IT departments used to be the people you called when your laptop froze. Today, they’re increasingly the architects of how companies actually work. Zendesk’s latest report, Transforming IT Service with AI, makes the case that IT leaders have moved beyond break-fix mode and into the boardroom, steering decisions that shape employee experience, HR strategy, and innovation at large.
According to Zendesk’s survey of 1,000 IT leaders and 1,000 employees, 72% of IT leaders now spend most of their time on responsibilities outside “traditional IT.” That includes executive leadership, AI roadmaps, and even HR initiatives like onboarding. The kicker? Nearly every respondent (93%) said their company is past the pilot phase with AI, putting IT leaders at the front line of building secure, AI-powered workplaces.
“Employee satisfaction and productivity are no longer just influenced by IT, they’re powered by it,” said Craig Flower, Zendesk’s CIO. And the numbers back him up: 95% of IT leaders report measurable gains from AI, with 70% calling the impact strong or transformational.
The Pressure Cooker of Modern IT
The shift to strategy doesn’t come without strain. IT leaders now juggle cybersecurity, HR integration, and AI ethics—on top of the usual infrastructure demands. Burnout, talent shortages, and widening skill gaps are real concerns.
Employees, meanwhile, have little patience for outdated systems. Three out of four say even a minor tech hiccup can derail their day, and 40% admit they feel frustrated just thinking about contacting IT. AI has become the pressure release valve: serving as a first responder to handle routine fixes instantly, freeing IT staff for higher-order problems.
The survey also found over half of employees find switching between HR and IT systems confusing. That points to a broader trend: the need for unified, employee-first platforms rather than siloed apps. Competitors like ServiceNow and Workday have been pushing similar “one-stop shop” platforms, but Zendesk is positioning AI as the glue that makes the experience seamless.
AI in Action: From Onboarding to KPIs
Where AI is already paying dividends: faster resolution times, smoother onboarding, and reduced downtime. IT leaders are seeing their key service metrics climb, with efficiency improvements that go beyond incremental gains. In a world where employee experience is as critical as customer experience, this kind of uplift becomes a competitive differentiator.
The bigger implication is that IT is no longer the “help desk”—it’s becoming a business driver. As more companies embrace AI to solve cross-departmental friction, IT leaders could find themselves shaping not just the tools employees use, but the culture of how work gets done.
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