CFOs confident about economic growth: Survey

54 per cent plan to hire for open roles

Almost one-third (29 per cent) of Canadian CFOs expect their company to create new jobs in the next six months, up 13 points from the previous period.

Another 54 per cent of executives plan to hire for open roles, according to the Canadian Professional Employment Forecast from Robert Half, based on interviews with 274 CFOs.

"What are your company's hiring plans for full-time, professional-level employees in the next six months?"

Sept. 2015 – Feb. 2016

March – Aug. 2015*

Expanding – adding new positions

29%

16%

Maintaining – only filling vacated positions

54%

63%

Freezing – not filling vacated positions or creating new ones

17%

18%

Reducing – eliminating positions

0%

3%

Canadian CFOs remain extremely optimistic about their companies' growth. One hundred per cent of executives reported being somewhat or very confident in their companies' prospects for growth in the next six months, which is up seven points from the previous six months.

"Canadian executives' confidence about their companies' growth prospects is directly reflected in the hiring outlook," said Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half, International Staffing Operations. "With more executives planning to hire, businesses must prepare for increased challenges in attracting and retaining skilled professionals by being flexible when it comes to benefits and compensation packages."

Recruiting challenges: Organizations looking to add staff may face difficulties, found Robert Half. Fifty-seven per cent of CFOs surveyed said it's somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions today. This compares to 50 per cent in the previous six months.

Compensation upgrades: To address staffing challenges, many firms are strengthening the salary and benefits they offer. Sixty-four per cent of the 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.

Latest stories