Burnout continues to be a widespread problem for IT organizations. It’s a complex problem that hasn’t improved since it peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being clear of the global pandemic, the industry has seen mass layoffs amid growing demand to keep pace with constantly evolving technology. These factors are combining to create a state of exhaustion among IT workers, engineers, and cybersecurity pros.
For IT leaders aware of the impact burnout can have on their staff, the reality of exhaustion in IT and tech is further complicated by the fact that burnout isn’t caused by just one thing. It’s a problem that builds slowly over time, leading to disengaged and unmotivated employees with one foot out the door. It can be hard to spot, too.
According to a survey from The Upwork Research Institute, 71% of full-time employees report they’re burnt out, and 65% say they’re struggling with employer demands on their productivity. Additionally, 81% of global C-suite leaders acknowledge the increased demands on workers in the past year. However, it seems those leaders might be relying too heavily on AI to alleviate workloads in the long-term, while many IT workers report that AI is increasing their workloads in the short-term.
Here’s a look at this growing phenomenon and how it may impact your IT staff and the overall organization.
Current state of burnout
More than half of IT workers (58%) say they feel overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities and tasks, with the average IT worker reporting they only have the capacity to support 85% of the tickets they receive each day, according to a study commissioned by GoTo and conducted by OnePoll.
IT workers also report finding themselves responsible for a range of tasks outside their job description, such as addressing cybersecurity issues (39%), internal security issues (26%), and lack of budget (25%). This increased workload is contributing to tech worker burnout, leaving them with little time to get caught up.
The report from Upwork also shows that employees are reporting increased demands from their employers about using AI tools to increase their output (37%), expanding their skillsets (35%), taking on a wider range of responsibilities (30%), returning to the office (27%), working more quickly and efficiently (26%), and working longer hours (20%).
These factors have led to 71% of workers reporting they feel burned out, while 65% say they struggle with these increasing employer demands. Gen Z is experiencing the highest levels of reported burnout (83%) followed by millennials (73%), Gen Xers (71%), and Baby Boomers (58%). Women continue to report higher levels of burnout (74%) compared to men (68%), and one in three employees say they’ll likely quit their job in the next six months due to burnout and high workloads.
Signs of disconnect between IT leaders and employees
C-suite leaders acknowledge that employees are struggling to meet productivity demands (69%), yet 84% still say they’re adamant their organizations value employee well-being over productivity, according to Upwork. These leaders cite a move toward more flexibly work models (90%), and practices that help employees understand how their work connects to higher-level strategic goals (94%).
However, employees don’t seem to be on the same page as these leaders, with only 60% agreeing their employer prioritizes well-being, despite providing more flexible schedules and better clarity regarding strategic goals. For employees who feel their company values productivity over well-being, 73% say they feel overwhelmed by their workload, compared to 56% at companies where employees feel their well-being is prioritized over productivity.
There were further disconnects on the topic of AI, with IT leaders overestimating their workers’ abilities and preparedness to adopt AI. At organizations that have employed AI tools, 37% of C-suite leaders said their workforce is highly skilled and comfortable using these tools. However, only 17% of employees self-reported high levels of skill and comfort when working with AI. Additionally, 38% said they feel overwhelmed at the prospect of using AI at work.
Burnout high among engineers and cybersecurity pros
Burnout is also hitting engineers hard, with 65% saying they’ve experienced it in the past year, according to the 2024 State of Engineering Management Report.
Engineers working on teams of less than 10 people were more likely to experience burnout compared to those working at companies with 500 or more employees, although burnout is significant for both. But the opposite is true for R&D managers and executives; those working on teams with less than 10 employees were less likely to report burnout compared to those working on teams of 500 or more, who reported higher levels of burnout.
Cybersecurity professionals are also reporting high levels of burnout, with over 33% of those in the US and UK reporting they’re considering quitting their jobs in the next six months, according to data from ThreatConnect. These workers cite high stress levels (27%), excessive workloads (23%), and better career prospects (23%). And only 33% of respondents said they’d recommend a cybersecurity career to others.
