Most organizations believe they struggle with change because employees resist it.

That’s not what’s actually happening.

What’s failing isn’t the strategy, the communication plan, or the rollout timeline.  What’s failing is what happens after the announcement, when people are left to quietly absorb uncertainty, loss, and disruption on their own.

A recent article from Gartner explores why so many workplace change efforts stall, even when leadership intent is strong. Their conclusion is both simple and uncomfortable:

Change fails when it’s treated as an event instead of a capability.

We build on that idea here, informed by what we see in practice.

 Gartner’s full article, Adopting Change in the Workplace, offers additional perspective.

But what that research doesn’t fully explore is the most expensive gap in modern change efforts.

The in-between.

This is where confidence either rebuilds, or collapses.

The Most Expensive Phase of Change Is the Quiet One

Change doesn’t end when the org chart updates.
It doesn’t end when a role is eliminated.
And it doesn’t end when people are told, “You’ll be fine.”

In fact, that’s when the real risk begins.

This is the phase where:

• Confidence erodes quietly
• Momentum stalls
• Anxiety shows up as disengagement
• Former employees begin forming their long-term story about your organization

None of this appears on a project plan.

That’s exactly why it gets missed.

But it absolutely shows up later, in reputation, rehiring difficulty, claim costs, productivity drag, and trust.

Routinizing Change Without Supporting People Creates Drag

Many organizations have gotten very good at operational change:

• Agile structures
• Rolling reorganizations
• AI-driven role shifts
• Ongoing cost management

Change is constant, and that’s not going away.

But when people experience repeated change as loss, without structure or reassurance, the organization absorbs a hidden tax.

That tax looks like:

• Longer job searches
• Higher stress-related disengagement
• Negative alumni sentiment
• “We don’t treat people well here” whispers that never make it into surveys

You can normalize change operationally and still damage trust if the human side is left to chance.

Operational success can still create human failure.

The Overlooked Risk Moment: Transitions

The Gartner research points to a need for change capability.
What’s often missed is that transitions are where that capability is tested.

Especially exits.

Exits are not administrative events.
They are emotional, psychological, and financial inflection points.

And they are where people decide:

• How they will talk about your organization
• Whether they would return
• Whether they would refer others
• Whether they believe your values were real

Support Shortens Disruption. Silence Prolongs It.

When organizations provide structured support during transitions:

• People regain confidence faster
• Job searches shorten
• Stress decreases
• Outcomes improve for individuals and the business

When they don’t:

• Uncertainty lingers
• Resentment grows
• Costs quietly compound

This isn’t about generosity.

It’s about risk management, brand protection, and long-term performance.

Change Capability Includes the In-Between

If change is truly a permanent condition of work, then support can’t be optional or reactive.
It has to be built in.

Because people don’t remember the announcement.

They remember how you handled the hardest part,
and they carry that memory into every future interaction with your brand.

Further Reading: Gartner, Adopting Change in the Workplace: Leaders Today Must Routinize, Not Inspire, Change — https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/adopting-change-in-the-workplace

If you’re exploring how outplacement support can protect your brand and support employees through transition, we’re here:👉 https://www.nextjob.com/contact