Brilliant™ Study Indicates Strong Demand for Accounting, Finance and Information Technology Professionals

CHICAGO, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Brilliant™, a search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in the accounting, finance and Information Technology (IT) professions, in conjunction with Dr. Richard Curtin, Professor and Director of Surveys at the University of Michigan, published a study on the hiring trends and economic health of proprietary entities slated for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The Brilliant™ Q4 2014 accounting, finance and IT Hiring Forecast reported open positions and robust plans for increased hiring of accounting, finance and IT professionals in Q4 2014, both permanent and temporary, by nearly 250 survey respondents.

"One in three companies surveyed plan to increase the overall size of their accounting, finance and IT departments," says Dr. Curtin. "And, a significant number of them anticipated hiring more temporary, temp-to-hire and contract employees in the year ahead."

Brilliant™ CEO James F. Wong, CPA (Inactive) adds, "The trend continues of more demand for accounting, finance and IT professionals than available qualified applicants. Quarter over quarter, we've seen this trend emerging. We can deduce that these employees are in the driver's seat, having their choice for where to pursue their careers."

A Growing Economic Strength

The majority of survey respondents (54 percent) reported that the overall economic situation of their companies had improved during the past year. This is a higher percentage than the Q3 2014 forecast (43 percent) and much higher than the same time last year (32 percent).

An Increase in Hiring Planned

Survey respondents reported that they plan to increase the hiring of accounting / finance professionals (28 percent) and IT professionals (34 percent) in the coming quarter. Only 3 percent planned to decrease the hiring of accounting/finance professionals (down from 9 percent last quarter) and no companies reported a decrease in hiring IT staff.

Successful Search Sources

In search of these candidates, hiring companies are looking to staffing firms and personal referrals for assistance – citing them as the number one and number two successful resources, respectively.

An Outlook on Temporary Roles

Survey respondents reported plans to increase their hiring of temporary accounting / finance employees by 16 percent and temporary IT professionals by 18 percent.

Social Media Effectiveness

While 60 percent of businesses used social media as a recruitment tool for accounting / finance, 54 percent for IT, all cited LinkedIn as the most effective social platform.

To read the Q4 2014 Hiring Forecast in its entirety, download it here.

About the Brilliant™ Hiring Forecast

Since 2012, the Brilliant™ Accounting, Finance and IT Hiring Forecast is a quarterly report produced by Brilliant™, in conjunction with Dr. Richard Curtin, Professor and Director of Surveys at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The Q4 2014 Brilliant™ Hiring Forecast included responses from nearly 250 human resources professionals and hiring-decision makers, surveyed between Aug. 15 and Sept. 8, 2014.

About Brilliant™

Brilliant™ is a search, staffing and management resources firm in greater Chicago and south Florida that specializes in the accounting, finance and IT professions. Brilliant™ works with hiring companies in manufacturing, distribution, health care, consumer products, financial services, professional services, and not for profits, along with job seekers in the accounting, finance and IT professions. The Brilliant™ name and logo are based off of the Chinese translation for the sun and moon – and when combined – create a heightened awareness, or a brilliant state of mind.

To learn more about Brilliant™, call 312.582.1800, visit www.BrilliantFS.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Media Contact:

Laurie Canning, CSMP
Digital Marketing Manager
Brilliant™
(P) 312.582.1812
(e) [email protected]

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SOURCE Brilliant(TM)