More than half of respondents said their workloads had increased within the past six months, and cited heavy workloads (32%), long hours (31%), and tight deadlines (21%) as the biggest factors influencing burnout. Plus, respondents report experiencing headaches (42%), fatigue (38%), sleeping difficulties (35%), anxiety and depression (32%), and muscular tension (31%).
Another report, from BlackFog, found that 98% of security leaders report working an average of nine hours per week beyond their contracted hours. And 15% of those report working more than 16 hours over their contracted time per week. As cybersecurity workers face increased responsibilities, with higher employee turnover and talent shortages, they’re increasingly becoming more burnt out.
Does AI help or hurt burnout?
Another contributing factor to burnout is the rapid adoption of AI, which has left a lot of workers feeling overwhelmed by keeping up with the latest industry trends. While it’s often touted as a productivity booster, 85% of IT leaders plan to make AI technology mandatory or encourage it’s use in the coming year, which is increasing pressure on workers to upskill, according to Upwork. In fact, 77% of employees said AI has added to their workloads, rather than relieved their daily responsibilities.
Cybersecurity professionals feel the pressure of AI, too, with 42% reporting they have concerns about AI-powered attacks, according to BlackFog. To help combat this, 41% also say they need bigger budgets for security tools, along with more support to alleviate pressure to keep the organization safe. Burnout can lead to dangerous results when it comes to security as 63% of respondents said their team experiences alert fatigue, which desensitizes them to the urgency of security events.
Despite this added pressure, and pushback from employees, 96% of C-suite leaders still say they expect the use of AI tools to increase their company’s overall productivity levels, according to Upwork. But it’ll be crucial for IT leaders to take the pulse of the organization to identify if workers are feeling overwhelmed by AI adoption. Organizations will also need to take steps to ensure there are proper upskilling and reskilling programs for employees, and there’s enough time in their days allocated to learning these new emerging skills. If upskilling becomes another burden on workers, it’ll only lead to increased burnout.
AI’s potential to relieve increased workloads
While some workers express concern that AI is creating more work for them — whether through a need to learn and upskill, or navigating new tools at work — there’s still hope these tools can alleviate workloads.
The survey from GoTo and OnePoll found that IT workers who are overburdened do see the potential for AI as a tool for support, with 92% saying they consider AI beneficial to their work, and 94% saying they’d delegate simple tasks to AI. Additionally, 73% said they’d be willing to delegate more complex tasks to AI as well, freeing up nearly two hours of work per day. It seems IT workers see the potential for AI in the workplace, once they’ve gained the proper skills and expertise to employ the technology.
Tasks that IT workers are interested in offloading to AI include monitoring network performance (44%), basic device troubleshooting (42%), and remediating basic problems (40%). The potential for AI to help free up IT workers, allowing them to be more productive and experience less burnout, shows 93% of IT leaders considering upskilling workers to leverage AI in daily work.
The survey also revealed that 73% of IT teams are already employing AI and, of those who don’t, 61% say they plan to adopt the technology within the next year. The main objectives for implementing AI include freeing up more time to work on higher-priority tasks (48%), more efficient ticketing workflows (43%), and additional IT team responsibilities (41%).
IT workers say if AI can free up more time in their day, they’d shift their focus to spend more time working on improving IT infrastructure in the organization (55%), focus on more difficult tickets (46%), and improve the organization’s security (42%).
The slow road to fixing burnout
Turning around burnout in your organization requires consistency and dedication to improve the employee experience. You’ll need to consider increases in resources, mentoring, opportunities for advancement, as well as evaluate boundaries around work-life balance and ensure a healthy balance is reflected and modeled all the way to the top.
Organizations that put in the effort to improve engagement and reduce burnout reap the rewards in retention. Microsoft’s 2022 Trend Index report found organizations that “doubled down on employee engagement in times of economic uncertainty” ultimately performed twice as well financially compared to organizations that didn’t prioritize engagement. And according to the report, each additional point of engagement reported by employees corelated with a $46,511 increased difference in market cap per employee.
The benefits of curbing burnout in your organization include better retention, easier recruitment, improved productivity, and better efficiency from your workforce. Healthy workers help the organization thrive, cost the company less, and help ensure you’re consistently meeting business goals. If your organization is experiencing the negative effects of burnout, it’s time to step back and evaluate the employee experience and identify what needs to be fixed.