ICT professionals have historically been the spearhead of emotional pay, flexibility, remote working, well-being spaces and, ultimately, very good working conditions. However, taking into account the data provided by the Infojobs survey of tech workers, … One in five say they suffer from mental health problems because of work, and 77% say they feel burnt out at work. A paradox that suggests that the sector that has paved the way towards well-being in the workplace is also the sector that is raising warning signals about what is to come due to “the speed of technological change and the lack of well-being strategies adapted to this context,” according to Gustavo Díaz, professor at OBS Business School.
From InfoJobs, Communications Director Monica Perez offers nuance to understanding the present moment. Although there profiles continue to grow, The market has changed. He added: “We are not in a moment of prosperity, but rather a boom in specialization, but we are very far from the spiral of employment and salaries that we witnessed in 2021 and 2022.” What explains the tension is not only demand, but the nature of technological work and the context in which it operates. “Overload and pressure are dynamics that are widespread in other sectors as well, but in ICT profiles, they carry more weight because they operate in highly controlled environments, with results- and data-driven methodologies that allow their performance to be measured in detail,” he explains. He adds that this perception is not an absolute truth about the labor market, “but rather it is the experience of a group that has very high expectations and is very accustomed to certain conditions.”
Alejandro Rodriguez Gonzalez, deputy director of the ETSI Informatics Institute at UPM, confirms that the pace has intensified in recent years, even in traditionally stable companies. The reason is structural. “Today, any company depends on technological systems in its work, which has led to an increase in demand for information and communications technology services. In fields like DevOps, security, or systems administration, high availability is almost inherent to the position.
When Diaz was asked about the reasons, he said it was a combination of factors. “On the one hand, the culture of “always on”, increasingly shorter “deadlines”, and on the other hand, the lack of strategic planning in some organisations, which prioritize speed over sustainability. “Above all, technological disruption, which is advancing faster than business structures can adapt. “The result is a business model that requires constant availability and a high degree of cognitive attention where the solution involves incorporating smart wellbeing practices such as digital breaks, cognitive load management and environments that promote healthy detachment,” he adds. Alejandro Rodriguez agrees on the same line. “It is a very dynamic sector. Technologies, languages and methodologies are evolving much faster than other fields, which “creates constant pressure to stay up to date,” he explains.
Continuous training
At this stage of digital maturity, ongoing training is a requirement, not an option, says Professor Diaz. Between what the market demands and the real upgrading time needed by a professional, “there is a gap that forces workers to invest additional hours and personal resources in ‘upskilling’, which, in addition to the workload, leads to an increased level of stress.” Rodriguez points out that the key lies in how this training is managed. “When the company integrates it into the workday, plans for it and values it as part of the job, it stops being a personal burden on the professional and becomes an investment in talent,” he explains.
Logically, the emergence of artificial intelligence and automation has accelerated the pace of obsolescence of skills, experts explain, and this leads to a much faster pace of experimentation, adoption and deployment compared to previous technological phases. Emerging profiles such as AI specialist or architect have risen significantly in the demand rankings and specializations such as “cloud computing” or cybersecurity are growing in importance year after year.
For Dori Lopez, CEO of Innova Digital Export and President of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Castilla-La Mancha, this entire paradigm shift is changing the way we work, think and engage with technology. “Most professionals in this sector have to not only adapt to changes, but also explain, implement and maintain them,” he says. This is not just born Feeling of constant runningbut also uncertainty and even a professional identity crisis (if I am a computer scientist and now I am bots, what am I?).
The arrival of artificial intelligence
“With the arrival of neural AI, the logic of always moving faster could start to shift,” Lopez continues. It will no longer be just a matter of going faster, but a different path. “With luck – and judgment – this well-used tool can free us from long hours of constant effort and, over time, become a lever or co-pilot that allows us to return to work with greater calm, creativity and meaning,” he advocates.
Given this mismatch between what the professional expects and what the current context offers, it is also essential, in Rodriguez’s view, that companies urgently review three practices if they want to reduce the technological pressure their teams are experiencing. The first is realistic planning and clear management of priorities, as many periods of stress stem from projects that constantly change course or lack a defined structure. The second is to set rules for connecting and disconnecting, with clear transitions and boundaries on demand that avoid the feeling of being on 24/7. Third, strengthen teams and resources: If the burden increases, the means of managing it must also increase. Lopez adds a fourth point to these practices, which is cohesion from management. “If leaders say they value balance but send messages at odd hours or reward only hyperactivity, that doesn’t make sense. Emotional health is also built with consistency and example.
Digital disconnection
This culture of always-on availability is precisely real, says Dori Lopez, but it’s not just born from companies, it’s part of the collective unconscious. “Being always available is seen as synonymous with commitment, professionalism or efficiency. “If we don’t respond to a message within two hours, something seems wrong.” Now, one thing is what society expects of us, and another thing is what we internalize as right or necessary. And when this pressure is mixed with deep beliefs – such as that you deserve what you produce – the demand comes from within. “This is today one of the quietest sources of fatigue and anxiety, and one of the main drivers of many of today’s psychosomatic illnesses and illnesses.” He says this knowingly. The facts of having witnessed the process of physical and emotional breakdown after years of over-demand, multitasking and constant stress, and how he began to rebuild himself only when technology took a new great leap with the advent of neural artificial intelligence.
But stress not only affects the health of professionals, Rodriguez emphasizes, it also affects the quality of their work. He concludes that “the absence of separation and constant pressure directly affects the ‘output’: the quality of the software decreases, the ability to make good decisions deteriorates, and the margin to innovate or suggest improvements decreases.” An overworked person, no matter how competent he or she is, tends to make more mistakes and see less in the long term. This is why it is necessary to create sustainable work environments. It is not only about occupational health, but it is a direct investment in the quality, competitiveness and flexibility of the company itself.
As a final reflection, Díaz focuses on the fact that digital transformation is not only technological, but cultural and interdisciplinary. “Even though AI, cybersecurity or the cloud are getting all the attention, we are seeing sustained growth in digital marketing, UX/UI and data analytics,” he explains, suggesting that digital transformation is not just technological, but also cultural and strategic.