A new survey of IT workers in the UK has shown that many individuals have noticed increasing workload over the past 12 months. Around a third of those polled said that they had to fit 7.5 days work into the five day working week, with companies cutting back on staff and placing more strain upon remaining employees.
Recruitment agencies across Britain could note a slight increase in demand for IT specialists after advice was given to companies regarding their IT expert use. Whilst cutting down on staff can save costs initially, it can actually be counterproductive in the long run, with overworked individuals more likely to make financially costly errors. In addition, productivity can become lower as the work is piled on, countering the savings that have actually been made by reducing IT staff numbers.
Mike Beresford, recruitment expert, said that many in the technology sector remain unconfident about hiring new staff members because of the current economic climate. Firms can actually be doing themselves damage, however, by expecting workers to do too much, with numerous errors and mistakes likely to be seen in coming months and even the best members of staff unable to keep up with their workload.
The report indicates that companies may well take notice and start utilising temporary workers to plug staffing gaps. For recruitment agencies up and down Britain, this could mean a rise in the demand for IT experts and specialists.