St. Louis CFOs Expect Increased Hiring In Next Six Months

Survey Finds More than One-Quarter of St. Louis Companies Modifying Compensation

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Sep 08, 2015, 08:10 ET

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Louis executives expect professional-level hiring to pick up in the next six months, according to the just-released St. Louis Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half. Ten percent of local chief financial officers (CFOs) anticipate their company will create new jobs. Another 78 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:

St. Louis Professional Employment Forecast Fall/Winter 2016

	Sept. 2015 – Feb. 2016*	March – Aug. 2015
Expanding – adding new positions	10%	9%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	78%	80%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	10%	10%
Reducing – eliminating positions	1%	1%
Don't know/no answer	0%	0%
*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

View an infographic featuring the survey results.

"As the competition for in-demand talent continues to rise, St. Louis companies are increasing compensation to remain competitive and recruit top candidates," said Tama Emery, regional vice president of Robert Half in St. Louis. "In a candidate-driven market, companies must move quickly and extend highly attractive offers to hire skilled professionals."

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

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, St. Louis CFOs are optimistic about their company's growth. Ninety-three percent of executives reported being somewhat or very confident in their company's prospects for growth in the next six months. This compares to 91 percent in the previous six months.

Compensation Upgrades
To address staffing challenges, some firms are strengthening the salary and benefits they offer. Twenty-eight percent of St. Louis CFOs surveyed said they have modified their company's compensation plan in the past 12 months as a way to enhance recruiting and retention efforts.

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 St. Louis 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, 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 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 roberthalf.com/st.louis.

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SOURCE Robert Half