One-Third of U.S. Employees Say Workplace Changes Not Worth the Effort, Eagle Hill Survey Finds

Ineffective Change Management Leaves Workers Stressed and Overburdened Despite Acknowledged Benefits

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- While 63% of U.S. employees experienced workplace change over the past year, more than a third (34%) believe those changes were not worth the organizational effort, according to a new survey from Eagle Hill Consulting. The findings reveal a critical gap between the recognized benefits of change and employees' views with how change is managed.

The 2025 Eagle Hill Change Management Survey found that employees clearly see positive impacts from organizational changes. Forty-six percent report increased efficiency, and 43% say changes improved their focus on organizational goals. Yet only one in four employees (25%) agree their organization effectively manages change rollouts across the workforce.

"Organizations are introducing important changes but failing to bring employees along on the journey," said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. "The key to successful change is not just what you change, but how you change. When employees experience increased workload and stress without adequate support during change, that ultimately impact the effectiveness of change efforts. Smart, effective, and efficient change management strategies engage employee along the way."

The Hidden Cost of Poor Change Management
While employees acknowledge that recent organizational changes increased their efficiency, collaboration, and flexibility, the survey reveals significant pain points in how change is implemented:

• Nearly half (45%) say organizational change increased their workload
• 43% report higher stress levels.
• 62% say their manager did not reduce their regular work to accommodate time for learning and adjusting to changes.
• Only 24% agree that change is executed in a way that makes it easy to embrace.

Not All Change Is Created Equal
The Eagle Hill research shows employees' receptiveness varies dramatically by type of change. Employees rated major new product launches (69% better), technology changes (66% better), and artificial intelligence initiatives (59% better) most positively. In contrast, return-to-office mandates left 46% of employees feeling their organization changed for the worse, while only 24% saw improvement.

Employees Want a Voice
While 57% of employees feel heard when identifying what change is needed, only 40% feel listened to regarding how to roll out changes to their team. Only 33% believe their voice matters in prioritizing change initiatives.

The survey also revealed significant generational differences, with 70% of Gen Xers and 82% of Baby Boomers reporting they had to adjust to change without any decrease in regular workload, compared to 54% of Millennials and 47% of Gen Z workers.

The Path Forward: Three Keys to Better Change Management
Eagle Hill's research points to three critical strategies for improving organizational change management:

1. Put timing on your side – Implement phased rollouts, lighten workloads during heavy change periods, and build in buffers that ease transitions
2. Anchor change in purpose – Provide persistent communication that connects transformation to business outcomes employees can appreciate
3. Reimagine change by empowering teams – Focus on team leaders as the core unit of change, as 47% of employees say their team lead has the most influence during change.

Read more about the research and how organizations can make change management strategies work better.

The 2025 Eagle Hill Consulting Change Management Survey was conducted by Ipsos from August 21–25, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 1,448 U.S. adults employed full-time or part-time.

Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is an award-winning business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Organizational Performance, Business Intelligence, Technology Enablement, Talent, and Change Management. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global nonprofits. Eagle Hill has offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Boston, MA, and Seattle, WA. More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.

SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting LLC