Freelancing over the internet was subject to a democratisation of sorts in 2013 – both in terms of its clientele and the breadth of roles offered, a new report shows.

In its latest Global Online Employment Report, Elance says that the number of companies in the UK hiring across multiple skill-sets increased by more than 30 per cent last year.

Similarly, while those hirers still include ‘start-ups’ and ‘entrepreneurs,’ the website said that the 12 months of 2013 saw a “noticeable shift” towards larger companies and corporations.

In fact, such established employers moved towards freelance hires as a way to equip their workforces with skills they lacked in-house, according to Elance’s chief executive Fabio Rosati.

“More businesses are adopting a hybrid staffing model, comprised of both full-time employees and a trusted extended workforce of freelancers,” the report says.

“In the US, the UK and Australia, the number of companies hiring across multiple skill categories increased over 30%, with German companies increasing 69%.”

However even when hiring online, the report found that many businesses prefer to hire “local talent” – a trend that the site believes will continue to prevail throughout 2014.