CFOs Expect Increased Hiring in 2nd Quarter
Business and Professional Services Sectors Expected to Experience Greatest Growth
Taken from a March 4 Robert Half International News Release
The hiring of full-time accounting and finance professionals is expected to increase slightly in the second quarter of 2009, according to the Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Twelve per cent of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled expect to add staff and seven per cent anticipate personnel reductions; 80 per cent of executives forecast no changes. The net five per cent increase is up one point from the first-quarter projection.
The Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index is based on telephone interviews with more than 270 CFOs across Canada. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half International, the world's largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance.
"Businesses are turning to accounting and finance staff to implement cost-saving strategies and manage critical priorities," said Kathryn Bolt, district president of Robert Half International's Canadian operations.
"Companies are looking for professionals who possess strong functional expertise, excellent interpersonal skills and industry-specific experience and who can hit the ground running."
Even with higher unemployment rates, however, some financial executives continue to report difficulty finding highly skilled professionals for certain functional areas. Thirty-one percent of CFOs interviewed cited operational accounting support as the most difficult to fill, and 29 per cent said they experience the greatest challenges when hiring accounting roles.
Accounting and Finance Hiring by Industry
Among industries, 30 per cent of business services CFOs expect to increase hiring in the second quarter and no one plans on reducing the size of their accounting and finance workforce, for a net 30 per cent increase.
In the professional services sector, 28 per cent of CFOs anticipate hiring more staff and two per cent expect staff reductions for a net 26 per cent increase.