Mack & Associates Ltd

I have had a long history with Mack & Associates.
In 2007, I registered with the firm and took on several temp assignments while I worked to secure permanent employment. Mack was able to find short-​term and long-​term temp assignments for me. They also helped me with skills training and resume review that improved my viability in the field. I appreciated their flexibility and excellent communication.
In 2010, I temporarily moved out of Chicago and returned, two months later. Within two weeks, Mack found a temp assignment that lead to the most fulfilling permanent position of my adult life. I’ve been at my current position for five years. I appreciate that Mack helped me find a rewarding, well-​paying position. This job has shown me the direction that I want to pursue in my career.
In all this time, I have maintained contact with Mack and Associates. They have been constantly proactive about staying connected while I’ve been at this position. I have also referred colleagues to them who have nearly all found temp assignments or full-​time opportunities.
Their organization is impeccable.
Their communication is consistent, clear and reliable.
They customize their opportunities to you and your skills and do an excellent job of preparing you for interviews and placement.
Their staff genuinely cares about me as a staffing partner and as a human being.
I cannot recommend them highly enough. Contact them today.

I am highly annoyed with this place. I decided to look into a new career path and came across this company on LinkedIn. They were helpful with planning a day to meet in person and worked with my schedule. I was excited to hear of some great opportunities they’ve had in the past. They really seemed to think those would come by again and would definitely get me in. Last week I received a call about an opportunity I would love. I missed the call because I work full time and it took days for a response to my voicemail. It’s been over a week now of back and forth, trying to figure out a time to talk over the phone about it. Scheduled times to talk have been missed and I haven’t even gotten so much as an email apologizing for missing our call. I made it known I want to switch jobs as soon as possible and would expect a recruiter to be more helpful and quicker than this. Time is valuable and job openings are gone in a flash. At this point I think the level of unprofessionalism and just basic lack of communication has severed any desire to work with them. I’m glad some have found positives in this company, but if you’re trying to switch careers quickly, this isn’t the place.

Used them in the past and they were great. Now they don’t respond to emails or online job applications. Not sure what’s happening but they need to step up their game. Similar issues were experienced by a co-​worker recently.

I have had fantastic experiences with those at Mack & Associates over many years now — I have found them personable, professional, courteous, and most importantly, exceedingly competent. Whenever the need arises I always suggest Mack, they are the best in the business! I can only imagine that many of the negative reviews were posted by those who didn’t put the time or effort into the process or chose not to engage with the same professionalism that Mack & Associates embodies. Don’t be dissuaded by those negative reviews. If you are serious about getting placed, work with Mack. You won’t be disappointed.

If you’re looking for assistance finding work or a full time position Mack & Associates is for you. Konvalia & Lindsey were my recruiters and they were amazing. They helped me with my resume, called me before and after each interview, and they were my advocates to potential employers better than I could of ever done. I’m so happy and felt so lucky to have found them. Don’t even second guess — send your resume to them now! I am now in the position I want with the pay and benefits I was seeking. Thank you Mack & Associates!

I am, like many other reviewers here, shocked at the low ratings and negative experiences. My experience with Mack & Associates was completely the opposite. They found me a great permanent job quickly and impressed me totally.
I worked with Lauryn most of all — fantastic professional, but also Lindsey and Konvalia. All of them were terrific.
I’d been temping for a few years and was now looking for a permanent fit. I began working with as many Chicago staffing agencies as I could, so I was talking to a lot of recruiters and meeting with many of them. While I encountered some well-​run staffing agencies with some great people, they didn’t seem to have quality jobs available. I also encountered my share of unprofessional, lackluster agencies and recruiters (promising me opportunities, but never following up, etc.).
I walked into the offices of Mack & Associates and it was as if I stepped into another realm. Not only were their interview questions for me smart and perceptive, they had me meet a number of their recruiters while I was there — just to get to know me and consider me for openings they were each working on. I love that they truly work in teams. Everything was fast-​paced, but courteous, utterly professional but unfailingly personal.
They had two opportunities for me right away that sounded perfect. But one brought me in for interviews quickly and that is where I was (direct) hired. And another impressive factor: throughout my interview process with the employer (three interviews), Lauryn and Lindsey were coaching me and in regular contact. Very helpful!
And now that I am in my new role, I am seeing the other end of things. Our office has been working with Mack & Associates to fill a temp staffing need. We are working with Nikki and, true to form, she is great, they are ensuring they send us the right person for the job, and they are professional in every way.
I am recommending them to everyone I know who is looking for temp or permanent roles. I am grateful that I found them. They are a top-​notch organization.

After meeting up and trying to followup with them last year, Tara never returned my e-​mails. Needless to say, I won’t be trying to conduct business through them.

