Canadian Executives Reveal Upcoming Professional-Level Hiring Plans: Net 10 Per Cent of Executives Expect to Hire; Businesses Express Confidence in Growth Prospects

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Thirteen per cent of Canadian executives surveyed for the quarterly Robert Half Professional Employment Report said they will add full-time, professional-level staff in the fourth quarter of 2012, while another 3 per cent signaled they will make personnel reductions, resulting in a net 10 per cent who plan to hire. This is up 5 points from last quarter's projections. Eight in ten (80 per cent) executives said they anticipate making no changes to the size of their teams in the next three months.

The survey results also suggest that business optimism remains high: 34 per cent of respondents said they are "very confident" in growth prospects for their companies in the fourth quarter, while an additional 52 per cent said they are "somewhat confident."

The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 Canadian-based C-level executives and other senior managers in a variety of fields who are asked about their hiring plans and general level of optimism for the upcoming quarter. Survey respondents include more than 270 chief financial officers (CFOs); 270 chief information officers (CIOs); 150 senior human resources managers; 75 lawyers at law firms and 75 corporate lawyers; and 50 advertising executives and 250 marketing executives, all of whom have hiring authority. The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is the first quarterly executive survey of its size and scope to concentrate exclusively on professional-level hiring.

Key Findings

    <<
    -   Thirteen per cent of executives anticipate bringing in additional
        staff in the fourth quarter, and 3 per cent project personnel
        reductions. The resulting net 10 per cent increase is up 5 points
        from prior quarter's survey. Eighty per cent of executives expect to
        make no changes to the size of their full-time, professional-level
        teams.

    -   Thirty-four per cent of respondents said they are "very confident" in
        growth prospects for their companies in the fourth quarter, while an
        additional 52 per cent said they are "somewhat confident." The
        overall confidence number, 86 per cent, remains unchanged from last
        quarter.

    -   Thirty-nine per cent of executives said they expect to encounter
        recruiting challenges in the fourth quarter, down two percentage
        points from the prior quarter's results.

    -   A net 31 per cent of executives plan to add legal professionals in
        the upcoming quarter. Strong fourth-quarter hiring also is
        expected in the sales and business development
        profession (net 15 per cent) and the information technology field
        (net 12 per cent).

    -   Respondents in the professional services and finance, insurance and
        real estate sectors are most likely to make personnel additions; a
        net 17 per cent and a net 16 per cent, respectively, said they
        anticipate hiring in the fourth quarter.
    >>

Hiring Expectations: By Profession

    <<
                                                                Net Increase/
                                         Increase    Decrease       Decrease
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total                                     13%          3%            10%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Accounting and finance                     6%          2%             4%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Advertising and marketing                 14%          7%             7%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Human resources                           15%          4%            11%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Information technology                    15%          3%            12%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Legal                                     33%          2%            31%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sales and business development            18%          3%            15%
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >>

"Professional-level hiring remains active, as companies are bringing in full-time professionals to help support additional business needs," said Lara Dodo, a regional vice-president of Robert Half International. "However, many employers continue to face difficulties finding the talent they need. Professionals with highly specialised skills are in short supply - particularly in the information technology, and advertising and marketing fields."

Professional-Level Hiring -- By Industry

Fourth-quarter professional-level hiring is anticipated to be strongest in the professional services industry, where a net 17 per cent of respondents said they expect to make staff additions. Finance, insurance and real estate followed closely, with 16 per cent of respondents reporting hiring intentions.

Professional-Level Hiring -- By Field

The legal profession topped the survey in anticipated hiring, with a net 31 per cent of lawyers saying they plan to add staff in this field. This is down 8 points from last quarter. A net 15 per cent of executives indicated they will hire sales and business development professionals during the fourth quarter.

About Robert Half International

Founded in 1948, Robert Half International, the world's first and largest specialised staffing firm, is a recognised leader in professional staffing services. The company's specialised staffing divisions include Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam, for highly skilled office and administrative support professionals; Robert Half Technology, for information technology professionals; Robert Half Legal, for legal personnel; and The Creative Group, for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. Robert Half International has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide. Find more information at www.roberthalf.ca, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/RobertHalf_CAN.

SOURCE: Robert Half Canada