The biggest takeaway from the recession for employers could well be to take better care of their workers, according to a recent survey of U.S. chief financial officers.
Nearly three in 10 (27 percent) financial executives surveyed by Robert Half Management Resources said they learned not to overlook team morale. CFOs also cited the value of controlling costs early on (22 percent) and not cutting personnel too deeply (22 percent).
“Without a motivated workforce and adequate staffing levels, companies can be ill-equipped to take advantage of improving market trends,” said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half. “They may also risk losing top employees as the job market strengthens.”
McDonald added, “Many companies have realized that reducing costs in various operational areas earlier in the downturn would have better prepared them for the slowdown.”
Robert Half provides financial executives on an interim or project basis.
The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1,400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.
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