This was not my first experience with a Chicago job agency. I have worked with some that pushed me into roles I was not that interested in, and others that seemed more interested in the businesses that signed their checks than me.
From the get go the people at Mack were friendly and helpful. It was emotional for me to be back at a job agency, because I felt like I have been searching for the right fit for so long. They were very nice and understanding. They weren’t judgmental that my resume was not super steady, and they took the time to learn about me.
I ended up working with Nikki who placed me within 3 days in a temp to possibly permanent role with an amazing software start-​up company in the loop. She prepped me for the interview and they offered me the job the same day! She placed me in exactly the field I was looking to work in, even though I had little to no experience in it, and with people that had very similar personalities and work ethics as I do.
I look forward to working with her through my temp assignment, and hopefully earn many $ 25 award cards for representing them well! If all goes according to plan, I will hopefully turn permanent in the great company they placed me. I highly recommend both Nikki and Mack and Associates!

Incredibly positive & enthusiastic. If you need temp placements to fill an employment gap, they will definitely keep you busy.

I first began working with Mack & Associates, Ltd. back in early June of 2014 when I was already employed. I applied to an online job posting and received a call within that week from a woman named Jessica at Mack. We discussed the position and she invited me in for an interview.
Once I arrived for my interview at Mack, Jessica let me know that she was phasing out of the company and that Jasmine would be helping me instead. She then proceeded to bring Jasmine in and I met with her for about forty-​five minutes. I left Mack with a good feeling as everyone in the office seemed very friendly and interested in placing people. In the weeks after my interview I received daily calls from Jasmine regarding new positions. I appreciated the follow up and thought this to be a sign of impending placement; not the case.
I quit my existing position with my company at the end of August and was asked to come back into Mack after I disclosed this information to them. I met with at least four people total; Jessica, Jasmine, Lana, and Courtney. Each of them was as nice as the last, but unfortunately got me nowhere. Jasmine had a «new and exciting» job to offer me everyday, but unfortunately they were always jobs that I was not interested in or ones that never went anywhere.
Shortly after I quit my position, Jasmine asked me to work with Courtney in the temp department since Jasmine worked with the direct hires. Surely I would be able to get a job after meeting four people and being widely known throughout the office — not the case. Courtney informed me that she would always respond to emails within twenty-​four hours and even went as far as to explain compensation. Shortly after, I sent Courtney an email and guess what happened after twenty-​four hours? Nothing!
A few weeks later I was contacted by a fifth person whom I had never met or spoken to before. She left me a voice message stating that she was a manager and had a position that she wanted me to interview for that day! Mind you, It was past noon when she called and the interview was at 5 PM that day. I let her know that I would make myself available and she urged me to keep my phone on and stay in the area because I would have to be at this interview. She also told me that she would confirm this with her client and then give me a call back to give me the name of the company as well as the address and the set time. Five hours went by and I never heard back from her. So much for staying in the area, cancelling my plans, and waiting by the phone for this absolutely necessary interview. I never heard from her again.
I was constantly being contacted by Jasmine, at least once or twice a day. The entire time I worked with Mack, they only landed me one phone interview. It seemed as if they were constantly sending my resume to employers that were looking to fill a position different from what was being divulged to me.
Aside from being constantly harassed by phone for interviews that never took place, the actual interview «prep» as well as tips were an absolute joke, and in my opinion, a sexist joke. Before every interview, regardless of where it was located, it was mandatory to show up at Mack an hour beforehand to be «prepped». This itself was a joke because each prep period was absolutely useless and consisted of redundant tips such as «wearing your most pristine suit» and smiling a lot. The way these women talk to you just further reinforces the sexist stereotype of uneducated, ditzy women who are more concerned with what they look like rather than the position at hand. I as an adult, did not require an hour and a half «prep» which consisted of someone telling me to be positive and ask for the job when all I was being «prepped» for was a phone interview.
I would call Jasmine back immediately after a voice message and she would always be with another client. There is never a direct line to reach any of these people, you are instead routed to the receptionist who nine times out of ten tells you that your consultant is busy. After repeated return calls to Jasmine, I left her a voice message letting her know that I would be unavailable on that particular day after 2 PM. Sure enough, she calls after 2 PM telling me that she got my voice mail. The icing on the cake was that she repeatedly called me and left me messages stating that she had not heard back from me and «wanted to know what was going on in my world.» What?! She actually did hear from me many times, but chose to not return my calls. On top of that, she never, ever responded to any of my emails during the entire time that I worked with her. I was also given the opportunity to interview with a company that had a completely different job description than what I was given at Mack, which led to me cancelling the interview because of the false information.
I was also asked by them to leave a nice Unilocal review before they even got me an interview!
Save yourself the time, and don’t trust these people!

