A quarter of IT professionals are actively considering leaving their current jobs within the next six months, potentially costing US companies upward of $145 billion, according to a report by Ivanti, a provider of asset management software based in San Jose, California. 

The report also found IT professionals are 1.4 times more likely to disengage and “quiet quit” their jobs when compared to other knowledge workers. 

Challenges faced by IT professionals and security experts include: 

• 73% increase in workloads due to hybrid or remote working, leading to one in four reporting burnout. 
• Disconnection from colleagues, noted by 23% of IT professionals and security experts and 17% of office workers.  
• A 2.5-fold likelihood of extended work hours displayed by IT professionals when working remotely. 
• Among the 25% considering quitting their jobs, 31% report their mental health is suffering.   

“In fact, organizations continue to struggle to retain IT talent (a decades-long problem) — and it is costing them productivity gains and affecting their bottom line,” Ivanti CEO Jeff Abbott said in a press release. “Companies must embrace automation to alleviate IT workloads, ultimately fostering a destination environment that retains premier IT professionals and cultivates a competitive advantage.” 

The report also noted that IT talent disengagement, quiet quitting and turnover are not a result of remote work but stem from the lack of resources, tools and support available to these employees.  

To address this growing crisis, the report outlines the following six actionable strategies for businesses to consider: 

• Diagnose IT work-life pressure points using internal surveys and one-on-one interactions to gauge employee mindset.  
• Inventory tech-specific experiences, with a focus on dissatisfaction among IT professionals with the tools used for remote work by tracking digital employee experience.  
• Prioritize automation for IT workflows, freeing up IT talent for more valuable projects.
• Adopt proactive solutions such as AI-powered “self-healing” systems to minimize help desk tickets and to resolve workplace technology slowdowns.  
• Give employees choices about how they work by offering IT talent the chance to define their work style, thereby boosting IT recruitment and retention. 
• Foster in-person connection for IT teams through face-to-face meetings, building trust and camaraderie.  

The report is based on responses from 1,800 IT professionals and C-level executives across the globe.