A new report from Auvik reveals that IT employees with more than 10 years of experience, as well as the Baby Boomer generation, are facing unusually long work weeks.
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This effect is exacerbated as it is estimated that 10,000 Baby Boomers will retire daily until 2030, which will further burden the remaining IT professionals.
The study indicates that 60% of IT workers feel burned out and an alarming 78% claim that work-related stress prevents them from improving their skills.
Shortage of good IT professionals
This situation becomes a factor that contributes to the increase of ‘generalist IT’ roles, which require broad knowledge in various IT functions due to the shortage of skilled workers.
Doug Murray, CEO of Auvik, points out that the growing variety of tools and technologies increases the burden, with almost 50% of professionals reporting the use of more than 10 network tools and 47% expressing frustration at not being consulted in the process of acquiring these tools.
Despite the exhaustion, IT professionals are showing a growing interest in working with artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to free up time and focus on more strategic initiatives.
However, this view is not always shared with senior management; 20-24% of respondents are not satisfied with the current AI onboarding policy, and 34% do not have a defined policy to address concerns related to this technology.
With the IT budget declining after a boom last year, and an increasing talent shortage, business leaders must support their IT teams in adopting AI and automation tools. Failing to do so, these critical areas risk falling behind, worsening already alarming labor issues.