisa ensured that all of my concerns or questions were addressed and always responded in a timely and professional manner. Thank you Lisa and Chicago Hire team for all your help. I would highly recommend this group if you are ever in need of finding work.

Other creative recruiting companies have left a bad taste in my mouth, especially the big machines…read morethat churn spam email out. You know the place. It's... circular. Wunderland has changed the game and my perspective. They're extremely thorough from start to finish with every opportunity. They constantly check up on me and every person that I talk to genuinely cares. When I went to the office, everyone introduced themselves to me, shook my hand and expressed their excitement to work with me. It's definitely something you don't experience anywhere else. They really do work hard for you and make sure you're happy. I landed a gig a mere week after our initial meeting. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a new position.

One word to describe Wunderland Group - amazing! My friend referred me to Wunderland Group 4 years…read moreago after she spoke so highly of the staffing agency/team she worked with that helped placed her with a direct hire opportunity at Northwestern University. After connecting with Marisa Vrona, she was amazing keeping me in the loop of current career opportunities that best fit my level of experience and very personable! Fast forward to now, I met with Marisa and her colleague Alyssa Rubnitz for coffee yesterday since I've been in contact with them so long and never officially met them in person. They were both very bubbly, personable and I can see why we all stayed in contact for so long! They don't treat you like just another candidate, but like you're apart of the Wunderland family. Thanks to Alyssa, she placed me in a previous contract assignment with Choose Chicago and recently Northwestern Medicine as a Project Manager and had an overall amazing experience within both roles. I look forward to staying in contact if I never need further assistance within my career search and will continue sending referrals :)

If I could give NBSG 10 stars, I would! I can't say enough about this team!…read more After a company downsize a few years ago, I found myself unemployed and unsure about what to do. Fortunately, I used North Bridge to bring in temps for vacation coverage while at my previous position, so they were (naturally) the first place I called. Man, that was the BEST call to have made! Since that time, I have worked with Erin, Gerri and a few others for several years, filling many long-term temporary positions. I discovered early on that I didn't want to commit myself completely to another large company; I fell in love with the consistent positions that I was able to find in their opportunities. I have been able to diversify my portfolio of industries, ramp up my skills and hone in on the positions/roles that I excel in. Erin and Gerri took the time to truly get to know me, my personality, skills and my desires and they have been able to connect me with so many great opportunities. All of my recent personal development is 100% due to their amazing time with me and finding positions that match my needs/skills. I wish that they had an office in California so I could continue working with them. If I was not moving, I would continue to work with them. If you are not sure of where/what you want to work with, temp positions are perfect for you. North Bridge is the perfect place to start your journey. Thank you Erin, Gerri and the full NBSG team!

I am so grateful that I found Northbridge Staffing and my amazing recruiter Erin! When Northbridge…read morefirst reached out to me, I had recently left a horrible agency and did not have high hopes for finding a new assignment so soon. But from my first interview with Erin, she has been able to consistently find job assignments and keep me working throughout the year. Usually, once you hand in your resume to an agency, you never hear from them again or don't hear from them for awhile. That was not the case with Erin. She is great with maintaining communication with me about every single job offer I qualify for. I recommend Northbridge to all of my family members and friends who are looking for work.

As we all know the job search process can be quite the challenge especially when you have a full…read moretime job. My search started when I decided to move from a northern suburb to the heart of Chicago with my boyfriend. I didnt want to commute three hours a day. I did the normal search on Career Builder, Monster, and Indeed. I applied for about 10 jobs each night in which I was over qualified for and heard nothing back from anyone. I thought how can this be possible. I gave up closer to our move and just decided I would deal with the commute. I did it for 2 months and hated my life. Luckily Caylin Bravermen came to my rescue. She is not the typical recruiter who just wants to place you somewhere. She went above and beyond what I thought was possible. Prepping me before my interview, follow up after and consistent communication throughout the process. I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone. I couldn't have been happier with the process and if it wasn't for her I would still be dealing with the three hour commute. I now work for a company that cares about my success and well being. Thank you Watson Dwyer for not being the typical staffing company and really taking consideration for each each candidate. You have the best asset at your company - Caylin Bravermen!!! I will be passing the word around about the incredible experience I had.

