Dallas/Fort Worth CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Survey Finds Ninety-Three Percent of Dallas/Fort Worth Companies Confident about Growth

News provided by

Apr 02, 2015, 08:10 ET

DALLAS, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half indicates 14 percent of Dallas/Fort Worth chief financial officers (CFOs) expect their companies to create new jobs in the next six months. Another 69 percent plan to hire for open roles, compared to 66 percent in the previous six months.

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

	Sept. 2014 – Feb. 2015*	March – Aug. 2015*
Expanding – adding new positions	19%	14%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	66%	69%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	11%	12%
Reducing – eliminating positions	1%	3%
Don't know/no answer	4%	0%
*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

"Continued business growth and the relocation of several new companies to the Dallas/Fort Worth area have created a highly competitive hiring environment," said Stephanie Cook, district president of Robert Half in Dallas. "Professionals skilled in accounting, internal audit and applications development are especially sought-after, and employers need to move quickly and extend attractive job offers if they want to land the best candidates."

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

Staffing issues remain a concern for companies. In a study by Protiviti and the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Initiative at the North Carolina State University Poole College of Management, board members and senior executives cited the ability to attract and retain top talent as one of the top risks facing their businesses. The majority of respondents, 56 percent, felt it had a significant impact on their organizations.

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Dallas/Fort Worth CFOs are optimistic about their companies' growth. Ninety-three percent of executives reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the next six months. This compares to 92 percent in the previous six months.

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 Dallas/Fort Worth 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.

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 blog.roberthalf.com.

Robert Half is also the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm.

SOURCE Robert Half