More than half of IT professionals at UK businesses say they are frequently pulled away from strategic work to fix everyday technology problems that employees could resolve themselves, according to a survey of 1,000 IT workers commissioned by service management provider TOPdesk.
The findings, published on 7 April 2026, paint a picture of IT departments caught between rising expectations and limited self-service infrastructure. Fifty-three per cent of respondents said they are regularly called upon to troubleshoot minor issues, while 52% placed the blame on employees themselves for generating many of the disruptions.
The disconnect runs deeper than ticket volumes. Almost two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed said employees do not understand the complexity of IT operations, and 42% reported using different KPIs from the rest of the business, a gap that can make it harder for IT teams to demonstrate their value or secure investment.
AI adoption patchy despite broad support
AI-driven automation is widely seen as part of the answer. Fifty-five per cent of respondents said AI could benefit the helpdesk, yet adoption remains patchy: only 36% have automation on service desk tickets and 34% in first-line support. Forty-three per cent said their department lacks the resources to tackle disruptions effectively, and nearly a fifth described their service management tools as outdated.
Despite the frustrations, there is broad agreement on the direction of travel. Eighty-four per cent of IT professionals surveyed said better collaboration with other departments would reduce disruptions.
Businesses need to recognise that investment in the right tools will enable employees to resolve many of the disruptions they face autonomously. This will repair fractured relationships, improve internal culture and leave IT more time for higher value work.
