A majority of IT decision-makers, 63%, say it’s more difficult to find qualified engineers for cloud projects than it is to find Bigfoot, according to a survey by Wakefield Research and Logicworks. And 86% said a shortage of qualified engineering will slow down work on cloud projects this year.

The survey also found that engineers are contacted more frequently by recruiters; 86% have been contacted more than once a quarter by recruiters, and younger respondents under 40 have been contracted by recruiters at least once a month. However, 77% of IT leaders say staff turnover is disruptive to cloud operations.

In addition, 40% of IT leaders plan to hire outside consultants this year, according to the survey.

“The exponential innovation and complexity of public cloud platforms and complementary technologies creates a major challenge in attracting, affording, and retaining top engineering talent for organizations of all sizes,” said Kenneth Ziegler, CEO of Logicworks.

The survey includes 400 IT leaders, director level and above at midsized and large companies. It was conducted between Jan. 3 and Jan. 13.