As a minority-owned IT recruiting and consulting firm, Innovative Systems Group (ISG) was founded on a unique mission statement:

We are small enough
to know your name
when you call and big
enough to deliver.

For over three decades of solid growth, we’ve supported mid-sized companies as well as Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 clients, providing flexible IT staffing and technology solutions. Along the way, we’ve been able to adapt to the changing needs of our clients, helping them with their most pressing business and digital initiatives. As a result, we can proudly say we’ve successfully supported and retained all of our original Fortune 100 clients, earning primary status within their “Preferred Vendor” Programs.

Meet our leadership Talk to our team

Leadership to recognize extraordinary potential+ experience to fully realize it

At the top of ISG, we’ve assembled a management team that’s led our company to become one of the Top 25 largest minority-certified-owned firms in Chicago. How did we get here? For one, we understand the Return on Investment required to successfully compete in many client industries and communicate that greater sense to our employees.

We believe in empowering people in an environment where they can think outside of their roles if need be and know that there is a support structure fully committed to backing them up in order to make the project a complete success.

As a result, many of the partnerships we enjoy, such as with top healthcare companies, have lasted well over three decades. We’re proud to say that all the while, we’ve maintained our standing as a top 10 Tier-1 supplier to our clients.

Joe Salas

President

CIOs, procurement executives and hiring managers continually ask our President, “Joe, what’s next?” so they can stay ahead of any unexpected and accelerated changes in the business world and proactively customize a strong response.

For over three decades, Joe Salas has had the answer for them by providing the highest level of business intelligence on the best IT recruitment practices, industry trends and tools.

Upon founding Innovative Systems Group, Joe knew that our key points of difference would be our depth of experience, a more cost-effective approach and a drive to outhustle larger IT consulting firms, thanks to our greater flexibility and faster response. His commitment to “customer-centric” values, elevated service and a “whatever it takes” attitude has, in turn, been embedded into our culture at ISG – a culture that enjoys an over 95% retention rate.

You can see Joe’s influence to make the customer as comfortable as possible every day in smooth onboarding processes, one-on-one relationships within our customer accounts, transparent communication of our processes and a demand that every individual we bring aboard our team keeps moving in the name of personal growth and career development.

When he isn’t developing a new business unit for ISG halfway around the world or striving to better understand the perspective of what a Fortune 500 firm demands from its talent base, Joe enjoys mentoring entrepreneurs, identifying fundraising opportunities to give back to the local community and advising on commercial real estate developments in Illinois, Florida and Arizona.

Joe graduated from DePaul University with a B.S. in Management Information Systems.

It’s been said that teaching your organization to love the customer is perhaps the single most powerful thing a leader can do. This feeling of respect and dedication is also the fabric that holds together the employees of an organization.

Gerry Schoenneman

Executive Vice President

Gerry is an experienced leader in technology product and services management with a solid corporate business background in the Healthcare and Medical fields. He has a unique understanding of customer needs and culture, and his dedication to customer service is evident in his ability to foster strong relationships with our Fortune 500 accounts.

Gerry received a B.S. in Information Systems from DeVry University and proudly worked for Health Care Service Corporation, most notably on Medicare and Government Contracts. At ISG, Gerry drives service and performance to bring customers reduced costs and added value.

Our relentless commitment to 100% customer satisfaction is what makes us different ... and this difference is what makes us better.

A culture of mentoring and training

With their collective years of experience, Joe and Gerry didn’t want to see all the knowledge they’ve attained at the leadership level be bottled up without disseminating insights to the rest of ISG’s team. That’s when they saw the opportunity to create one of the very best mentoring and teaching environments in the recruitment industry for emerging leaders to learn from.

Today, those up-and-coming talents are being trained and elevated into new skillsets by the leadership team here at ISG related to consulting, recruiting, vendor management, HR, BPO, project management, ERP and talent management.

