IT workers facilitated flexible work — but now they're missing out

By now, the majority of employees have probably benefited from some kind of flexibility at work, due to remote and hybrid work arrangements. Yet IT workers have missed out on these benefits, and it could be putting entire organizations at risk. 

Eighty-five percent of IT workers say flexible working is highly valuable to them, according to a recent survey from software company Ivanti, but just 27% say their current job offers that kind of flexibility. Overall, 81% of executives agree that where employees get their work done should not matter as long as it is done well, pointing to the need to make a shift among their tech teams.

"IT teams are the ones who make [remote and hybrid work] possible," says Kristen Kamp, SVP and head of global HR at Ivanti. "However, enabling employees to work whenever and wherever, ironically, precludes IT professionals from enjoying the benefits they are enabling." 

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As IT has helped workforces to effectively work from anywhere, they've unintentionally created more work for themselves. Fifty-six percent of IT workers say help desk ticket volume is up, according to Ivanti's findings, and 78% blame flexible and remote working for the upward trend. IT teams have also reported feeling burdened by the number of tools and platforms they need to do their job and the excessive volume of digital notifications those tools produce.

As a result, 75% of IT respondents cited work stress as affecting their health and 68% admit to feeling burnt out, the survey found. In the last year alone, nearly one in four IT professionals say a colleague has resigned due to burnout, which while lower than last year, is still a top concern for companies hoping to sustain a remote or hybrid setup.

"When organizations don't provide flexibility to high-value talent, there's a risk of dissatisfaction and turnover with hard-to-replace employees like IT professionals," she says. "IT workers are the backbone of this era of work. Without them, organizations would not be able to successfully implement modern work strategies." 

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To make improvements among tech teams, employers should lean on AI: 76% of IT workers say AI and automation can help decrease ticket volume and provide better service and 66% admit to already using generally accessible generative AI tools. 

"By investing in AI solutions that handle repetitive tasks and applying workflow automation, it frees up IT to work on projects that are more meaningful, rewarding and valuable to the organization," Kamp says. "However, use of time-saving AI and automation solutions is lacking." 

Hesitating to roll out the kind tech IT workers need, or asking them to use ChatGPT for support can also leave organizations' private data vulnerable. And while cybersecurity teams exist to mitigate that risk, they're often also overworked and unable to provide IT teams with additional support, according to Kamp. 

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"The chief information officer and the chief information security officer often work in silos," she says. "Keeping security data and IT data [separate] inside organizations can have a negative impact on security, drive down productivity and it can mean investments in AI and automation fall short, due to a lack of data accessibility and visibility from each department." 

Kemp says the key to providing more flexibility and preserving security measures is to invest in and leverage internal AI tools for both IT and cybersecurity teams. The results will trickle down to the rest of the organization, too.

"Paying attention and fostering a healthy work environment for IT talent are crucial to remaining a highly effective organization," Kamp says. "Breaking down those data silos can foster collaboration between organizations, empower the IT workforce and deploy AI to create a work environment that is productive and secure."