For the seventh year running, Ryan, a global tax services and software provider, has been named to the Crain’s Chicago Business 2025 Best Places to Work list. In a city where competition for top tech and professional talent is fierce, that kind of consistency isn’t just a brag—it’s a recruitment strategy.
“Our Chicago team members are the reason Ryan has been named one of the Best Places to Work for seven years in a row,” said Ginny B. Kissling, President Americas and COO at Ryan. “Their passion, collaborative spirit, and commitment to our clients is what sets our Firm apart.”
How the List Is Made
Crain’s partners with Best Companies Group to put companies through a two-step gauntlet. First comes a review of workplace policies, practices, and demographics (worth 25% of the score). But the heavy lifting—75%—comes from anonymous employee surveys, which evaluate everything from day-to-day experience to whether employees actually like showing up on Monday mornings.
Why It Matters
Chicago isn’t exactly short on employers vying for top-tier tax, finance, and software talent. But Ryan’s streak suggests the company has cracked the code on culture—at least in ways that employees are willing to vouch for year after year. For a firm in the often buttoned-up world of tax and compliance, that’s no small feat.
The recognition also feeds into a larger narrative: workplace culture has become a business-critical differentiator. Companies are fighting not only to attract skilled professionals but to keep them engaged. Seven consecutive wins signal that Ryan’s blend of flexibility, recognition, and career support is resonating.
Bigger Industry Context
Professional services firms have long faced retention challenges—burnout, rigid hierarchies, and long hours are industry clichés for a reason. But as hybrid work models take hold, employee expectations have shifted. More workers want cultures where growth, well-being, and meaningful collaboration don’t get lost under client deliverables.
Ryan’s latest nod from Crain’s suggests it’s adapting well to that new landscape. And in a city like Chicago—where the tech, finance, and consulting scenes overlap—the accolade is more than a plaque on the wall. It’s employer branding with teeth.
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