Before introducing major changes in your printing business, consider how different generations of employees are likely to perceive the proposed changes. A one-size-fits-all approach to change management strategy may not succeed as well as expected.
National research from Eagle Hill Consulting finds that employees across all generations agree that organizations struggle to effectively manage major change. Just one-quarter of U.S. workers (25%) say their employer manages significant organizational changes well.
But beneath this shared concern lie stark generational divides. Differences in enthusiasm, stress, motivations, and perceived benefits of change dramatically shape how employees experience transformation.
The Generations Apart on Change research report reveals that Gen Z workers are consistently the most positive about organizational change. They report higher optimism about how changes – from process updates to reorganizations – improve their organizations and their day-to-day work.
In contrast, Gen X and Baby Boomer workers are far less likely to view change as beneficial, often seeing new initiatives as disruptive or adding to already heavy workloads.
“These findings underscore something leaders can’t ignore: change today is a multigenerational experience and employees aren’t starting from the same place,” said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Gen Z tends to see change as possibility, while more experienced employees see it through the lens of promises made and disappointments delivered.”
She contends that “Leaders who understand these differences and design change strategies that combine clarity, empathy, and authenticity will dramatically increase their chances of achieving durable, meaningful transformation.”
Reactions Vary Based on Type of Change
Key findings from the research include:
- Only 25% of employees say their organization effectively manages major changes across the workforce. There was little variance across generations.
- Gen Z is the most optimistic workforce cohort, with 70% saying process changes made their organization better. This compares to 36% of Gen X and 45% of Baby Boomer workers who said process changes made their organizations better.
- Gen X stands out as the most skeptical generation. Only 3% reported that return-to-office changes improved their organizations, representing the largest generational gap in the survey.
- Younger employees are more motivated by social factors during change: 27% of Gen Z and 23% of Millennials say workplace friends are their most influential change supporters. In contrast, 11–12% of older employees feel less supported during change. Only 18% of Baby Boomers and 20% of Gen X say their organizations make change easy to embrace.
Interestingly, the one organizational change where Gen Z was the least positive generation was the introduction of AI. While more than 6 in 10 Millennials (63%), Gen X (62%) and Boomers (61%) thought AI made their organizations better, only 45% of Gen Z agreed.
One would think that Gen Z (the “digital native” generation) would be more enthusiastic about AI, not less. But Gen Z’s lower positivity toward AI may reflect their concerns about their own job security and skill relevance rather than resistance to AI technology itself.
Across all generations, the two most important drivers of change acceptance are: 1) understanding the reason for the change; and 2) effective communication.
“The findings point to a fundamental shift: a one-size-fits-all approach to change management is no longer sufficient,” Jezior added. “To make change stick, leaders need to manage organizational change as a multi-generational experience, anchored in a shared purpose and tied to the different motivations, needs, and expectations that each generation brings to work.”
The report outlines several actionable steps for leaders, including turning Gen Z’s optimism into cross-generational influence and meaningfully engaging more experienced workers who may feel fatigued by repeated change efforts. Managers can be encouraged to act as the essential bridge between generational needs.
The findings are from the 2025 Eagle Hill Consulting State of Organizational Change Management survey conducted by Ipsos from August 21–25, 2025. The nationally representative sample includes 1,448 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, employed full- or part-time.
About Eagle Hill Consulting
Eagle Hill Consulting LLC provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of organizational performance, business intelligence, technology enablement, talent, and change management. Visit: https://www.eaglehillconsulting.com/