WESTERN Australian chief executives are most likely to recruit new staff to expand businesses into other areas of growth, while only 13 per cent think the economy will improve next year, according to The Executive Connection’s latest Quarterly Confidence Index. While recruitment agencies were the preferred recruitment method of 28 per cent of total respondents, WA respondents were the most likely to use personal referrals, with 22 per cent saying they had done so. Forty-three per cent of respondents said employees had left jobs in search of more money, while 47 per cent indicated they would look overseas to hire new staff this year – tradespeople being the most popular at 36 per cent. WA also recorded the highest levels of employment for part-time staff and contractors, at 10 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. TEC chief executive Mike O’Neill said 88 per cent of WA respondents indicated it was more difficult to find new staff this year. “There has been a significant drop in the chief executives who recruit based on potential and ability to train,” he said. “This could be related to the fact that very few new hires are expected to stay over five years with a company.”