Although the staff was all very friendly, they really didn’t do anything for me. The girls at Mack & Associates set up a few interviews for me, and had me come in before each one to ‘prep’. None of the interviews lead to anything, and after a while they pretty much gave up on me and stopped calling. I have a degree and a ton of work experience, and got a job just fine on my own shortly after my time with them. Overall I felt my experience with them was a waste of time. all they did was tell me I should dress well, wear nude nail polish, and be positive!

Where do I begin?
So, after working for months with this company and telling them exactly what I wanted. They (sales) pushed a position on me. After 1 day I realized this is NOT what they told me it would be. I called them and told them my concern. For the next 1.5 hours I was on the phone being harassed by them saying that I couldn’t quit and that would look bad, threading me telling me if I stopped working then they wouldn’t work with me. All while never admitting that they placed me in the wrong position. They twisted it back on me saying that I would have a poor work ethic if I didn’t go back! I was already very upset by the day and being excited for a position and then feeling completely disappointed because it not what had been described to me. I am a very hard worker and to be threatened and talked down to by FOUR MAC employees. Mind you, when I would t back down they would transfer me to someone else who would harass me –ALL to try and keep in the position. The lack of professionalism, being passed to different employees, no-​one having their story straight, and the harassment was enough to make me write this review.

Mack & Associates helped me find a job — FAST. One day I got a call from them. I thought it was an employer looking for a last second interview, like, «Can you be here in an hour and a half?». So I quickly put on my nice skirt suit, tights, appropriate shoes, pinned my hair to the side and hopped on the blue line to make it for my ‘interview’. I figured out what was going on shortly after walking through the door. However, because I was in interview mode I was nervous. I first spoke with Lindsey M. She went over my resume with me and asked me what I was looking for exactly. What kind of job I was looking for, industry, pay, benefits, etc. Then I spoke with Konvalia G. Both were great. I quickly got comfortable as time went on. Before I left they had me test my typing, word, excel and power point skills. All in all I was there for about 2 hours.
Even though I walked out feeling like it might have been a total waste of my time I figured if nothing else it was good practice. And what else did I have going on? I mean, I was unemployed at the time, so…
The time line went like this: Oct 24, 2013, entire office was laid off — I lost my job. Oct 30, 2013, meet with Lindsey & Konvalia at Mack & Associates. Nov 8, 2013, get a call from Mack & Associates with a possible lead — set up interview. Nov 11, 2013, go to interview and feel prepared and ready (thanks to Lindsey & Konvalia prepping me). Nov 15, 2013, get a call from Mack & Associates letting me know the company wants me in for a 2^nd interview! Nov 19, 2013, 2^nd interview with prospective company. Nov 21, 2013, get a call from Mack & Associates telling me the company is offering me the position. Start date of new job: Dec 2, 2013.
The whole way through both Lindsey and Konvalia called me and kept in touch. During the interview process they seemed to be just as excited as I was. I really felt like they were enthusiastic and helpful the whole way through.
I highly recommend Mack for helping you in the job search process. They exceeded my expectations and now I have a great position at a very good company.

Last Friday, I met Jasmine and Konvalia. This Friday, I have given my two weeks and am now employed by an elite, executive, search firm in the Loop. In one week, they did what most recruiters do in six weeks. They were my advocates every step of the way and provided me specific insight into the position. I knew exactly what to say in the interview because of their coaching. That gave me an edge over the other candidates. I appreciate the time they took to give me full disclosure and advice about the process and the players in it. Specifically, I think Jasmine did an amazing job. She even called me after working hours to share the exciting news that they wanted to give me an offer. I will recommend them to anyone I know who needs their services.
If you’re wondering about the bad reviews, I would simply refer to the style of writing of the people making the claims. That should give you a better idea of how to properly judge Mack & Associates.

I had been looking for a job for a few months and was directed to Mack & Associates. I first spoke with Nikki. She was so great! She was friendly, warm and welcoming. I was looking for a permanent, full time position, so Nikki had me contact Jasmine. Jasmine was also very friendly and we had a great conversation! She asked me questions that surrounded my needs and wants.
After I described what I was looking for, she instantly had a few positions in mind. Within the first week, she was able to set up an interview for me. During the time leading up to the actual in-​person interview, she was there every step of the way. She emailed and called me with updates and information that was needed. She also had me speak with Lana, who was so nice and helpful! Jasmine wanted me to keep her updated before and after the interview.
Soon after that first interview, she was able to set up another interview with a different company! I was very excited about this job and really wanted to know more about the company and what they had to offer. Again, with the support and preparation of Jasmine and Lana, the interview process went very well. After my third interview, I was able to land the job! I am super excited and owe it all to Mack & Associates!
So, in a nutshell, I highly recommend Mack. They are professional, friendly and supportive! I am already sending referrals!

