Dive Brief:

• Most employers' 2020 tech talent strategies will include interim hires, according to the results of a Robert Half survey released Tuesday. 
• Nearly all IT managers polled (96%) said they were likely to employ interim professionals next year. Of those, 60% said their strategy already includes bringing project-based workers on board. Another 58% said they will turn to temporary staff if they're having trouble filling a vacancy.

• Respondents to the Robert Half survey said they're specifically looking for professionals in cybersecurity, cloud, business intelligence and reporting services, database management and DevOps. But employers and employees agree that worker skills are lacking.

Dive Insight:

The talent shortage looms large in many industries and tech is no exception. But as was the case nearly a year ago, employers still plan to increase tech teams' headcount.

Large tech players are leveraging resources to launch broad upskilling initiatives aimed at their workforce. Amazon announced in July a $700 million plan to equip 100,000 of its employees with skills like software engineering, information technology and machine learning. 

Others, including Microsoft and Salesforce, turn to online learning platforms to foster community and deepen the existing pool of available talent in specialty fields.

The findings on interim talent reflect trends from other industries, too. Many employers say they're increasingly relying on independent contractors in an effort to remain agile in an uncertain economy — although other reports dispute that characterization.

Still, a recent MBO Partners report said the nation's 41 million freelancers, contractors, consultants, temporary and on-call workers added $1.3 trillion to the economy last year; if employers continue to shift their talent strategies, that number may well grow.