Toronto, ON (CNW) Professionals newly joining the workforce in 2024 can anticipate an active hiring market, according to research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half. According to a recent survey, 64 per cent of companies said they plan to hire entry-level professionals, generally defined as individuals with 0-2 years of experience, in the first half of 2024.
The Outlook for Entry-Level Professionals
| Hiring Plans by Profession | |
| Administrative and customer support | 70 % |
| Legal | 67 % |
| Marketing and creative | 66 % |
| Human resources | 66 % |
| Technology | 57 % |
| Finance and accounting | 56 % |
| Hiring Plans by Company Size | |
| Small (fewer than 100 employees) | 55 % |
| Midsize (100-999 employees) | 65 % |
| Large (1,000+ employees) | 65 % |
“Onboarding early-career professionals to your organization can be a strategic hiring move”, said Koula Vasilopoulos, Senior Managing Director of Robert Half Canada. “Recent grads and other entry-level professionals can bring new ideas and enthusiasm, different skills and perspectives, and have great potential to contribute to organizations in new and meaningful ways.”
Lack of training and guidance creates challenges for entry-level hires
When asked in a separate Robert Half survey about what challenges they faced as entry-level hires, professionals reported not feeling well compensated (39 per cent), not having an assigned mentor (34 per cent), and a lack of training for key tasks (33 per cent), as the main obstacles.
“When searching for and starting a new job, workers should be researching appropriate salaries, making sure to ask questions about mentorship opportunities, focusing on building connections through networking, and advocating for the support they need during training”, added Vasilopoulos.
High Paying Positions for Entry-Level Professionals
The 2024 Robert Half Salary Guide features employment trends and starting salaries for hundreds of positions. Below is a snapshot of some entry-level positions with strong starting salaries within the sectors Robert Half supports.
| Position | Average Starting Salaries(25th – 50th Percentile) |
| Entry-level financial reporting accountant | $68,000 – $80,750 |
| Marketing coordinator | $50,750 – $61,500 |
| HR assistant | $49,000 – $55,000 |
| Help Desk Support (Tier 1) | $47,000– $56,500 |
| Entry-level administrative assistant | $45,500 – $49,500 |
| Law clerk (0-3 years’ experience) | $40,500 – $48,000 |
| *25th percentile: New to the role, with little or no experience; requires more than casual instruction or supervision to perform day-to-day duties | |
| *50th percentile: Has the experience to consistently perform core responsibilities without direct supervision; very comfortable with processes and subject matter associated with the role | |
About the Research
The online surveys were developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm from November 1-20, 2023, and March 4-11, 2024. They include responses from more than 1,094 managers with hiring responsibilities in finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources at companies with 20 or more employees in Canada, and 609 professionals across Canada.
About Robert Half
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. Offering contract and permanent placement solutions in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support, Robert Half has more than 300 locations worldwide. Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti®, a global consulting firm that provides internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions. Robert Half, including Protiviti, has been named to the Fortune® Most Admired Companies™. Explore our comprehensive solutions, research and insights at RobertHalf.ca.
SOURCE Robert Half Canada Inc.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.