Chicago staffing firm ranks No. 29 of 100 in its third appearance on the list
CHICAGO (Oct. 30, 2026) – City Staffing, a women-owned staffing and recruiting firm founded in Chicago and serving employers and job seekers nationwide, has been named to the Crain’s Chicago Business 2026 Best Places to Work list, ranking No. 29 among 100 Chicago-area employers. It is the firm’s third time on the list.
Crain’s produces the ranking with Best Companies Group, an independent workplace research firm. Each company is evaluated in two parts: an employer questionnaire on workplace policies, practices and demographics, and a confidential survey of employees about their experience at work. The employee survey accounts for 75% of the final score, so the ranking largely reflects how City Staffing’s own team describes working there.
“Most of this score comes straight from our team, and that’s why it means so much to us,” said Daphne Dolan, Chief Executive Officer of City Staffing. “Our people are the ones building relationships with clients and candidates every day. Hearing that they feel supported, and that they want to stay, is the best feedback we could ask for.”
City Staffing’s relationship-first approach and accountability to clients and candidates also shape how it treats its own people, and the results show up in tenure. City Staffing recruiters average more than 10 years with the firm.
Everyday benefits are designed to give people time and flexibility:
- Up to five weeks of vacation: three weeks for new hires, with an additional week after two years and another week after seven
- A 37.5‑hour workweek and a hybrid schedule
- Floating holidays and early leave to celebrate birthdays
- A weekly team breakfast or lunch
- Gym access
City Staffing has long offered paid volunteer days, and this year the firm’s DEI committee put fresh emphasis on community engagement, encouraging every team member to use them for a cause of their choosing.
“From day one, we wanted City Staffing to be a place where people could do their best work and still have a life outside of it,” said Ellen Dettling, President and Founder of City Staffing. “Five weeks of vacation, leaving early on your birthday, paid workdays to volunteer for something you care about. Those things add up. People notice when you trust them with their time.”
The Crain’s ranking caps a year of national and local honors for City Staffing. In 2026, the firm was also recognized by:
- Forbes as one of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms and America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms
- Inc. on its 2026 Best Workplaces list
- Business Insider as one of America’s Top Recruiting Firms
- ClearlyRated with Best of Staffing Client and Talent awards
- Best and Brightest Companies to Work For
- Chicago Tribune and Energage as a Chicago Top Workplace
About City Staffing
Founded in Chicago, City Staffing is a women-owned staffing and recruiting agency certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE). The firm connects employers and job seekers nationwide through contract, temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing solutions across administrative, customer experience, accounting, healthcare technology, life sciences and other professional roles. With a focus on relationships and results, City Staffing helps organizations find qualified talent and helps professionals find the right fit. For more information, visit citystaffing.com.
