2026 tech priorities and opportunities in Canada

Security, AI and data initiatives are priorities for most technology leaders and their teams in 2026. But other IT modernization efforts and operational demands also compete for the same limited resources. Robert Half research indicates that even well-staffed teams can struggle to advance and scale increasingly interconnected tech and IT projects when specialized talent is scarce.

The 2026 tech agenda is set—but capacity isn’t

More than half of tech and IT leaders in both large enterprises and small and midsize businesses (SMBs) cite IT system and information security as their team’s top priority this year. AI integration ranks nearly as high for enterprises, and is also a top priority for SMBs along with AI governance.

Article: Tech leaders’ priorities

95%

of tech leaders say their teams lack the necessary staff and skills to achieve top priorities in 2026.

63%

of leaders in SMBs say the impact of skills gaps in their department is wider than a year ago.

59%

of leaders in large enterprises also report a wider gap.

Cloud and
infrastructure
security Hiring and
developing
security talent Emerging
threats from AI/
automation Identity and
access
management Cloud and
infrastructure
security Hiring and
developing
security talent Emerging
threats from AI/
automation Identity and
access
management

of tech leaders say the rise of AI has made them more likely to seek support from a staffing firm to navigate hiring challenges. of tech leaders say the rise of AI has made them more likely to seek support from a staffing firm to navigate hiring challenges.

are already working with a recruiting firm to find professionals with AI skills. are already working with a recruiting firm to find professionals with AI skills.

are seeking advice on AI-related workforce planning and identifying skills gaps. are seeking advice on AI-related workforce planning and identifying skills gaps.

AI-driven automation/
AI integration Cybersecurity
modernization Security
architecture Data
architecture
modernization Cloud migration/
transformation AI-driven automation/
AI integration Cybersecurity
modernization Security
architecture Data
architecture
modernization Cloud migration/
transformation

2026’s biggest tech project challenges

Tech and IT initiatives can easily stall when teams are grappling with skills and knowledge gaps and competing workstreams. Technology leaders rank these 5 issues as the top challenges to moving tech modernization projects forward in 2026:

Hiring specialized talent

Closing existing skills gaps

Balancing maintenance vs. innovation

Retaining specialized talent

Transferring legacy system knowledge to new staff

Talent strategies to close tech skills gaps in 2026

To deliver on this year’s top priorities, nearly half of tech leaders in Canada (46%) plan to hire more permanent staff. 43% expect to hire more contract talent, including consultants. Meanwhile, nearly 7 in 10 leaders (69%) are upskilling current staff.

Requiring regular training sessions for employees

Implementing cross-training programs

Offering voluntary professional development

Article: Tech skills Canadian employers want most

Key takeaways

Robert Half research shows Canada’s tech leaders are using these talent strategies to address skills gaps and deliver priority projects in 2026:

Upskilling to grow internal capabilities

Hiring permanent staff with specialized skills to build capacity

Adding contract talent or consultants for on-demand support and expertise

Outsourcing selectively to let core teams focus on high-value work

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The surveys cited were developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. The survey contains responses from more than 250 technology leaders at the director level or above from small and midsize (under 1,000 employees) and large (more than 1,000 employees) companies in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.