IT faces a demographic timebomb as older employees approach retirement

A new report shows that more senior employees are bearing a heavy burden, with IT professionals who have more than 10 years of experience and the Baby Boomer generation experiencing the longest work weeks.

The study from Auvik also shows a generational disparity in the workload is rapidly exacerbating issues around burnout, since as many as 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 and retire every single day between now and 2030, leaving even more work for remaining IT employees.

Overall the report finds finds that 60 percent of IT professionals say they feel burnt out by their work, and 78 percent say that stresses at work are preventing them from upskilling.

The challenges associated with a shortage of skilled workers are giving rise to the growth in 'IT generalist' roles -- professionals who must possess knowledge across a very broad range of IT functions due to the talent gap, tool sprawl, and evolving technology.

"The IT generalist is arising out of necessity," says Doug Murray, CEO of Auvik. "The vast majority of IT professionals manage mixed vendor environments. MSPs, who typically manage the most mixed vendor environments, wrangle the most tool sprawl, with nearly 50 percent of them reporting more than 10 network tools in use. And more tools are being added to their workflows without their OK -- 47 percent noted they are frustrated by not being consulted earlier in the tool procurement process. With a continuing talent gap and increasing tool sprawl, IT professionals don’t have the bandwidth to develop deep expertise in any one area of IT. They must be able to manage a broad range of tools and IT functions, while relying increasingly on AI and automation to complete the more menial, routine tasks that historically have been major time commitments."

Given these findings it's not surprising that IT professionals want to work more with AI and automation, recognizing its potential to free up massive amounts of time to focus on more strategic initiatives. This enthusiasm isn't shared by management, however, 20-24 percent of respondents are not satisfied with the current incorporation of AI policy. Additionally, 34 percent of respondents don't yet have a policy in place to tackle AI concerns, and 36 percent don't feel confident they would be allowed to experiment with new technology, such as AI and automation tools.

"Business leaders must lend support to their IT teams in pursuing AI and automation tools," adds Murray. "Although 70 percent of respondents expect growth in their IT budgets this year, this number is actually down from the 86 percent who saw budget increases last year. With the talent shortage only worsening amidst mass retirings of Baby Boomers, automating certain IT tasks is the only way these critical teams can continue supporting their organizations without falling even further behind. Already, 75 percent of IT teams update documentation monthly or more often, while 61 percent report changing their network configurations on a weekly basis or more often. Automation is a simple and highly necessary solution for alleviating this burden, and many others like it within the IT function."

You can get the full report from the Auvik site.

Image credit: Diloka107/depositphotos.com