Finding and keeping skilled technology staff is hard, especially for smaller organizations that can’t match big-company salaries.

The picture

– Statistics Canada’s Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for the second quarter of 2026 found that recruiting skilled employees was among the top obstacles businesses expected over the next three months, cited by about 24% of businesses. Roughly one-third of businesses expected at least one labour-related obstacle.

– Cybersecurity surveys show particular strain on skills. See our companion article on the cybersecurity workforce gap.

– Demand for AI, cloud, and security skills is growing faster than supply in many markets.

Why it hits small businesses hard

– Salary competition from larger employers

– A single IT person becomes a single point of failure

– Limited career paths and training budgets

– Difficulty covering the breadth of skills now required: cloud, security, networking, endpoints, compliance, and AI

Options

1. Managed services: outsource day-to-day support and security monitoring to a provider with a deep bench

2. Co-managed IT: keep an internal person for business knowledge, and add an MSP for tools, after-hours coverage, and specialists

3. Fractional leadership: a virtual CIO for strategy without a full-time executive

4. Automation: use tools like Intune, Autopilot, and Power Automate to reduce repetitive work

5. Train and retain: invest in certifications and clear growth paths, and support learning during work hours

6. Standardize: fewer platforms and device types mean less to know and support

7. Document: processes and configurations should not live in one person’s head

8. Flexible hiring: remote roles, part-time specialists, and contractors for projects

Warning signs

– One person holds all the passwords and knowledge

– Projects are delayed because no one has time

– Security tasks, such as patching and log reviews, are skipped

– Staff burnout and turnover

Think in capabilities, not headcount

The question isn’t “How many IT people do we need?” but “Which capabilities must we have, and what’s the most reliable way to get them?”

Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, Q2 2026.

DBR Soft’s co-managed and managed IT models help fill skills gaps without a hiring race. Contact us for more information.