© 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
Fighting for the Underdog
Legal
07/05/2019Fighting for the Underdog

Founded in 1991, the William Gee Law Firm has become a stalwart in the Louisiana legal arena, and expert voice in personal injury litigation. Recently, the firm found success in AI’s 2018 Year in Review in which they righteously recognised as 2018’s Most O

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Designing the Future of International Transactions
Finance
11/10/2021Designing the Future of International Transactions

Providing for wholesale banks and large market players in the financial sector, Adhara’s effective and efficient platforms and systems are now being used by some of the largest businesses in the world. Promoting a new technological industry standard, this co

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
International Accounting Day 2023: Universal Accounting Center
Finance
06/11/2023International Accounting Day 2023: Universal Accounting Center

Since 1979, Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has been a post-secondary school for budding accounting, bookkeeping, and tax professionals, delivering premier training, certifications, coaching, and support to help them take their careers to the next level.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Innovation is the Centre of Nucleus’ Success
Innovation
13/03/2018Innovation is the Centre of Nucleus’ Success

Nucleus is an alternative business finance provider, set up by Chirag Shah with a clear vision to disrupt the status quo of SME lending with a finance business that served a long-underserved part of the market.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Lawrence Grant Chartered Accountants
Finance
03/06/2016Lawrence Grant Chartered Accountants

Lawrence Grant Chartered Accountants has been providing accountancy services and tax advice to 100’s of individuals, sole traders, corporate businesses and multi-national clients across Middlesex and the Greater London area since 1969.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Strategic Financing: How Secured Loans Can Transform Your Business Landscape
Finance
09/08/2023Strategic Financing: How Secured Loans Can Transform Your Business Landscape

Financing remains an essential pillar for any business's growth and sustainability. How you finance your business can dictate its operational flexibility, scalability, and profitability.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
A Case in Point
Strategy
31/08/2016A Case in Point

Beyerlein Rechtsanwälte is a highly specialised law firm focusing on intellectual property on the one hand and life sciences (drugs, medical devices, food and food supplements, cosmetic products and so on) on the other hand.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Why Your IT Is Important To Your Physical Security
Innovation
22/02/2023Why Your IT Is Important To Your Physical Security

IT acts as the first barrier in your physical security system and protects your cloud-based physical security features from interception. Merging digital and physical security is necessary to protect your building and the assets stored within your facilities.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Dogecoin is the new GameStop – Are investors going to get burned?
Finance
21/04/2021Dogecoin is the new GameStop – Are investors going to get burned?

Dogecoin has become the new GameStop, with frenzied trading potentially going to deliver a bloody nose to novice investors, warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and fintech organisations.



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