Dive Brief:

• A new survey from Accountemps, a Robert Half company and leading financial staffing firm, indicates that entry level job hiring is slightly up, and they are focusing on candidate soft skills. The survey said that 23% of CFOs said that their firms were doing more entry-level hiring than 5 years ago. The remaining 65% said they had remained about the same. 
• The preferred skills for candidates? When asked, 30% of the companies that are doing the most hiring said that they were targeting candidates with "fresh ideas and innovative spirit" and 22% said they were looking for enthusiastic candidates who bring energy to their roles. 
• The infographic based on the Accountemps survey of over 2,000 US CFOs is available for review, and it includes some other interesting recruitment trends for the financial market. 

Dive Insight:

It's clear that certain priorities have changed when it comes to recruitment in the financial sectors and other industries. Companies are no longer just considering entry level candidates with college degrees and experience—they want the entire package. Hiring top level candidates who demonstrate a positive and proactive outlook on their career, along with new ideas, is what the Accountemps survey focuses on. This ties into greater employee engagement and innovation that takes place later. 

Candidates who want to increase their chances of being hired by top financial firms should embrace these findings and come up with ways to demonstrate their ability to come up with fresh ideas as well as being positive and enthusiastic.