There are many professions out there that require a continual update of skills in order to remain licensed or certified. IT is no different in that respect; what is different is that frequently an IT professional’s skills may be depleted over time as new technologies emerge as opposed to accumulating as many other careers do.
This fact frequently causes a high level of stress. According to a new study from the Richard Ivey School of Business, although all IT professionals do not view the requirement to continually re-skill themselves as a stressor, many do. With companies spending 1.5% to 7% of their gross revenue each year on IT investments and innovations, this level of investment puts substantial pressure on IT professionals to maintain and gain skills to put these technologies in place effectively.
The study also highlights the importance of monitoring the strain that results from the constant demand on IT professionals to update their technical skills because the threat of technical obsolescence may result in a higher rate of absenteeism, work burnout and a desire to change careers. Managers can help by providing IT professionals with concrete resources such as research time, opportunities to attend courses, and physical facilities that facilitate trial and error.
In addition, the research shows that IT professionals who deploy different combinations of coping strategies end up with different levels of distress. They fared best by using a combination of problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.
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