One company has announced it has is recruiting for Illinois jobs.

Affinnova, Inc., a provider of marketing software and services, will hire up to 70 new staff members in 2012. The announcement was made by Waleed Al-Atraqchi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Affinnova.

“We had initially projected 40 new people in 2012, but our rapid growth has caused us to reevaluate and expand our staffing needs,” said Al-Atraqchi. “As demand for our innovation platform spreads into new markets, we need talented and forward-thinking individuals to help us continue our expansion.”

The company expects to hire in all departments, including software developers, research directors, marketing, sales and finance. Most of Affinnova’s new hires will be in the Boston area, although the company will also bolster its staff in the West Coast and Europe. In Europe, Affinnova is hiring in the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. On the West Coast of the U.S., Affinnova is hiring in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The company is also seeking staff for Chicago jobs, and New York and Philadelphia.

Affinnova has added 67 full-time staff members in the past 10 months, along with a dozen additional contract workers. The company now employs 150 people worldwide.

A company just announced it has secured a key hire for real estate jobs in Illinois.

Chicago-based @properties is expanding in the North Shore. It has hired Terry Wilkowski as vice president of brokerage services.

Wilkowski, 44, is a managing broker with more than two decades of experience in suburban Chicago real estate. Most recently, he was senior vice president and regional manager for the west suburban region of Koenig & Strey Real Living. Previously, Wilkowski managed Koenig & Strey’s Libertyville office. He also served as managing broker of Coldwell Banker’s Vernon Hills office for seven years.

The announcement means more Chicago jobs.

“We see opportunities for continued growth in North Shore real estate, and we believe the best way to capitalize on those opportunities is to attract and develop the best agents through superior management, marketing and support,” said Thaddeus Wong, co-founder of @properties.

At @properties, Wilkowski will be responsible for transaction management, recruiting and agent training and development on the North Shore, where @properties has almost doubled its sales volume in the past year. @properties now has the No. 3 market share in North Shore real estate just two years after entering the market (Source: BrokerMetrics®). In September, the company announced that it would open its third North Shore location in late 2011, in Lake Forest. Wilkowski will co-manage the North Shore region with @properties vice presidents Peter Moulton and Amy Corr.

An Illinois company is shedding light on its effort to hire veterans for jobs in Illinois.

The Strive Group, an integrated merchandising supply chain company servicing the retail and consumer packaged goods sector, will celebrate Veterans Day with a formal tribute from CEO Jeff Sharfstein to honor and thank the company’s many veteran employees for their service to the country and the company. The day also serves as a reminder of the company’s efforts to recruit, hire and retain veterans at all levels of the organization.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in October among recent veterans was 12 percent, up from an average of 10.5 percent in 2010 and well above the national unemployment rate of 9 percent. Knowing this and with an understanding of the unique, valuable skills veterans bring to the workplace, The Strive Group actively recruits military veterans. The Strive Group supports recruitment and employment of U.S. Veterans. Strive also offers resources within the company committed to helping veterans assimilate into civilian work life and succeed in their positions.

This commitment means more Chicago jobs for those who have served our country.

“Discipline, work ethic, and a clear, goal-oriented approach to their job are just a few of the qualities that make veterans exceptional employees,” said Sharfstein. “Hiring veterans is a priority at Strive and our experience is that they add value to the company in every respect.”

Currently, The Strive Group employs approximately 30 veterans representing all branches of the U.S. armed forces. They fill positions throughout the organization, representing a diverse set of functions, from maintenance and administration, to engineering, quality and shipping. In addition, Annette Groenink, a former U.S. Marine Corps. officer who served in the U.S. and Korea as part of Marine Air Group 24, is The Strive Group’s Chief Operating Officer.

“One of my top objectives at Strive was helping our organization see what value a veteran can bring and how to assess that during the interview process,” said Groenink. “The skills gained in the military can be subtle when viewed on a resume — discipline, integrity, technical aptitude — but translate well into a corporate environment.”