Sikich Receives Early Talent Award from Handshake

Company outperformed industry competitors

CHICAGO – March 13, 2025 – Sikich, a Chicago-based leading global technology-enabled professional services company, has received the Handshake Early Talent Award (ETA) from Handshake, the number one recruiting network for early talent, for the second consecutive year. This award positions Sikich among the best organizations for employees to launch meaningful careers, driving positive career outcomes and standing out with emerging talent.

Handshake evaluated more than 900,000 employers for the awards. Winners were selected based on four performance criteria: brand resonance, engagement, event participation and relationships. Handshake’s methodology shows that Sikich won an Early Talent Award this year due to outperforming competitors in their industry within these focus areas, making Sikich an employer of choice for those starting their careers.

Companies that receive the Early Talent Award have competitive talent strategies to provide what the workforce is looking for, catering to that of early talent. Handshake provided the following data from today’s emerging workforce:

• 73% of early talent want purposeful work.
• 89% of early talent value proactive outreach.
• 65% won’t apply if values don’t align with theirs.
• 36% of early talent are widening their search.

“The culture at Sikich ensures all team members know their unique insights and contributions are valued. Our people directly impact the business, which is why we are constantly evolving to recruit and retain the best talent,” said Sikich Chief Human Resources Officer, Heather Peters. “It is an honor to receive this award again and to be recognized for fostering a meaningful workplace culture.”

Handshake is an employer job posting site that focuses on connecting college students and alumni to employers. It helps employers find the most qualified talent among those who are joining the workforce.

To learn what it’s like to work at Sikich, visit Careers | Sikich. For a full list of this year’s ETA winners, visit Handshake’s website. 

About Handshake

Handshake’s mission is to democratize access to opportunity, and Handshake is the best place to start or accelerate a career – no connections, experience or luck required. Its community includes 15M+ students and young alumni from 1,500+ educational institutions, including four-year degree colleges, community colleges, boot camps and 300+ minority-serving institutions. It connects emerging talent with 900K+ employers – from Fortune 500 companies to thousands of public school districts, healthcare systems, nonprofits and more.

About Sikich

Sikich is a Chicago-based global company specializing in technology-enabled professional services. With approximately 1,900 employees, Sikich draws on a diverse portfolio of technology solutions to deliver transformative digital strategies. From corporations and not-for-profits to state and local governments and federal agencies, Sikich clients utilize a broad spectrum of services and products to help them improve performance and achieve long-term, strategic goals.

Sikich practices in an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Professional Code of Conduct and applicable law, regulations, and professional standards. Sikich CPA LLC is a licensed CPA firm that provides audit and attest services to its clients, and Sikich LLC and its subsidiaries provide tax and business advisory services to its clients. Sikich CPA LLC has a contractual arrangement with Sikich LLC under which Sikich LLC supports Sikich CPA LLC’s performance of its professional services. Sikich LLC and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms.

“Sikich” is the brand name under which Sikich CPA LLC and Sikich LLC provide professional services. The entities under the Sikich brand are independently owned and are not liable for the services provided by any other entity providing services under the Sikich brand. The use of the terms “our company”, “we” and “us” and other similar terms denote the alternative practice structure of Sikich CPA LLC and Sikich LLC. 

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