“Many companies have cut technology staff levels too deeply, making it challenging for IT departments to keep pace with demands,” Robert Half executive director Dave Willmer said in releasing the report. “Although businesses may be able to operate with stretched teams in the short term, being perpetually understaffed isn’t sustainable and can detract from the overall productivity and morale of the organization.”
CIOs were specifically asked: “How would you describe the staffing levels of your IT department in relation to current workloads.” A total of 1,400 telephone interviews were conducted with CIOs or senior IT executives at companies with more than 100 employees.
Ten percent of respondents reported they were very understaffed, 33% said they were somewhat understaffed, 53% were at the appropriate staff level, 3% were overstaffed, and 1% didn’t know or didn’t answer.
Within the professional services sector, CIOs in the health services industry were the most likely to be feeling the strain, with more than half (52%) saying they were understaffed.
To keep projects on track and prevent burnout, Willmer recommends IT managers bring in extra support, if only for a short duration. “Contract professionals can assist with workload spikes or major one-time projects, relieving the burden on existing staff and ensuring the timely completion of mission-critical initiatives,” Willmer said.
“Hiring on an interim basis is also a good way to evaluate someone for a full-time role.”
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