After being "encouraged" to give yet another temp agency a try, I opted to give them a chance,…read moredespite the number of bad reviews already posted. I won't name my 'consultant' though I'm tempted to because he was the *only* reason I came here in the first place. After several attempts at interviews - (I was working a temp assignment down town and my lunch hour was not long enough for a jaunt to their office) I finally met with the man who encouraged me to try Watson Dwyer. After my interview, I was asked if I had time to test; I did. However, out of 3 computers for testing, only one was working. They attempted to put me on one of the computers the employees use, but it was not up to date enough for the testing soft ware to work. (way to be cutting edge for the clients!) I had to go home and take the test on my own computer. Suffice to say, I came from Rogers Park (nearly Evanston) into downtown Chicago, for one - 1/2 hour meeting. One. Despite this, my "consultant" was sure they could find me something. What I found odd, was, instead of the consultant at Watson Dwyer calling my references, *I* was supposed to contact them and get letters of reference from them?! My test scores were good, yet when I call, I'm told my call will be returned - it isn't. If it was just once this happened, that would be one thing. It isn't. One 5 star review out of all the rest? Yes, that says A LOT. Extremely, extremely disappointed. Next time, I'll take heed of the reviews. There are 1 star reviews for a reason. BOO!

I've worked with Tracy and The Buzz Co staff on multiple occasions throughout my career, both when…read morejob searching and in referring candidates from my network, and will continue to do so. Tracy is one of the most talented recruiters I've gotten to know. She has an unmatched ability to gain a deeper understanding of her candidates' strengths and best skill sets far beyond their credentials, enabling her to 'match-make' with extraordinary precision. This also allows her to identify uniquely valuable talent that others in the industry often tend to overlook. I never fail to be impressed by Tracy's comfortingly calm demeanor, not to mention how it co-exists with unwavering tenacity in her efforts. Most importantly, Tracy and her staff have made me feel valuable in times of doubt and like I had an ally when I needed it most. I've had nothing but positive experiences with The Buzz Co.

I tried to give Buzz Co a shot, I know they have been around for a long time and when I met with…read morethem, they seemed really nice, eager, positive and ready & willing to help me find work, but I have yet to get 1 opportunity from them in the last year+. I'm pretty sure it's because of the high turnover rate. It's insane how many different recruiter contacts I've had there... each one has only lasted a few months before they move onto another agency. I have worked with at least 4-5 new Buzz recruiters in the last year! Sure that's why I don't get ANY opportunities via Buzz. No one stays around long enough to form a real relationship with their candidates or at least with me. Forming these relationships is your bread and butter of what you do...How are you STILL a company Buzz Co?

They just don't follow up with people. The people in charge are so bad at their jobs that they…read moredon't understand that we're not dependent on them as much as THEY are dependent on the goodwill and personal endorsements of the people they manage and recruit. Nothing but dead air lately from The Smart Dept. I worked a job for them a while back and they did NOT have my back when the situation fell apart. They privately told me they were on my side and understood what my issues were with the client, but they did nothing to earn the money they robbed from me. This is a garbage company. Even something as basic as the lack of a search option on their website that would allow an applicant to search for local jobs, jobs in their field, or remote work has not been made available to applicants, which shows how out of touch and dumb this "smart" department really is. EDIT: Weeks have gone by without so much as an email telling me they've received any of my applications. They're on my block list now. I suspect the positive reviews here have come from employees of Smart Dept itself, or other plants and familiars.

Working with the Smartdept has been great. To begin with, they stay in touch. Often, creative…read morestaffing agencies forget about you or don't respond at all. Even though Smartdept is a small agency, I'd rate them as one of the better creative staffing agencies in the Seattle area. I'm registered with at least six of them. I regularly get work from only three and Smartdept is one of them. If you're looking for freelance work, give them a call. It can't hurt.