New research from the Association for Talent Development (ATD) underscores the critical value of involving talent development (TD) professionals in organizational change initiatives. The findings suggest that leveraging the TD function's unique understanding of the workforce can significantly improve communication, training, and the overall acceptance of transformation efforts.
Quick Intel
ATD research highlights the benefits of involving Talent Development in change management.
55% of organizations involved TD heavily during expansion-related changes.
TD is less likely to be involved in organizational structural changes.
70% of organizations offer change management training to employees.
Only 17% of organizations rate themselves as extremely effective at managing change.
Early TD involvement helps position training and messaging correctly for greater buy-in.
The research indicates that the level of TD involvement varies with the type of change. While 55 percent of organizations had the TD department very involved during expansions, its role is less consistent during structural changes. This is a missed opportunity, as TD professionals possess a deep understanding of employee skills, morale, and organizational culture, making them ideal partners for crafting effective change communication and training strategies from the outset.
The report confirms that change management training is widespread, with 70 percent of organizations offering it to their employees. The most frequently covered topics are maintaining team morale and culture during change and effectively communicating about the transformation. This focus aligns with the core challenges of change management, aiming to address the human and cultural elements that often determine an initiative's success or failure.
Despite the prevalence of training, a striking finding reveals a gap in perceived effectiveness. Only 17 percent of survey respondents reported that their organization is extremely effective at addressing change. This suggests that while companies recognize the need for structured change support, many current approaches are falling short of delivering the desired outcomes, pointing to a need for more strategic and integrated methods.
The ATD research makes a compelling case for a more integrated approach to organizational transformation. By involving talent development professionals early and throughout the change process, organizations can leverage their unique insights to better position initiatives, tailor communication, and develop targeted training. This human-centric strategy is key to bridging the gap between the intent of change and its successful, accepted implementation across the workforce.
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.
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