By Laurie Vicente, CSMP | June 26, 2013


Affordable Care Act Increases Temporary and Contract Worker Hires

CHICAGO (June 26, 2013) — Accounting and finance and IT hiring managers are bullish on the economy, which is evident in their hiring plans for the remainder of the year, according to the Brilliant™ Q3 2013 Hiring Forecast. The renewed outlook on economic growth has organizations focused on strengthening hiring plans and addressing unfilled positions.

“This forecast reveals a significant talent pool gap, and a surge in unfilled positions, with 25 percent of hiring managers ready to add to their staffs,” reports Dr. Richard Curtin, who directed the survey.

Compared with last quarter’s results, this forecast includes a much more favorable outlook in hiring plans for accounting and finance and IT professionals. The pace of hiring this year is expected to increase by 23 percent, which is six percent higher than reported last quarter’s forecast. Uncertainty within future hiring plans has dropped to the lowest level reported within the past year.

“What we’re seeing is a strong opportunity for hiring professionals for accounting and finance and IT roles,” says Jim Wong, CEO, Clear Focus. “Despite any initial misgivings related to higher taxes and the Affordable Care Act, there is increased opportunity for growth, but interestingly enough it’s for temporary and contract workers.”

Temporary Hiring Predicted to Increase When asked about their intentions about hiring temporary or contract employees in the Q3 2013 forecast, respondents were more likely to plan increases than declines, which sharply contrasts last quarter.

Renewed Optimism in Economic Growth Nearly half of those surveyed expect improved economic conditions in the third quarter, up from 35 percent at the start of the year. The survey data reveals hiring managers do not anticipate payroll and other taxes nor the decline in federal spending to seriously affect the economy.

Experience and Ability to Fit within Work Culture is Key When asked to identify the top characteristic desired in prospective top talent, experience in the field and the ability to fit within the work culture were both ranked equally as important at 39 percent.

Creative Problem-Solving is a Top Priority When asked to identify the biggest gap in the skills of job seekers, nearly half of all respondents identified the ability of a candidate to solve problems in a creative fashion. Additional gaps include the gap in expertise and job requirement, which was cited by 33 percent, and the ability to stay on top of evolving trends, which was cited by 15 percent.

The Role of Social Media and Searches Engines Of those surveyed, 58 percent reported they did use the search engines or social media in their assessments of prospective talent. LinkedIn was cited as one of the top online tools, representing 53 percent of those surveyed.

The dominance of LinkedIn reflects the popularity of this site among finance, accounting and IT professionals, as well as its ability to provide a comprehensive view of a person’s professional life.

Search engines were reported as being used by 33 percent of respondents. Only 15 percent of those surveyed use Facebook, and just three percent use Twitter for reviewing prospective talent.


About the Brilliant Hiring Forecast

The Brilliant Hiring Forecast, established in 2012, is a quarterly survey of human resources professionals and hiring managers in accounting, finance and IT from a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, consumer products, service, financial services, professional services, retail, real estate, and non-profits. It is conducted by Brilliant™ and Dr. Richard Curtin, professor and director of surveys for the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

The Q3 2013 Brilliant Hiring Forecast includes responses from 132 professionals, surveyed from May 16 – June 7, 2013.

About Brilliant

Brilliant is a leading accounting, finance and information technology search firm in Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale providing corporate clients a professional outsource hiring solution. Using a unique consultative approach to develop a heightened awareness of both client hiring needs and candidate talent, Brilliant delivers a higher value and the right candidate every time. Brilliant represents large publicly traded Fortune 500 companies and leading privately held entities from a broad range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, health care, consumer products, service, financial services, professional services, retail, real estate, and not-for-profit. Complete information about Clear Focus Financial Search is available online at www.brilliantfs.com.


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