Executives Project Second Quarter Hiring Plans
March 7, 2012 – Seventeen percent of executives plan to add full-time, professional-level staff in the second three months of 2012, according to the Robert Half Professional Employment Report. Eight percent foresee declines in staff while 72 percent of hiring executives anticipate no changes to their staffing levels. Eighty-two percent of executives reported they are somewhat or very confident in their companies' growth prospects in the second quarter. In addition, more than one third (36 percent) indicated they are having difficulty finding skilled employees today. The legal and marketing fields are expected to see the strongest hiring activity. “Companies continue to seek experienced professionals to support their ongoing business needs and guide growth,” said Lara Dodo, a Canadian regional vice-president of Robert Half. “Some firms are making strategic hires to fill personnel gaps — particularly in the legal and marketing fields — while others are taking a variable approach to staffing by supplementing full-time teams with temporary or project professionals.”