Change is inevitable, or is it? A recent survey finds one-third of U.S. employees say workplace changes are not worth the effort. Where does this leave us with the technology revolution—led by AI (artificial intelligence)—that is currently taking place in many industries such as construction?
Let’s dig into the study by Eagle Hill Consulting first, which was conducted at the end of August 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,448 U.S. adults employed full-time or part-time.
Digging into the Numbers
Here’s what the study found. While 63% of U.S. employees experienced workplace change during the past year, 34% believe those changes were not worth the organizational effort. 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.
To be clear, it is not that they don’t recognize the benefits. Roughly 46% report increased efficiency and 43% say changes improved their focus on goals. The benefits are clear and recognized. The challenge is only one in four employees agrees their organization effectively manages change rollouts across the workforce.
Here’s the reality. There are many hurdles that exist during change management, and employees are the ones who are feeling it. The numbers here tell an interesting story:
- 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 change is executed in a way that makes it easy to embrace.
Change Starts with People
As Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer, Eagle Hill Consulting, points out, the key to successful change is not just what you change, but how you change. Simply, organizations need to bring employees along for the journey.
This gets back to something we have been talking about here at Constructech for decades. We can’t implement technology just for the sake of technology and expect a successful rollout. We need to align people, process, and technology in order to see true benefits of technology. This is a clear indication that the people part of the equation could be a stumbling block for many companies—something we are certain many companies in the construction industry have experienced firsthand.
The Eagle Hill Consulting survey suggests people want to feel heard when identifying what change is needed. It also suggests three key steps to better change management including:
- Phased rollouts with lightened workloads during heavy change periods
- Ongoing communication that connects transformation to business outcomes
- Team leaders being the core unit of change
We can’t just sit idly by, stagnant, during a time of technological revolution. As American engineer and inventor Charles F. Kettering has said, “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.” Thus, we need to consider our change management processes and how we bring workers along for the journey. What are your thoughts? To change or not to change? That is the question.
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