ATD Research: TD Professionals' Roles Vary in Organizational Change Initiatives

New research by the Association for Talent Development finds that nearly half of all organizations involve their TD function in planning and implementing change initiatives.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizational change can be very disruptive for employees, so prioritizing employees by involving talent development professionals throughout the entire change process can be beneficial, according to new ATD research.

According to Change Management: TD's Role in Driving Organizational Transformation, survey respondents indicated that 55 percent of the organizations that underwent an expansion had the TD department very involved. It is less likely to be involved in organizational structural change events.

"Because the TD function has the pulse of the organization, including TD from the beginning of the change process can help organizations position their training initiatives better and their messages correctly to increase acceptance of the needed change," Dima Hindi Khatib, partner and executive director of The Consulting Lab, said in the report.

Other key findings in the report include:

• Seventy percent of organizations offer change management training to employees. Maintaining team morale and culture during change and communicating about change are the topics most frequently covered.
• Only 17 percent of survey respondents report that their organization is extremely effective at addressing change.

ATD surveyed 311 talent development professionals across a variety of industries to learn more about the TD function's involvement in managing change, how organizations measure the effectiveness of change initiatives, and which employees receive change management training.

ATD is hosting a free webinar on the report on November 20, at 2 p.m. ET.

About ATD

The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world's largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD).

ATD's members come from more than 100 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led US chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners.

SOURCE Association for Talent Development (ATD)