Most IT professionals put work before family
11 December 2015
The IT guy – a hero or villain? Some say they’re regarded as both by their organisations.
IT professionals are the unsung heroes of modern organisations, putting work before family commitments and taking the blame when things go wrong, according to new research conducted by AlienVault.
In a survey of more than 600 IT professionals, the security specialist asked respondents about their attitudes and how they are treated at work.
It found that almost two-thirds have missed a wedding, funeral or similarly important family occasion in order to resolve a work issue. Ninety one per cent also said that they have also come into work when they were sick to ensure that a project does not fail.
IT professionals are also willing to take the flak. A majority of respondents (57 per cent) said that they have taken the blame for another department or colleague’s failure if it was for the benefit of the company.
“Often working in isolation, [IT guys] are largely considered to be supporting players in many workplaces – yet the responsibility being placed on them is huge,” says Javvad Malik, security advocate at AlienVault. “In the event of a cyber attack, network issue, or outage, they will drop everything to fix a problem, even forsaking important personal commitments.”
Despite coping with the challenges of what is now a 24-hour-a-day career, Malik says many IT pros still love what they do and are motivated to continue by a deep sense of job satisfaction.
Thirty six per cent reported being “happy” or “very happy” at work, while 32 per cent felt unhappy and 31 per cent were neutral.
When asked to use their own words to describe how they were treated at work, some of the responses received were:
“People call me Jesus because I have long hair and save them from IT issues.”
“We are treated like wizards.”
“I am a hero or villain, sometimes both at the same time.”
“My boss always blames me when something breaks.”
The research also revealed the extent to which IT professionals work in isolation which, according to AlienVault, poses a potential threat to their organisations.
With their specialist knowledge, IT pros often have no one to turn to for help which can make the job more stressful, says AlienVaults’ Javvad Malik.
The firm says having technical skills and responsibilities which are not always understood by their bosses means that IT professionals often work unsupervised and may not always report problems when they occur.
Respondents were asked how their bosses react when they make a mistake at work.
Nearly two thirds said managers would only notice if the internet went down or users started complaining. Twelve per cent thought that their boss wouldn’t realise or understand, while 27 per cent said their boss noticed immediately and gets them to fix the problem.
In addition, just eight per cent said that they would ask their boss for help if they made a mistake at work. A fifth seek advice from their colleagues, almost a quarter from Spiceworks, while 37 per cent said that they would Google it.
As a result, Malik believes IT professionals need to be self-sufficient. He says: “With such specialist knowledge, those working in smaller teams can find themselves with no one to turn to for help. This can make the job more stressful for those involved, and is also a potential risk for organisational security, given the scale of responsibility placed upon IT staff.”