© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - Increased responsibilities are pushing IT to breaking point
Posted 19th November 2020

Increased responsibilities are pushing IT to breaking point

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

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

Increased responsibilities are pushing IT to breaking point
tech

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

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.

Categories: Innovation


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Close Brothers Asset Finance acquires Finance for Industry
Finance
31/01/2017Close Brothers Asset Finance acquires Finance for Industry

In 2016, Close Brothers Asset Finance acquired Finance for Industry, a leading specialist finance broker for the engineering, plastics and machinery sectors. The acquisition strengthens and expands Close Brothers Asset Finance’s existing offering in the mark

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Falcon Certified Public Accountants
Finance
26/01/2017Falcon Certified Public Accountants

Falcon Certified Public Accountants Ltd., registered with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, specialises in providing audit, tax and corporate advisory services to a wide range of clients. Founder Gilbert Loke talks us through the firm an

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Innovate to Improve
Innovation
15/01/2020Innovate to Improve

Ensuring that safety procedures are completely and totally compliant with all the necessary rules and regulations is becoming increasingly important with more guidelines coming into effect every year. One firm, The Compliance Workbook (TCW), are helping client

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Landis Rath & Cobb LLP Advise Centre Lane’s acquisition of Saladworks ($16.9 million)
Finance
15/07/2015Landis Rath & Cobb LLP Advise Centre Lane’s acquisition of Saladworks ($16.9 million)

Landis Rath & Cobb LLP Advise Centre Lane's acquisition of Saladworks ($16.9 million)

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
(UK) Top Tips to Steer Business Through New Tax Year
Finance
02/04/2015(UK) Top Tips to Steer Business Through New Tax Year

As businesses enter the new tax year on 6 April, ICAEW are urging businesses to get their finances into shape and prepare for new tax arrangements.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Digital Bank of the Year – Europe
Finance
08/06/2022Digital Bank of the Year – Europe

The world is embracing a host of new technologies and the banking industry is no exception. First Investment Bank, Fibank, offers an innovative and customer-oriented solution that has become one of the leading institutions in the country in card business and i

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
CTC Media, Inc. Announces Receipt of Final Tranche of Purchase Price for Business Sale
Finance
12/02/2016CTC Media, Inc. Announces Receipt of Final Tranche of Purchase Price for Business Sale

CTC Media, Inc. announced today that it has received the final tranche of the purchase price for its sale of 75% of the outstanding participation interests in its subsidiary CTC Investments LLC to UTV-Management LLC.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Effective Law Firm Digital Marketing: Comprehensive Guide
Innovation
06/08/2024Effective Law Firm Digital Marketing: Comprehensive Guide

Any law services become competitive with an effective digital marketing strategy. Traditional marketing methods, such as various word-of-mouth referrals and in-person consultations, fall a little short of their own accord when it comes to attracting and retain

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Post Haste!
Leadership
06/05/2022Post Haste!

The team at MailAmericas are a vital link for those in Latin America and have expanded across borders. This growth has seen them named Best Cross-Border Logistics Solutions Provider 2021 – Americas in Acquisition International’s Global Excellence Awards.



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow