24 Percent Of Houston CFOs Say Their Companies Will Hire For New Positions In Next Six Months

Survey Finds Majority of Companies Optimistic About Business Growth

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Sep 11, 2014, 08:10 ET

HOUSTON, Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-four percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) in the Houston area report their companies will be creating new jobs in the next six months, according to the Houston Professional Employment Forecast From Robert Half. Fifty-Nine 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 2 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 Houston 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	24%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	59%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	11%
Reducing – eliminating positions	2%
Don't know/no answer	4%
	100%

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

"Houston continues to experience a strong economic expansion," said Phil Willingham, district president for Robert Half in Houston. "There is tremendous competition for skilled job candidates, especially among companies in the energy, construction and transportation industries. There is also particular demand in the accounting and administrative fields, as well as in IT."

Recruiting Challenges
The survey results suggest organizations looking to expand and add staff may face difficulties. The majority of CFOs surveyed, 62 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. Ninety-three percent of CFOs expressed confidence in their company's growth potential for the next six months, with more than half of respondents (55 percent) 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-four percent of respondents said they're more willing to negotiate salaries than they were 12 months ago, compared to just 8 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.

SOURCE Robert Half