Cleveland CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Survey Finds 90 Percent of Cleveland Companies Confident About Growth

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Sep 08, 2015, 08:12 ET

CLEVELAND, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Cleveland Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half shows 13 percent of Cleveland chief financial officers (CFOs) expect their company to create new jobs in the next six months. Another 69 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:

82% of Cleveland executives plan to hire in the next six months.

	Sept. 2015 – Feb. 2016	March – Aug. 2015
Expanding – adding new positions	13%	13%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	69%	70%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	14%	10%
Reducing – eliminating positions	4%	6%
Don't know/no answer	0%	1%

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

"Employers have realized to a much greater extent that we are in a candidate-driven marketplace and the costs associated with hiring are increasing," said Alan Reisinger, regional vice president for Robert Half in Cleveland. "As a result, retention has become a critical focus. Employers are also increasingly allowing flexible schedules for employees, as the current workforce highly values work-life balance."

Recruiting Challenges
Organizations looking to add staff may face difficulties, Robert Half's research shows. Fifty-five percent of Cleveland CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today.

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

Compensation Upgrades
To address staffing challenges, some firms are strengthening the salary and benefits they offer. Twenty-eight percent of Cleveland CFOs surveyed said they have modified their company's compensation plan in the past 12 months as a way to enhance recruiting and retention efforts.

About the Professional Employment Forecast
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 reflect a two-period rolling average based on interviews with 200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in the Cleveland 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, 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 Menlo Park, Calif.-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 roberthalf.com/cleveland-akron/blog.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150904/263951-INFO

SOURCE Robert Half