As organisations accelerate their adoption of AI and digital tools, many are falling into a cycle of constant change, where employees are expected to adapt endlessly without the clarity, support, or time to recover. The result? A workforce that’s burned out, disengaged, and increasingly ready to walk away.
Recent research by my consultancy, Emergn, reveals that 68% of UK employees feel burned out by too many transformations, and 60% have considered leaving their jobs due to repeated, unsuccessful change efforts; a loud wake-up call for HR leaders.
The hidden cost of perpetual change
One of the biggest drivers of transformation fatigue is the long wait for value. Too often, change initiatives, especially those involving AI, launch with lofty ambitions but fail to deliver tangible progress fast enough. When transformation becomes a box-ticking exercise, driven by rigid methodologies rather than a clear purpose, trust and goodwill erodes.
HR has a critical role to play here. By advocating for short-term, visible wins and embedding 'learning loops' into transformation efforts, HR can help teams adapt in real time. It’s about shifting from static project plans to dynamic, people-first strategies.
Read more: How HR can support CFOs to fast track transformation
Reframing transformation through a product management mindset
As organisations accelerate AI adoption, many are realising that traditional, project-led approaches aren’t built for the pace or complexity of today’s change. A product-centric mindset offers a more sustainable alternative. Grounded in continuous learning, outcome alignment, and customer-centric design, product thinking helps HR and IT teams collaborate more effectively – embedding change into day-to-day work, rather than layering it on top.
According to McKinsey, organisations that invest in product management skills see a 20% faster time-to-market for AI-driven products, while 85% of high performers link product training to broader business value. By adopting these principles, teams can reduce friction, build adaptability, and deliver AI solutions that are not only technically sound but deeply embedded in how people actually work.
From burnout to buy-in: a new HR playbook
To counter fatigue, HR leaders must rethink how they support employees through change. Emergn’s research shows that fatigue is often rooted in people being under-supported, under-trained, and overwhelmed by jargon-heavy, top-down change.
HR leaders must shift from traditional, top-down change management to a more human-centred approach. Fatigue often stems from a lack of meaningful training, overreliance on buzzwords, and insufficient involvement in the change process. By embedding continuous, work-based learning that aligns with strategic outcomes, employees can gain practical skills that directly support transformation goals.
Simplifying communication by using clear, jargon-free language helps build understanding and trust. HR professionals should foster a culture of ownership by embedding employee experience metrics into every stage of the change process, enabling them to see the personal and professional value in the change.
Read more: How to protect people during organisational change
Embracing adaptability as a core competency
Despite the fatigue, employees aren’t anti-change. In fact, 70% still recognise the importance of transformation to stay competitive. The key is to shift from a mindset of certainty to one of adaptability.
HR leaders can foster an environment where continuous learning, experimentation, and resilience are not just encouraged but expected. Transformation fatigue often stems from rigid, certainty-driven mindsets. In contrast, an adaptive mindset thrives on flexibility, feedback, and a focus on value, flow and quality. HR can cultivate this by instilling a culture of continuous improvement backed by work-based learning tied to real outcomes, using a shared language to reduce confusion, and creating 'safe-to-fail' environments where experimentation is seen as growth, not risk.
By shifting performance metrics to reward learning and collaboration, and by modelling adaptive behaviours, HR leaders can help employees see change not as a threat, but as an opportunity to evolve. Share stories of pivots, lessons learned, and evolving strategies.
When employees see leaders embracing change with humility and purpose, transformation becomes something to rally around, not something to survive.
By Alex Adamopoulos, CEO of Emergn
