23 Percent Of Miami/Fort Lauderdale CFOs Say Their Companies Will Hire For New Positions In Next Six Months

Survey Finds More Companies Willing to Negotiate Salary With Top Job Candidates

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Sep 11, 2014, 09:00 ET

MIAMI, Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-three percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area report their companies will be creating new jobs in the next six months, according to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Professional Employment Forecast From Robert Half. Sixty percent of finance executives said they will be maintaining personnel levels, adding staff only to fill vacated positions. Eleven percent of respondents will not be hiring, even to fill an open position, and 5 percent plan to reduce staff levels.

The Professional Employment Forecast was developed by Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm, and conducted by an independent research firm. The local results are based on interviews with 100 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area with 20 or more employees. Executives were asked about their hiring and business outlook, including plans to add professional-level employees, for example, staff in the accounting, human resources, administrative, legal, marketing and information technology fields.

CFOs were asked, "What are your company's hiring plans for full-time professional-level employees in the next six months?" Their responses:

Expanding – adding new positions	23%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	60%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	11%
Reducing – eliminating positions	5%
Don't know/no answer	1%
	100%

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

"Many companies are stepping up their hiring efforts as we head into the final months of the year," said Ryan Skubis, district president for Robert Half in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. "The hiring process is moving quicker as many managers now realize the competition for top performers is intense, and if they don't make an offer to a highly skilled candidate right away, they will lose that person to another opportunity."

Recruiting Challenges

The survey results suggest organizations looking to expand and add staff may face difficulties. The majority of CFOs surveyed, 77 percent, said it is at least somewhat challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today.

Business Confidence

Executives are optimistic about their business prospects. More than nine in 10 (95 percent) CFOs expressed confidence in their company's growth potential for the next six months, with close to six in 10 (58 percent) respondents saying they are very confident.

Spotlight on Salary Negotiations

In another sign the job market is heating up, many employers appear to be negotiating more frequently with top job candidates. Forty-three percent of respondents said they're more willing to negotiate salaries than they were 12 months ago, compared to just 11 percent who are less willing.

About Robert Half

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The Menlo Park-based company has more than 340 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search and management tools at roberthalf.com. For career and management advice, follow our blog at blog.roberthalf.com.

Note to editors: To speak with a local expert on employment trends in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, please contact Lisa Montagna at (727) 576-7717.

SOURCE Robert Half