Boston CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Robert Half Survey Finds Majority of Boston Companies Optimistic About Business Growth

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Sep 07, 2016, 08:00 ET

BOSTON, Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Boston Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half shows 17 percent of local CFOs expect their company to create new jobs in the next six months. Another 67 percent plan to hire for open roles.

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

Boston CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

	Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2017	March 2016 – Aug. 2016
Expanding – adding new positions	17%	18%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	67%	67%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	14%	14%
Reducing – eliminating positions	2%	1%

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

Recruiting Challenges
Sixty-one percent of Boston CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. Boston executives (40 percent) also cited maintaining employee morale and productivity as an additional challenge when hiring and managing staff.

"Special projects — along with system implementation and upgrades — are creating opportunities, especially in the healthcare, financial services and nonprofit industries," said Corey Adams, regional vice president for Robert Half in Boston. "Employers that win over top candidates in today's market are those that offer the most competitive salary and benefits packages and don't drag out the hiring process."

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Boston CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Ninety percent of executives reported being somewhat or very confident in their company's prospects in the next six months.

About the Professional Employment Forecast
The Professional Employment Forecast was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. The local results reflect a two-period rolling average based on interviews with 200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in the Boston area with 20 or more employees. Executives were asked about their hiring and business outlook, including plans to add professional-level employees in areas such as accounting, finance, human resources, administrative, legal, marketing and information technology.

About Robert Half
Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The company, based in Menlo Park, California, has more than 340 staffing locations worldwide and offers job search and management tools at roberthalf.com. Additional insights on the latest hiring trends also can be found in the company's just-released 2017 Salary Guides. For more career and management insights, visit roberthalf.com/boston-manchester.

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SOURCE Robert Half