IT staff burnout verges on universal, META Group reports

The lack of investment in technology is not only adding to the demands of companies’ existing hardware and software, it’s also adding to the stress on IT staff, says a new survey from META Group Inc. More than 71% of IT managers told META researchers that IT staff burnout is a serious issue in their organizations, up from about 60% a year ago. About 20 of the 250 participants in the survey were retail organizations; two-thirds were Fortune 1000 companies. “It’s a problem that cuts across the board to all industries and that has been building over the course of last year,” says Maria Schafer, program director of META Group`s IT Human Capital Management Strategies and author of the annual IT Staffing and Compensation Guide.

The seriousness of the problem is indicated by the degree to which IT managers responded to the question about staff morale. Schafer reports that every one of the 250 managers surveyed answered that question, and most provided additional comments in the section that asked for elaboration. “There’s been no hiring for the past two years except for targeted situations and they are struggling to keep up with the workload,” she says.

In addition to the workload, she says, the lack of investment in new technology is creating stress, Schafer says. “Companies are just making do with what they have and when you do that things start to break,” she says. “As people spend more and more time fixing and maintaining things you end up with a tired workforce.”

Schafer recommends that managers deal with morale in the traditional ways: Find low-cost methods for staffers to undergo training or education, make yourself more visible to employees, improve communications in formal and informal ways. 55% of companies surveyed have implemented skill development programs to boost employee morale, while 24% have created what they consider to be better retention programs. Only 11% of companies have raised salaries, 11% have hired more staff, and 8% have offered cash incentives to prevent employee burnout. On the bright side, she notes that salaries have not declined for IT staff, although bonuses have.

For this year, Schafer expects little improvement, with no changes until first quarter of next year. “Budgets are set and there won’t be any re-allocation this year,” she says. “You’re stuck with whatever you’ve got for 2003.”