Burnout: An IT epidemic in the making
The next phase involves cynicism, detachment, and apathy, as burned-out employees longer find satisfaction in their work.
The next phase involves cynicism, detachment, and apathy, as burned-out employees longer find satisfaction in their work. Cynicism is the highest predictor of turnover, according to Yerbo, as it often is the final push that drives employees to seek new opportunities elsewhere. The final phase of burnout is depersonalization, where emotions are shut down as a coping mechanism, leaving workers often distant and cold with colleagues and superiors. The further your employees descend into burnout, the more difficult it becomes to help them recover.
Ripple effects of burnout
Burnout can have long-lasting impacts on businesses goals, reputation, and overall organizational productivity. For IT professionals who report high levels of burnout, 42% are considering quitting their company within the next six months, according to survey data from Yerbo. Even among those who report low or moderate levels of burnout, 25% express a desire to leave their company in the near future.
And burnout is also impacting skills acquisition, as 43% of Yerbo survey respondents said they had to stop studying for a certification exam because they were unable to find time due to their workloads.
Further, burned-out employees who do leave are highly likely to negatively impact your company’s reputation by sharing their frustrations online and on review sites, where other potential candidates can see them. With tech talent markets always tight, increased burnout within your organization can quickly become not only a retention issue, but a recruitment problem as well.
The long toll of elevated workloads
Increased workloads sustained since the pandemic and elevated of late by accelerating demands on IT have left employees feeling exhausted. The survey from Yerbo revealed that 62% of IT professionals report that they feel “physically and emotionally drained.” For employees already stretched to their limit, adding more work to their plate after this year’s rise in layoffs might just be the final straw.
Nearly 75% of employees say they devote more than 40 hours per week to work, putting in more hours than they’re contracted to work, according to Robert Half. More than 25% said they have taken time off due to stress at some point within the past two years, relying on PTO to combat burnout. But those numbers might underestimate the impact, given that the survey also found that 33% of professionals say they don’t feel comfortable expressing feelings of burnout with their manager.
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