83 per cent of execs to maintain current staff levels

Two-fifths having recruiting challenges: Survey

More than eight in 10 (83 per cent) Canadian executives surveyed for the quarterly Robert Half Professional Employment Report said they anticipate no changes to the size of their teams in the next three months.

Nine per cent plan to add full-time, professional-level staff in the third quarter, while another four per cent indicated they will make personnel reductions, for a net five per cent projected hiring increase.

Recruiting challenges continue to surface for executives — 41 per cent said they are having difficulty finding people with the skills they need, up five points from the previous quarter, found the survey of more than 1,000 C-level executives and senior managers (including more than 270 CFOs, 270 CIOs, 150 senior HR managers, 75 lawyers at law firms, 75 corporate lawyers, 50 advertising executives and 200 marketing executives).

Nearly nine in 10 (86 per cent) executives expressed confidence in the growth prospects for their firms in the next three months, up four points from three months ago.

The legal field is expected to see the strongest hiring activity, found Robert Half, with a net 39 per cent of lawyers planning to increase staff levels in the third quarter.

Hiring expectations by profession

Increase

Decrease

Net increase/decrease

Total

9%

4%

5%

Accounting, finance

5%

3%

2%

Advertising, marketing

10%

6%

4%

Human resources

7%

6%

1%

Information technology

8%

2%

6%

Legal

42%

3%

39%

Sales, business development

15%

4%

11%

"Although the general unemployment rate remains fairly high, it's important to keep in mind that unemployment for key positions — particularly in finance and technology — is significantly lower, making it more challenging for employers to find skilled professionals in these fields," said Lara Dodo, regional vice-president of Robert Half in Canada.

Third-quarter professional-level hiring is anticipated to be strongest in the wholesale industry, where a net 17 per cent of respondents said they expect to make staff additions. This was followed by a net 16 per cent of executives in both the manufacturing and construction sectors who indicated they will increase personnel during the upcoming quarter.

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