Top insights for IT pros
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Nearly two-thirds (63%) of workers feel pressure to fix IT problems themselves before summoning IT experts to assist, and just shy of eight in 10 cite that as their first instinct, according to a recent survey by Sagiss.
At the same time, however, 86% of respondents said that they viewed IT as “either very important or essential” to organizational success—and 55% reported their impression of IT professionals has improved in recent years. Travis Springer, president of Sagiss, told IT Brew that the perception of IT as the “guys with the ponytail and the hoodie in the dark room that don’t talk to anyone” is fading.
Springer also said with Generation Z entering the workforce, the “users that we’re supporting are just very different than they were.” He didn’t find it surprising that more users are attempting to solve issues themselves, noting the survey also found nearly four out of 10 (37%) complained IT often failed to explain fixes to users.
“They understand that joke about, ‘Have you rebooted your computer yet?’” Springer said. These days, he added, “People reboot their computer before they call us.”
Springer also said with IT’s role increasingly centering around security and technology strategy as much as support services, users relying more on their own knowledge is generally welcome. (Despite a wave of news coverage suggesting Generation Z users don’t understand basic concepts like file systems or how to use scanners, Springer said, the new generation of workers tends to be much more adept at basic troubleshooting.)
“In general, nine times out of 10, it’s a good thing that people are taking some steps to solve it themselves, especially if they can solve it themselves,” Springer said. “Because having to call IT and wait on hold, they have to be remote into your computer, explain the issue, and it’s just not a necessarily fun process for anyone.”
“I think that’s a good thing just from more of the business side, it lets us as IT professionals focus on more strategic things for clients, as opposed to constantly resetting passwords and to reboot their computers,” he added.
Easily accessible technical advice on Google—or misleading step-by-step instructions generated via AI, like ChatGPT—might aid users in fixing problems themselves but can also lead to shadow IT problems, Springer warned. A review by productivity management firm Productiv earlier this year concluded ChatGPT had surged to first place in its rankings of shadow IT apps.
“They’re getting into the registry on their computer or something, and they really kind of get in over their heads,” he said.