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Hiring in professional fields is likely to keep rising in the second quarter of 2012 but at a slower pace than forecast for the first quarter, according to a new survey by the staffing firm Robert Half.
A net 2% of executives interviewed for the Robert Half Professional Employment Report plan to add full-time staff in the second three months of 2012, down from 10% last quarter. The biggest trend in the survey is the increase in the number of respondents who anticipate no change in hiring activity: 89% versus 78% last quarter.
Against this background, 91% of executives reported they are somewhat or very confident in their companies’ growth prospects in the second quarter, up four points from the first-quarter survey.
More than six in 10 respondents (61%) indicated they are having difficulty finding skilled employees today.
The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is based on telephone interviews with more than 4,000 U.S.-based C-level executives and other leaders in a variety of fields, who are asked about their hiring plans and general level of optimism for the upcoming quarter.
Survey respondents include more than 1,400 chief financial officers (CFOs); 1,400 chief information officers (CIOs); 500 senior human resources managers; 100 lawyers at law firms and 100 corporate lawyers; and 125 advertising executives and 375 marketing executives, all with hiring authority.
The Robert Half Professional Employment Report is the first quarterly executive survey of its size and scope to concentrate exclusively on professional-level hiring.
Key Findings
Executives Reporting Recruiting Challenges: All Professions
Hiring Expectations: By Profession
Increase | Decrease | Net Increase |
|
Total | 5% | 3% | 2% |
Accounting and finance | 4% | 5% | -1% |
Advertising and marketing | 13% | 3% | 10% |
Human resources | 4% | 2% | 2% |
Information technology (IT) | 8% | 5% | 3% |
Legal | 26% | 4% | 22% |
Sales and business development | 7% | 2% | 5% |
Executives Reporting Recruiting Challenges: All Professions
Quarter | Executives Facing Recruiting Challenges |
2Q12 | 61% |
1Q12 | 67% |
4Q11 | 59% |
3Q11 | 42% |
2Q11 | 37% |
“Although the hiring outlook for professional-level positions remains positive overall, it could be tempered somewhat in reaction to issues such as the fiscal uncertainties in the Eurozone and weaker growth in Asia,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International.
“Companies that are not ready to make a full-time hire often fill human resource needs on a temporary basis so they can staff up or down as business demands change” added Brett Good, a senior district president with Robert Half International. “Temporary and project professionals provide access to skills on a right-now basis and can give businesses more control over their personnel budgets.”
Professional-Level Hiring — By Region
Executives in the East South Central states expect the most active hiring levels in the second quarter, with a net 8% of respondents planning to add staff.
“A number of companies, especially manufacturing and distribution firms, have relocated some of their operations to these states, driving hiring activity,” Messmer commented. “Businesses are seeking staff accountants and the planning and strategic expertise of senior financial analysts, as well as database developers, network administrators and desktop support professionals.”
Professional-Level Hiring — By Industry
Second-quarter professional-level hiring is anticipated to be strongest in the transportation sector, where a net 9% of respondents said they expect to make staff additions. This was followed by a net 6% of executives in the manufacturing field who indicated they will hire during the upcoming quarter.
Professional-Level Hiring — By Field
The legal profession again topped the survey in anticipated hiring, with a net 22% of lawyers planning to add staff. A net 10% of executives in the advertising and marketing field indicated they would hire during the second quarter.
The IT and accounting and finance fields reported the greatest difficulty finding skilled professionals, as cited by 65% and 62% of executives, respectively.