Nearly all tech executives, 90%, turn to freelancers during high-stress periods, according to the Fiverr industry report released today. Meanwhile, despite the ongoing AI revolution, tech companies nationwide maintain optimism about integrating artificial intelligence into their operations.  

The Strategic Insights: Leveraging Freelance Talent in Tech report analyzes executives’ pain points, including identifying the third quarter as their most stressful period. It offers insights into how executives adapt to and overcome obstacles, focusing on cybersecurity measures, AI adoption and talent sourcing.  

A significant trend highlights the increasing integration of freelancers into company workforces. With 90% of tech executives leveraging freelancers during peak stress periods, over 28% of firms now integrate freelancers daily into their operational processes. Additionally, more than 21% leverage freelancers nearly every workday, and over 30% deploy freelance talent two to three days a week.  

“When researching this report, we aimed to create a robust analysis of the problems that tech executives are facing, providing them with tangible and actionable solutions,” said Maya Rosiman, general manager of Fiverr Pro. “The paper’s findings can serve as a roadmap for executives looking to empower their teams to focus on innovation and growth while also improving talent retention and satisfaction.”  

Key findings from the national data include:  

• Concerns. Cybersecurity threats were the leading concern for over 50% of tech companies surveyed, with nearly 40% worrying about AI integration alongside other relevant technologies, while 38% stress over talent acquisition and retention. As organizations grow, 53.2% of tech companies cite optimizing technology and infrastructure as their top challenge, closely followed by maintaining company culture (52.6%) and securing the right talent (50.6%).  
• Artificial intelligence. Approximately 77% of executives remain positive about AI and machine learning success. However, challenges related to implementation and capability issues are noted by almost 20% of leaders.  
• Workforce trends. To better understand how organizations are responding, the report also explores how tech companies are navigating changing workforce dynamics and new skills. A third of companies reported experiencing more layoffs or workforce redundancies, while another third cited a decline in turnover or no change at all. Conversely, tech executives are responding to the industry’s growing demands by focusing on desired skills, particularly around emerging technologies, with nearly 50% of companies seeking prospects with heavy expertise in AI, machine learning, software, app development and cybersecurity.  

The survey was conducted between Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 in partnership with Censuswide and included 500 tech executives in the US.

-Sanestina Hunter