Like so many workers across the country and globe, the majority of technologists saw an increase in workload as a result of the pandemic. This increase in workload, combined with at-home concerns like home-schooling and childcare, seems to have hit technologists aged 18-34 the hardest, and the escalation in burnout isn’t letting up. However, there is good news too, in terms of how technologists are feeling about their work/life balance. Read on and watch our latest webinar to learn more.
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In looking at age breakdowns, the number of technologists who reported seeing no increase in workload rises to 30% for those aged 45+. On the other side of things, technologists aged 18-44 were more likely to have seen workload increases of 1 to two times, or more. Thinking about how most technologists with young families would fall into the 18-44 category, it’s no surprise those in this age group are feeling increased levels of burnout.
Compared to the second quarter of 2020, when more than half of respondents were already feeling some level of burnout, those numbers increased in the second quarter of 2021 showing that burnout is still something to watch out for. But in reality, we see it as good news the increases were not more significant given how difficult the last year was.
While burnout is something organizations always want to keep in mind when thinking about retention efforts, recruiters can show empathy toward increased workloads and burnout when approaching potential candidates who may be experiencing this and looking for new opportunities.
There’s some good news on the work/life balance front though, and this is likely both a nod to technologists’ preference for flexible work and that some organizations have done a good job in managing employee well-being during the pandemic; 33% of technologists said their work/life balance is actually better than it was pre-pandemic, with 43% saying that it’s the same (which, in a tough environment, is also a win of sorts). All that said, 24% of technologists surveyed said their work/life balance was worse post-pandemic.
These results again show the range of how technologists are feeling in their work lives, and the value of an empathetic approach in building the future of work for technologists. For more insights on the 2021 Technologist Sentiment Report, watch our webinar “Remote, Flexible and In-Office Work: What Technologists (Really) Want.”
