Detroit CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Robert Half Survey Finds Majority of Detroit Companies Face Recruiting Challenges

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Sep 07, 2016, 08:10 ET

DETROIT, Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Detroit Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half shows 15 percent of local 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 Professional Employment Forecast provides a snapshot of Detroit hiring.

	Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2017*	March 2016 – Aug. 2016*
Expanding – adding new positions	15%	14%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	66%	67%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	15%	16%
Reducing – eliminating positions	3%	4%
*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

Recruiting Challenges

Fifty-eight percent of Detroit CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. This compares to 53 percent in the previous six months.

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

"More Detroit employers are feeling the effects of the intense competition for talent," said Robin Ankton, regional vice president for Robert Half in Detroit. "Hiring managers need to streamline the hiring process, moving quickly and communicating the pros of working for their company."

Ankton added, "We're seeing high demand for professionals with general ledger, large corporate tax compliance, audit and financial reporting skills, especially in the manufacturing, real estate and healthcare sectors."

Business Confidence

According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Detroit CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Eighty-nine 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 Detroit 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/detroit.

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SOURCE Robert Half