CFOs Predict More Financial Hiring

A new hiring index predicts more hiring of accounting and finance employees during the last three months of the year.

Nationally, 8 percent of CFO respondents reported plans for financial employee hiring in the fourth quarter, and 7 percent expected to trim staff, resulting in a net 1 percent lift in hiring activity — the first positive figure since the first quarter of 2009. Most remaining CFOs interviewed didn’t expect changes, according to the Robert Half Financial Hiring Index.

The index pointed to the Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas region as the one that will be doing the most hiring late this year, with a net 6 percent increase in hiring activity.

The weighted index is based on interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs, randomly selected from companies with at least 20 employees. Robert Half International, a staffing services firm that specializes in accounting and finance, has been tracking hiring activity in that area since 1992.

Nationally, 86 percent of CFOs interviewed have at least a somewhat optimistic outlook for their companies; 39 percent are very confident.

“While employers remain cautious about adding staff, more firms also are concerned they could miss out on business opportunities by not having adequate human resources in place,” Robert Half Chairman and CEO Max Messmer said in a release. “Rising customer demands are placing added pressure on companies that made deep personnel cuts in recent years. Some businesses not in a position to hire full time are addressing the gap by bringing in professionals on a temporary or project basis.”

The quarterly index is part of the Robert Half Professional Employment Report.

Source: Kansas City Business Journal