New York City CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Robert Half Survey Also Reveals Jump in New York City Companies Facing Recruiting Challenges

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Sep 07, 2016, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2016 New York City executives expect professional-level hiring to increase in the next six months, according to the just-released New York City Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half. Seventeen percent of local CFOs anticipate their company will create new jobs, up 2 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:

New York City CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

	Sept. 2016 – Feb. 2017*	March 2016 – Aug. 2016*
Expanding – adding new positions	17%	15%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	69%	74%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	9%	8%
Reducing – eliminating positions	4%	2%
*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

Recruiting Challenges

Sixty-two percent of New York City CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. This compares to 54 percent in the previous six months.

New York City executives (42 percent) cited maintaining employee morale and productivity as the greatest challenge when hiring and managing staff.

"Job openings are growing faster than the pool of available talent in New York, especially for professionals in high demand, such as accountants and auditors," said Dawn Fay, district president for Robert Half in New York. "Companies that take too long to hire often lose out on top candidates. Offers should be prompt once a decision is made and include competitive compensation and benefits packages — crucial elements in attracting and retaining top talent."

Business Confidence

According to the Professional Employment Forecast, New York City CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Ninety percent of executives polled said they are 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 New York City 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/new-york.

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SOURCE Robert Half