There are plenty of IT workplace issues that can cause stress for professionals every day.

Juggling multiple projects at once, creating short-term solutions to fix pop-up issues, training employees who just don’t get it and feeling let down when those same employees fail to follow the rules.

Those are all IT Workplace issues that can make a professional question why they went into IT in the first place – and if they are truly making an impact on their organizations.

A survey released by Kensington in the UK detailed some of the common barriers and frustrations IT professionals deal with on a daily basis – leading many to believe their work is underappreciated.

An IT Pro Has Many Roles

Firefighter, Fortune Teller, Diplomat, Bad Guy, Teacher and Accountant. Those are all different jobs. In fact, there’s not one company on the planet that employs all six of those under the same roof – but in fact, an IT guy has the power to be all six.

While an IT guy certainly covers all of these bases in a given week, the survey asked respondents to identify with one of those six roles. In the United States, it broke down like this:

  • 42% firefighter
  • 29% diplomat
  • 14% teacher
  • 7% fortune teller
  • 3% bad guy
  • 1% Accountant
  • 4% other

The United States had by far the most firefighters amongst the three countries surveyed – including professionals from the United Kingdom and Australia. The fact that most IT pros in the US relate to this role above all else is a telling sign that these employees are feeling underappreciated, as they are constantly having to drop projects they are passionate about to deal with something else.

Factors that Lead IT Guys to Feel Underappreciated

It’s not just one thing that makes an IT guy feel undervalued by their organization.

36% of survey respondents said they were upset that IT was viewed as a cost rather than a benefit. At the same time, 28% were fed up with employees disregarding the rules and policies they worked hard to put into place.

Along with a lack of time, resources, insufficient budgets and limited time to truly educate end users on processes, many IT pros feel left out to dry by mounted IT workplace Issues.

27% of an IT guys average workday is consumed troubleshooting, with another 18% tied up in meetings, while 12% of the workday in the United States is dedicated to security. At the end of the day, Creative/Design tasks make up just 8% of an IT guys work day.

How to Eliminate IT Workplace Issues

The Kensington study concludes by stating employers should place more emphasis on IT employee wellness, productivity and strategy in order to help key employees feel more valued in the workplace.

If an IT guy is allocated the time and resources to promote their potential to the business, it will have a positive effect on ROI at the end of the day.

A managed partner for IT support can also allow IT professionals the power to dedicate more of themselves to the business and less towards the day-to-day tasks that “must get done.”

ThrottleNet provides a wide range of Managed Network support services to small businesses throughout St. Louis. Unleash the full potential of your IT department by leaning on us as a value-added partner. Contact ThrottleNet today to learn more!