Washington, D.C., CFOs Reveal Hiring Plans For Next Six Months

Survey Finds 91 Percent of Washington, D.C., Companies Confident About Growth Prospects

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Apr 02, 2015, 08:20 ET

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The just-released Washington, D.C., Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half indicates 14 percent of Washington, D.C., chief financial officers (CFOs) expect their companies to create new jobs in the next six months. Another 71 percent of executives 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:

	Sept. 2014 – Feb. 2015*	March – Aug. 2015
Expanding – adding new positions	17%	14%
Maintaining – only filling vacated positions	72%	71%
Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones	4%	11%
Reducing – eliminating positions	5%	3%
Don't know/no answer	1%	1%

"We continue to see strong demand for top candidates in many specialties, most notably in accounting and finance and information technology," said Josh Howarth, senior regional vice president for Robert Half in Washington, D.C. "In particular, companies in the Washington, D.C. area are actively recruiting senior and staff accountants, financial analysts and systems administrators. Many job candidates with these skill sets are experiencing multiple offers."

Recruiting Challenges
Organizations looking to expand and add staff may face difficulties, research shows. Sixty percent of Washington, D.C., CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today.

Staffing issues remain a concern for companies. In a study by Protiviti and the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Initiative at the North Carolina State University Poole College of Management, board members and senior executives cited the ability to attract and retain top talent as one of the top risks facing their businesses. The majority of respondents, 56 percent, felt it had a significant impact on their organizations.

Business Confidence
According to the Professional Employment Forecast, Washington, D.C., CFOs are optimistic about their companies' growth. Ninety-one percent of executives reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the next six months.

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 Washington, D.C., area with 20 or more employees. Executives were asked about their hiring and business outlook, including plans to add professional-level employees, for example, staff in the accounting, human resources, administrative, legal, marketing and information technology fields.

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 blog.roberthalf.com.

Robert Half is also the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm.

SOURCE Robert Half