IT is now an innovator as well as a caretaker in mid-market organisations, but increased pressure is driving teams towards burnout

Maidenhead, UK – 12 November 2020 – Increasing pressure on IT teams is pushing many IT decision-makers to the brink of burnout, according to new research from Pulsant, a leading UK provider of regional data centre and cloud infrastructure services.

Nearly two-thirds of UK IT decision-makers (65%) have felt under increasing pressure to keep the organisation running effectively over the past 12 months, with 80% of these admitting this has harmed their health and wellbeing.

The research, which was conducted on 201 UK IT decision-makers in mid-market organisations, finds increased pressure on IT has manifested in various ways: 40% of IT decision-makers impacted say they are experiencing anxiety as a result of increased pressure; over a third (35%) are suffering from increased stress which is unsustainable and will result in burn out if not addressed, and nearly a quarter (24%) have experienced burn out which has resulted with absence from the business. Plus worryingly for businesses, 20% have either resigned or started looking for a new job.

The rise in pressure could be due to an increase in expectations with 77% of IT decision-makers saying expectations of IT have risen within their organisation in the past 12 months. The biggest reasons for this increase were noted as a greater focus on security and compliance (45%), the expectation for IT to work with more areas of the business (39%), the expectation for IT to support and have knowledge of a broader range of technologies (38%), increased pressure to update ageing infrastructure (36%) and being expected to deliver projects quicker (35%).

This, in turn, means that IT teams are left stretched across a wide range of responsibilities, with over a third (34%) of IT decision-makers saying too much workload/not enough time is one of the top challenges within their teams.

“An accelerating pace of change means that IT teams are under more pressure than ever to support more critical business initiatives and deliver results faster, while at the same time ensuring business systems remain available, secure and compliant,” says Pulsant CTO, Simon Michie. “This can place IT teams under immense strain which is detrimental to both the success of the business, and more importantly employee wellbeing, with staff left stressed, anxious and having to take time out from the business. “

The research also revealed a divide in opinions on the purpose of IT, with IT seen as both a caretaker of information and technology and also the driver of innovation across the business. Over half of IT decision-makers (58%) and business leaders (55%) believe the primary role of IT is either a help desk or technical support function or to be responsible for maintaining and running business-critical systems, while 40% of IT decision-makers and 45% of business leaders see the main role of the IT department as an enabler of innovation.

IT has also become influential in board-level business decision making with the majority (87%) of IT decision-makers saying IT is involved in setting the business strategy for the year ahead. An overwhelming majority (93%) say their organisation has a representative from the IT team on the board/leadership team, highlighting that IT is now widely regarded as a critical function.

However, while there is clear recognition for the role of IT in driving the business strategy and innovation, IT teams face challenges in delivering on expectations. Nearly two-thirds of IT decision-makers (65%) say their team is under pressure to be more innovative but there is not enough investment for this to be possible. IT decision-makers are also put off from driving new ideas forward by challenges including conflicting priorities (38%), lack of resource (36%) and time (35%).

“It’s hugely positive that both business leaders and IT decision-makers recognise the role of IT in driving innovation, but it’s clear that more attention needs to be paid to providing the IT team with the right support and resources it needs to perform both functions effectively and maintain the wellbeing of IT professionals,” concludes Michie.”

The research was conducted by Censuswide on 201 IT decision-makers and 200 business leaders in UK mid-sized companies (200-2,500 employees). The full report – The IT Paradox: Balancing support and innovation – and further insight into the findings can be found here.

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Traditionally IT has been regarded as a function that keeps businesses running. Anyone working in IT might tell you otherwise, but until recently this has been the purpose that IT teams have been associated with. However, with digital transformation rapidly climbing to the top of the agenda for many organisations, spurred on even more by Covid-19, IT teams are also being expected to help drive the business forward through technological innovation.

The struggle to balance support and innovation has created a confused sense of purpose for IT teams. This paradox poses a risk to IT’s ability to both support the business and deliver meaningful digital transformation projects. In recognition of this, we recently commissioned a study of 201 IT decision-makers and 200 business leaders in UK mid-sized companies (200-2,500 employees) to understand whether it’s time for the IT function to renew its core purpose and who, other than the CIO, can bring the technology function back together with the business support and innovation imperatives.

Here are our key takeaways from the research report: The IT Paradox: Balancing support and innovation.

1. From ‘Information and Technology’ to ‘Innovation and Transformation’

IT decision-makers and business leaders are in close agreement that their organisations see IT as an enabler facilitating innovation and driving the achievement of business goals, signalling that the purpose of IT is now largely to facilitate innovation and transformation.

Nearly half of IT decision-makers believe IT should be responsible for innovation and over half of business leaders see innovation as the main value of IT. However, that’s not to say its historic function is forgotten, with a large percentage of IT decision-makers and business leaders still seeing IT’s primary role as either a help desk and technical support function or to be responsible for maintaining and running business-critical systems.

Clearly IT has a new sense of direction as the driver of innovation across the business, but it hasn’t shaken its traditional function of keeping the business running and IT teams are having to strike a balance between these two roles.

2. Boardroom influence and authority over budgets

According to our research, the majority of mid-sized companies now have an IT representative on the board and have been given more authority when it comes to approving spend. Boardroom influence and autonomy over departmental budgets for IT leaders are both clear signs that IT is now regarded as key to the direction of the business rather than just a function that keeps technologies and systems ticking over day-to-day. As transformation projects become increasingly important, IT leaders are being called upon to help steer the business strategy from a technology perspective.

3. Rising expectations as new business challenges emerge

However, as the importance of IT grows and the remit of the role involves, so too is the pressure on IT teams. The vast majority of IT decision-makers say their organisation’s expectations of IT have increased in the last 12 months, with areas such as improving security and compliance, working with more areas of the business and supporting and having knowledge of a broader range of technologies key areas of pressure.As a result, nearly two thirds of IT decision-makers admitted to feeling under increasing pressure to keep their organisation running effectively in the last 12 months (outside of COVID-19) and for the majority this has had a negative personal impact.

It’s clear that IT has a new purpose. Business leaders and IT decision-makers see IT as the driver of innovation but also acknowledge that it must balance this with being the ‘caretaker’ of technology and systems. IT teams should feel empowered by this new recognition, but business leaders need to consider the impact on their IT departments as they attempt to balance both their new and existing purposes.

Want to learn more about the research results and how IT departments across the UK are faring? Download the full report here.

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