Two thirds of companies to hire staff in 2015

Two thirds of chief financial officers (CFOs) responding to a survey say they will hire new employees in 2015, on the back of improving business performance.

According to a survey by RSM Farrell Grant Sparks, 91 per cent of CFOs across Ireland said that their business is in a good position to capitalise on the expected economic up-turn in Q4 and on into 2015.

“CFOs are typically the more cautious business leaders, but our survey showed that they were almost bullish in their level of optimism for the Irish business environment with 73 per cent saying that they see an improvement in their business due to the upturn in the economy. This is obviously a hugely positive endorsement,” said David McGarry, director with RSM Farrell Grant Sparks.

Moreover, more than half (54%) of finance professionals surveyed currently have opportunities for employment in their companies, and 66 per cent say that they expect to hire new employees in 2015.

While just over half of the RSM Farrell Grant Sparks survey respondents believe that the recent budget delivered will support Irish businesses, a sizeable 82% of finance professionals believe that the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland will be “invaluable” to Irish SMEs.

The survey also found that 66 per cent of finance professionals do not believe that the introduction of Ireland’s new financial reporting framework, which includes FRS 102, will significantly impact their business.