Sixty-three percent of companies are using the recession as an opportunity to replace poor-performing employees, according to a survey released Tuesday by Veritude, a Boston-based staffing firm.

The survey questioned human resources and procurement professionals at companies with at least 2,000 employees.

It also found that 33% of respondents were considering increased reliance on contingent staff. Reasons to do so included the ability to handle fluctuations in volume (30%) and a "try before you buy" approach (20%).