Tech professionals are being forced to become ‘IT generalists’ thanks to a combination of talent gaps, tool sprawl, and evolving technology.
Statistics from Auvik’s 2025 IT Trends Report show workloads are increasing and it’s the most senior employees that are experiencing the heaviest burden. IT professionals with more than 10 years of experience and the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1954) experiencing the longest work weeks.
With as many as 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 and retiring every day between now and 2030, it’s expected those remaining in the IT workforce will be faced with heavier workloads.
Already, 60% of IT professionals told Auvik that they felt burnt out by their work, while 78% said that stressors at work are preventing them from upskilling. This is driving a rising number of ‘IT generalists’ who don’t specialize in any one field.
This stress is often fuelled by a high volume of reactive and time-sensitive tasks that IT professionals are now expected to deal with, alongside toil.
Nearly six-in-ten respondents (58%) said they spend half or more of their work week on tickets resolving end-user requests, for example, with another 44% saying the burden of work is outweighing their ability to be productive.
The vast majority of IT professionals are managing mixed vendor environments, the study found. Managed service providers (MSPs), who typically manage the most mixed vendor environments, are also dealing with the worst levels of tool sprawl, with nearly half reporting more than 10 network tools in use.
The issue of tool sprawl shows no signs of slowing down, either. IT professionals reported more tools are being added to their workflows at a steady rate, with nearly half complaining they’re not consulted early enough in the procurement.
“The IT generalist is arising out of necessity. With a continuing talent gap and increasing tool sprawl, IT professionals don’t have the bandwidth to develop deep expertise in any one area of IT,” said Doug Murray, CEO at Auvik.
“They must be able to manage a broad range of tools and IT functions, while relying increasingly on AI and automation to complete the more menial, routine tasks that historically have been major time commitments.”
Support for IT professionals is growing
In general, 84% of IT professionals said they were highly satisfied with corporate management’s support for IT initiatives – except when it comes to their understanding of AI and security risks.
Nearly a quarter aren’t satisfied with their organization’s current AI policy, and a third don’t have one at all. Meanwhile, 36% don’t feel confident they would be allowed to experiment with new technology such as AI and automation tools.
When asked about ‘wishlist’ items for network-related activities, four-in-ten IT professionals (39%) put researching new technology at the top of the list, with more time and more team members cited by around a third.
“Business leaders must lend support to their IT teams in pursuing AI and automation tools,” said Murray.
He added that three-quarters of IT teams update documentation monthly or more often, while 61% report changing their network configurations at least on a weekly basis. “Automation is a simple and highly necessary solution for alleviating this burden, and many others like it within the IT function.”
