Chicago CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

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

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Sep 07, 2016, 08:10 ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Chicago Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half shows 17 percent of Chicago CFOs expect their company to create new jobs in the next six months. Another 66 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:

Robert Half releases Chicago Professional Employment Forecast.

	Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2017	March 2016 – Aug. 2016
Expanding – adding new positions	17%	18%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	66%	66%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	16%	13%
Reducing – eliminating positions	1%	3%

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

Recruiting Challenges
Sixty-one percent of Chicago CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. This compares to 55 percent in the previous six months.

Chicago executives (39 percent) also cited maintaining employee morale and productivity as an additional challenge when hiring and managing staff.

"The job market for finance and accounting professionals in Chicago is strong," said Marilyn Bird, district president for Robert Half in Chicago. "The amount of new opportunities, combined with the shortage of candidates, continues to fuel the competition for talent. Companies that have streamlined their hiring process and can act quickly, while touting the benefits of working for their organization, are securing in-demand candidates."

Bird added, "We're seeing increased demand for senior accountants and professionals with large ERP system skills, particularly within the commercial real estate, manufacturing and professional services sectors."

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Chicago CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Ninety-one 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 Chicago 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, follow roberthalf.com/chicago.

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SOURCE Robert Half