Des Moines CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Robert Half Survey Finds 55 Percent of Des Moines Companies Face Recruiting Challenges

News provided by

Sep 07, 2016, 08:10 ET

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Des Moines executives expect professional-level hiring to increase in the next six months, according to the just-released Des Moines Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half. Fifteen percent of local CFOs anticipate their company will create new jobs, up 3 points from the previous six-month period. 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:

Robert Half Professional Employment Forecast provides snapshot of Des Moines hiring.

	Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2017	March 2016 – Aug. 2016*
Expanding – adding new positions	15%	12%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	69%	69%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	14%	15%
Reducing – eliminating positions	2%	3%

*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

Recruiting Challenges
Fifty-five percent of Des Moines CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. This compares to 52 percent in the previous six months.

Des Moines executives (36 percent) also cited maintaining employee morale and productivity as an additional challenge when hiring and managing staff.

"Now more than ever, Des Moines employers realize the importance of streamlining the hiring process, updating compensation and modifying their benefits programs," said Mike Gremmer, regional vice president for Robert Half in Des Moines. "There's strong demand for professionals with internal audit, information technology audit and Sarbanes-Oxley audit skills, as well as those with exceptional communication and critical-thinking abilities. Many top candidates are receiving multiple offers and counteroffers, and, as a result, employers need to focus on speed to hire and the onboarding process."

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Des Moines CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Ninety-two 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 Des Moines 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/des-moines.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160907/404809-INFO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160212/332877LOGO

SOURCE Robert Half