This was my first experience meeting with a head hunting firm and it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
I am appalled at the lack of professionalism and inefficiency of Mack & Associates. I applied for a position on LinkedIn and was contacted by Kathleen to come into the office to have an interview/​consultation type appointment where I would discuss what I’m looking for with a consultant. I will say Kathleen was extremely friendly and professional — I have nothing bad to say against her which is why I agreed to come into the office.
My meeting was supposed to be with Lindsey but when I arrived, the receptionist told me I would be meeting with Courtney because something came up and Lindsey wasn’t in the office. This was kind of annoying but not the end of the world. On a side note, the receptionist was robot-​friendly. You could tell she gave the exact same speech to everyone.
15 minutes after my scheduled appointment, I was finally greeted by Jasmine. So no Lindsey and no Courtney. This was becoming quite confusing. Jasmine took me to a TINY office and with no introduction or small talk began with, «So I know you talked about a few positions with Lindsey…» Um, what?! At this point I was extremely annoyed by being shuffled around, the late start to our appointment, and now this lady didn’t even know who I was or who I had/hadn’t spoken to yet.
The next great thing to happen was the phone rang and Jasmine took the call. After listening for a few seconds she said, «I’ll take this at my regular desk» and proceeded to leave me for another 10 minutes after we had just sat down. Awesome — I could tell I was a real priority. During my wait, I honestly considered just getting up and leaving but I told myself I had already put up with this much, I might as well see what she has to say. Oh and did I mention that the walls were paper thin and I could hear the consultation going on next door? Great confidentiality!
Overall, this appointment was a complete waste of time and I would not recommend Mack & Associates to a single person.

I’m surprised at all these low ratings, but I’m hoping this is just past experiences and Mack has learned from them. I have to think that is the case, because I have had nothing but positive experiences with the many people there I have met with.
I was contacted initially by Jessica (who has since left the company, she was great!) for permanent opportunities. I was looking to make a change and set up time with Jessica. The office is very well run, all of the reception staff are professional and friendly and the appearance of the office is modern and clean. So far so good! Jessica found me some opportunities over the next few months, went on interviews, but nothing really panned out (as a result of fit or heck, maybe it was me, but all of the interviews were set up with consideration for what I was really looking for).
Jessica thought that it would be a good idea to talk with Laura Jean for some temp opportunities while I was looking for permanent positions, which has been a great way to keep busy, learn new industries, and build my resume. All of the positions I get contacted about are relevant and based on conversations I have had with Laura Jean. I have also worked with Courtney, Konvalia, and several other people once getting into some interviews and considering temp positions, and they are all GREAT! They do a great job of listening to what you want, what hasn’t worked in the past, and what is a good fit. Follow up is great, and its nice to know what is going on after an interview instead of dealing with the quiet dread of not knowing!
This is also a great place to temp with because they offer some very basic health coverage, great in a bind when you just need something to cover the basics! They also have incentives for being a rockstar performer in your temp gigs, which is very nice. Overall, I’ve seen nothing but good, and would recommend Mack. They are very connected with Commercial Real Estate and trading firms in the loop, just to name a few that I know of. I don’t think its limited to this, just my experience. Call Mack!

Wow, I’m honestly shocked that Mack has such low ratings here! I’ve only been working with the company for a couple weeks now, but the friendly and helpful attitude of the recruiters alone merits no less than 3 stars in my book.
I haven’t been sent on any temp assignments yet, but I have been sent on one temp-​to-​hire interview. I’ve also been called about two direct hire jobs. I wasn’t interested in either of them, but I was still glad that they thought of me.
Overall, I’ve found Mack to be well organized, with good follow-​up time. We’ll see how things go!

The other reviews are right. This place is a waste of time.
I reached out to Mack some time ago regarding a position they posted. When I finally spoke to someone, a couple days later. they didn’t know what position I was talking about. After I had to explain to them that the posting was on their web site, the Recruiter then stated that the position was on hold by the client. So position fell through???
As an FYI, this was my third time reaching out to them. So this is not the first time I heard that statement. Buuuuut I decided to give them another try and of course, they did the same thing as before. Very disappointed in them.
Anyway, after some phone tag. I was asked to send along my Resume. I did. I followed up with two phone calls, Lana was on vacation but this would get passed along to her. Well, over a month later and not even a courtesy call from anyone in their office. Nothing!
This is not how a Professional outfit should carry on. I have since moved on to another Agency who actually COMMUNICATES with it’s potential Candidates.
They keep me posted, they keep a Tickler file, let’s you know about open postitions.
I am currently employed but I am happy that I am on the radar by another agency.
I will not refer this agency again.
Good Luck

I found Mack & Associates to be a terrible waste of time. I constantly had to go back in and re-​interview with someone who mysteriously wasn’t there the time before, and every position fell through.
After two experiences like this where I was summoned for the «perfect position,» I politely told them to shove it by the third.