Chief financial officers at Los Angeles companies expect to step up their hiring over the next six months, compared to the six months just ending, according to a survey from Robert Half International.

They are also overwhelmingly bullish on their companies’ growth prospects over the next six months.

The Menlo Park staffing firm’s survey of 200 L.A. County chief financial officers found that 22 percent said their companies plan to add new positions between March and August of this year, up from 19 percent for the two previous six-month periods, ending in August and February, respectively. Only 4 percent of CFOs surveyed said their companies planned to reduce staff, down from 5 percent for the six-month period ending in February, but the same as the six-month period ending last August.

What’s more, 95 percent of the CFOs surveyed said they are optimistic about their companies’ growth prospects over the next six months, up slightly from 93 percent for the previous six-month period and 91 percent for the six months ending last August.

“There is strong business growth in Los Angeles, with more and more companies competing to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, especially in the finance and business sectors,” said Brett Good, senior district president for Robert Half.

But the hiring won’t be easy. Fifty-one percent of the CFOs surveyed said it’s somewhat or very challenging to find skilled candidates for professional-level positions. That’s down slightly from 53 percent for the previous six-month period and from 56 percent for the year-ago period ending last August.

To sweeten the pot for the qualified job candidates they do find, companies are offering more perks.

“In addition to offering higher salaries, more organizations are increasing their nonmonetary perks, including flextime and an appealing corporate culture, to attract top talent,” Good said. “The competition for highly skilled local professionals is alive and well.”