The Rise of the 'Ghost Shift' and What IT Teams Can Do About It

For many organisations, the traditional 9-to-5 working day is no longer the norm.

Whether it's remote work, flexible hours, global teams or employees choosing to work when they're most productive, people increasingly expect to access IT support whenever they're working - not just during office hours.One thing is clear…

The working day has changed

Freshservice recently analysed IT support data and found that 47% of IT requests are now submitted outside standard business hours. By the time many IT teams start work on Monday morning, they're already facing a backlog of password resets, MFA unlock requests and access requests submitted over the weekend.

→ Read the comprehensive research in Freshworks' article

Why this matters

Most of these requests aren't unusual or complex.

They're the routine, repetitive tasks that every IT team deals with:

• Password resets
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) unlocks
• Software access requests
• Common "how do I...?" questions
• New starter requests

The challenge isn't necessarily the volume - it's the timing.

When requests arrive around the clock, organisations face a choice:

• Ask employees to wait until support teams are available.
• Increase staffing to provide longer coverage.
• Enable employees to resolve common issues themselves.

For many organisations, the third option offers the best balance between employee experience and operational efficiency.

Self-service has become an essential part of modern ITSM

A well-designed self-service portal allows employees to find answers without needing to raise a ticket.

Knowledge articles, AI-powered search and guided request forms help users solve common problems in minutes rather than waiting in a queue.

For straightforward requests, automation can go a step further by completing tasks automatically - for example:

• Resetting passwords
• Provisioning software access
• Routing requests to the right team
• Triggering approval workflows
• Creating accounts for new starters

The result is faster resolution for employees and fewer repetitive tasks for service desk teams.

Supporting people without increasing workload

The goal isn't to replace IT teams with AI.

Instead, automation and AI allow support staff to spend less time on repetitive administration and more time solving the issues that genuinely need human expertise.

When routine requests are handled automatically, IT teams can focus on improving services, supporting strategic projects and delivering a better experience across the organisation.

Building a service desk that scales

As organisations grow, relying on email and manual processes becomes increasingly difficult to manage.

Modern IT service management (ITSM) platforms bring together:

• Self-service portals
• Knowledge management
• Automated workflows
• SLA management
• Reporting and dashboards
• AI-assisted support

These capabilities help organisations provide consistent support, regardless of when employees are working.

If you're still relying on shared inboxes or manual processes, introducing a modern ITSM platform can provide a strong foundation for future growth.

How BDQ can help

At BDQ, we help organisations implement and optimise modern IT service management solutions, including Freshservice, HaloITSM, Jira Service Management and more. Our focus is on delivering practical implementations that improve service delivery through self-service, automation and clear reporting, while keeping adoption straightforward for both IT teams and end users.

If you'd like to discuss how automation and self-service could improve your IT support, get in touch with BDQ.