Robert Half Survey Finds It Takes CFOs Average of Four to Five Weeks to Fill Finance Positions

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Apr 17, 2014, 08:10 ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Four weeks is a long time to be short-staffed, but that's what it takes, on average, to fill open staff-level accounting and finance jobs, according to a new survey of chief financial officers (CFOs). The Robert Half Finance & Accounting research also found it takes an average of five weeks to hire for a management-level position.

Average time to hire accounting and finance professionals. (PRNewsFoto/Robert Half Finance & Accounting)

The survey was developed by Robert Half Finance & Accounting, the world's first and largest specialized financial recruitment service, and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on interviews with more than 2,100 CFOs from a random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. markets.

CFOs were asked, "On average, how many weeks does it typically take to hire for an open staff-level accounting or finance position?" The mean response was four weeks.

CFOs also were asked, "On average, how many weeks does it typically take to hire for an open management-level accounting or finance position?" The mean response was five weeks.

View an infographic featuring the research findings.

"To find and keep great people, companies need to make recruitment an ongoing priority, even if they are not actively looking to hire," said Paul McDonald, Robert Half senior executive director. "A pipeline of potential candidates can speed up the hiring process and prevent problems associated with being short-staffed, like burnout of key employees."

McDonald added that working with a specialized recruiting firm can accelerate the hiring timeline. "Recruiters have access to hard-to-find candidates, including professionals who are not actively looking for a new job but ready to make a move for the right opportunity," he said.

About Robert Half Finance & Accounting
Founded in 1948, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a division of Robert Half, has 345 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at roberthalffinance.com. For finance and accounting career and management advice, follow our blog at blog.roberthalffinance.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140416/75823

SOURCE Robert Half Finance & Accounting