IT Morale

CHICAGO, November 17, 2009 –

“Low morale levels are an unfortunate side effect of this recession,” said Eric Presley, Chief Technology Officer for CareerBuilder. “As a result, employers are taking measures to help address negative workplace sentiment and motivate their employees. Whether it’s through stepping up communication, offering more employee recognition programs or providing more flexible work opportunities, organizations are doing what they can to proactively manage low morale.”

IT workers revealed a variety of factors that may be contributing to low morale levels. Thirty-one percent said that their stress level at work is high and six-in-ten (60 percent), the highest among industries surveyed, said that their workload has increased in the last six months. More than one-in-ten (14 percent) are dissatisfied with their work/life balance.

More than one-third (34 percent) of IT workers said they felt there was departmental favoritism at work, which could also play a part in low morale levels. Thirty percent of IT workers don’t think their department is important to senior leadership.

Sales (22 percent), research/development (7 percent) and marketing (6 percent) topped the list of departments IT workers believe are primarily given preferential treatment at work.

When asked what type of preferential treatment IT workers thought favored departments received, they said that they:

Tend to have higher salaries – 62 percent

Receive more recognition by senior leaders – 53 percent

Receive more funding/resources – 38 percent

Tend to have greater career advancement opportunities – 31 percent

Have more flexibility in their work arrangements – 26 percent

Are awarded with trips while other departments are not – 20 percent

Tend to have more training and leadership development opportunities – 13 percent

Are able to follow a more casual dress code – 12 percent

Given higher profile projects – 12 percent

IT workers have navigated increased workloads, longer hours and strained resources during this recession. Some of these challenges have taken their toll on workplace morale. A new CareerBuilder survey of more than190 IT employers reveals that more than a quarter (29 percent) rate their organization’s current employee morale as low. Additionally, more than one-third (36 percent) of IT workers report that they have had difficulty staying motivated at work in the last year and one-in-five do not feel loyal to their current employer. The survey was conducted between August 20 and September 9, 2009.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive

© on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,924 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions); and among 4,285 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government); ages 18 and over between August 20 and September 9, 2009 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,924 and 4,285 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.81 percentage points and +/-1.5 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.