IT departments, stretched thin amid hybrid work, are craving AI support

Behind every functioning remote or hybrid workplace is a hard-working IT team. But as IT departments are shrinking across industries, a lack of support for these tech wizards could have company-wide repercussions. 

According to a recent survey from global IT solutions provider Ivanti, 31% of IT professionals said a colleague quit due to burnout this year, and the trend is anticipated to continue. In fact, the survey found IT professionals to be 1.4 times more likely to "quiet quit" than other corporate employees, so much so that one in four are preparing to abandon their post in the next six months.

"Most of it has to do with the pandemic-driven shift to remote work," says Jeff Abbott, CEO of Ivanti. "There is a huge demand on IT organizations overall as enterprises completely altered the way they operate. Traditional security parameters were dismantled to enable remote work."

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According to Ivanti's survey, 73% of IT professionals have experienced an increase in workloads due to hybrid or remote working, such as handling more help desk requests from home-based employees and managing shadow IT programs. Remote IT workers are 2.5 times more likely than any other office worker to put in longer hours. Among those considering quitting,  31% report that it's because their mental health is suffering 

High turnover rates could cost U.S. employers a combined sum of more than $145 billion dollars, and yet employers are still dragging their feet when it comes to finding solutions that could lighten the load. Investments in automation and AI ranked last on the priority list for most companies, according to Ivanti, with just 8% surveyed planning to prioritize automation for repetitive tasks in 2023. 

"When leaders equip teams with the right tools, IT professionals can manage hearty workloads without sacrificing mental health," Abbott says. "The problem does not lie inherently in hybrid work but instead in the lack of resources." 

Despite the challenges IT workers are currently facing in the office, 85% of IT professionals want to continue to work remotely at least some of the time. There are numerous tactics leaders can introduce to their organizations to stave off the IT exodus, Abbott says.  

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"Leaders should regularly take stock of which tools and processes improve efficiency and satisfaction, and which ones hinder productivity and leave IT teams frustrated," he says. "Workflow automation can also help IT teams focus on projects that matter, removing the day-to-day blockade of mundane tasks, ultimately fostering a destination environment that retains premier IT professionals." 

Without making any kind of organizational changes to better support their IT and tech support departments, companies are increasing their cyber risks and limiting the quality of their own internal efficiency and productivity. 

"Without talented and capable IT teams, any form of work would be inefficient at best and, in many cases, nearly impossible," he says. "While many organizations are attempting to institute return to office policies, a complete rollback of remote and hybrid work is simply not the reality of today's workplace. Retaining IT talent is critical to organization-wide productivity and the bottom line."