Here’s just a sampling of what these incredible talents have achieved:

Expanding our Offshore Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) Division, which tripled in size in 2019 due to the impressive performance of the Philippine Workforce.
Mentoring new Project Managers and Project Coordinators to ensure that IT and non-IT projects are carried out and delivered within agreed time, cost and scope constraints.
Understanding and supporting ISG’s Business Process Outsourcing initiatives
Meeting KPIs and service levels agreed upon with the client
Managing offshore recruiting teams through crystal-clear communications
Increasing customer engagement by upselling and cross-selling services
Interpreting HR analytics to convey insights to high-level management
Utilizing all online and offline sourcing techniques to create a strong candidate pipeline

As a result, between the stability of our leadership team and the emergence of new leaders in multiple parts of the world, our future looks very bright indeed.

People first.
Results always.

Passion for sourcing your fit today + perspective for planning your growth tomorrow.

From Chicago to the Philippines, our team is the heartbeat of everything we do. We’re strategists, recruiters, and problem-solvers— here to help you grow with the right people by your side.

Collaboration
We work as one—within our team and with yours.
Drive
We go the extra mile—every time, every project.
Precision
We match talent not just by skill— but by fit.
Innovation
We challenge the status quo to find smarter solutions.

Day in the life

Recruitment Specialist
Screens 20+ profiles daily, hosts virtual interviews, and celebrates every placement like it’s game day.
Business Dev Manager
Builds relationships, identifies gaps, and pitches staffing solutions that hit the mark— every time.
Account Support
Answers client questions before they’re even asked. Keeps the engine running behind the scenes.

By the numbers

Global Hubs: 3Global Hubs
Languages Spoken: 12+Languages Spoken
Cups of Coffee Daily: 47Cups of Coffee Daily
Client Conversations a Year: 100K+Client Conversations a Year

Voices from the team

Every client challenge is an opportunity for us to shine. That’s what makes ISG different—we treat your goals like our own.
Client Success Lead
Helping people land the right job is the most rewarding part of my day.
Senior Recruiter
At ISG, there’s no red tape—just real people, real results, and real hustle.
Operations Manager

Team culture in one word? We asked around and here’s what we got:

Supportive
Agile
Fun
Transparent
Reliable
Human
Bold

Our culture

At ISG, our culture is built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to delivering meaningful results.

We bring together talented professionals from different backgrounds, locations, and areas of expertise. What connects us is a strong sense of ownership, respect for one another, and the belief that great work happens when people feel supported and empowered.

We encourage open communication, continuous learning, and fresh ideas. Whether working with colleagues or clients, our teams approach every challenge with flexibility, accountability, and a solutions-focused mindset.

As technology continues to evolve, we embrace innovation while keeping people at the center of everything we do. We invest in our teams, celebrate their contributions, and create opportunities for them to grow alongside our organization.

At ISG, we are more than a global team. We are trusted partners working together to help our people, clients, and communities succeed.

Culture at a glance

Strong “customer-centric” values
Accelerated Change Accepted
Support for customers in early adoption stage of new solutions and processes
Commitment to continuous improvement practices
Emphasis on personal growth and development
“Whatever It Takes” attitude

A career you can count on.

We’re in the business of delivering promises, so whether you’re a new associate or have worked with us for years, you can count on us for growth opportunities, collaboration-especially in today’s virtual work environment, excellent benefits, competitive compensation, and so much more.

Our benefits take care of you

We support the “whole person,” helping our associates achieve physical, mental and financial health and well-being. Our associates are offered a broad selection of benefits such as:

Healthcare Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life Insurance
Short Term Disability
Paid Holidays
Technical Training
401K
Flexible Spending Account

Employee testimonials

“Great work-life balance; colleagues and CEO are passionate about their work; smaller company so it’s easier to drive directive. Work hard/ play hard mentality.”
“I find ISG brings that perfect blend of advanced technological prowess with an understanding of the practical, real-world challenges our partners are facing from a business perspective. ISG has proven time and time again that we have the talent and resources to live up to that promise across the board with a range of industry clients – even industries that always seem to be in a state of flux.”