Productivity Has Become Critical Issue for New Financial Managers, Survey Says

According to the results of a recent survey that appeared in USA Today on Dec. 29, 2008, productivity has become one of the top challenges for executives.  The survey was conducted by Robert Half Management Resources.

If the survey is to be believed — and there’s no reason why it should not — then there’s never been a better time to institute GTD either was an individual or within your company…

Based upon the study, 30% of CFOs felt that increasing productivity was their top challenge, followed by boosting profitability (20% of respondents).  1400 CFOs working for firms with at least 20 emplooyees from across the country were queried in telephone interviews to generate the results.

They were asked:  “Which one of the following was the greatest challenge you faced in your first 100 days in your current position?” Their responses:

Increasing productivity
30%
Increasing profitability
20%
Personnel decisions, such as hiring or staff reductions
13%
Building rapport with new staff
13%
Building rapport with your CEO
8%
None
9%
Other/don’t know
7%

100%
From the original article:

“New financial managers need to make an immediate impact,” said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. “In today’s economy, especially, executives may have less time to prove themselves and are expected to demonstrate tangible results.”
McDonald noted that while just 13 percent of CFOs cited building rapport with staff as their top priority, managers should not overlook this critical step. “A creative and motivated team is essential to enhanced productivity. Corporate leaders need to connect with their employees and understand what motivates them to perform at their highest levels.”
About the Survey
The national study was developed by Robert Half Management Resources. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on more than 1,400 telephone interviews with CFOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees. For the study to be statistically representative and ensure that companies from all segments are represented, the sample was stratified by geographic region and number of employees. The results were then weighted to reflect the proper proportion of employees within each region.
About Robert Half Management Resources
Robert Half Management Resources has more than 150 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.roberthalfmr.com.

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3 Comments

  1. Eric,

    I’m citing the source above (USA Today, Dec 29th, 2009) but I cannot find this article online and the original was simply forwarded to me via email.

    If you can find the link, please post it as a comment. Thanks.

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