Companies are hiring on the basis of skills versus open positions, according to a survey released by executive search firm Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY).

Of the talent acquisition professionals surveyed, 57% have hired for a specific skill set even if even if they didn’t yet have a defined role for that candidate. And more than three-quarters of respondents, 77%, said they are hiring for roles today that didn’t even exist a year ago.

“While technological advances are creating new roles in areas such as data analytics and artificial intelligence, other trends, such as an enhanced focus on the customer experience journey, are putting a premium on different skill sets,” said Jacob Zabkowicz, Korn Ferry global VP and general manager, recruitment process outsourcing. “Businesses increasingly understand that the rapid pace of change means that, to thrive in the future, they will need access to skills and expertise that don’t necessarily fit within existing job descriptions.”

The survey also asked, “because of the rate that new roles are evolving, are you finding the need to outsource your recruiting needs to an expert more or less than you did five years ago?” Fourteen percent said they outsource “much more,” 22% outsource “a bit more” and 36% outsource approximately the same amount.

The global Korn Ferry survey was conducted in November and December 2018 and garnered responses from more than 600 talent acquisition professionals worldwide.