-
53% of C-suite leaders say HR is only brought into transformation once implementation begins
-
41% of leaders say people workstreams fail because HR is underfunded, deprioritised or involved too late in the process
-
36% of business leaders still don’t see HR as central to transformation, leaving people strategy disconnected from business outcomes
-
Research based on insights from 450 C-Suite leaders
London, 16 October 2025 – Many Chief People Officers (CPOs) are still being brought into major transformation programmes only once implementation begins – a delay that risks undermining the success of business change initiatives, according to the latest report from LACE Partners.
Based on a survey of 450 C-suite executives across FTSE 250 and global organisations, the ‘From Implementer to Influencer’ report finds that fewer than half of CPOs are engaged during early transformation planning, with 53% only involved when implementation starts.
The report exposes a clear gap between perception and reality. While many CPOs say they lead transformation, most are still brought in too late. Over half of C-suite leaders (53%) admit HR only joins once implementation planning begins, leaving HR to deliver strategies it didn’t help design in line with the workforce.
The biggest structural and operational barriers preventing HR from delivering people transformation workstreams effectively are that business leaders don’t see HR as central to transformation (36%), HR lacks capacity (33%), and that HR does not prioritise people transformation workstreams against other operational or strategic priorities (31%).
When asked why people work streams within business transformation programmes fail to deliver, the leaders cited the fact that people-related areas are more likely to be underfunded or deprioritised compared to technology or operational workstreams (41%), HR being brought into the process too late (37%), and change management skills being weak (33%). Concerningly, despite previous research answers suggesting other C-suite leaders view the CPO as an equal, 30% of business leaders still don’t view HR’s role in transformation as essential.
In addition, while 64% of leaders say HR is actively involved in shaping decisions during transformation discussions, a quarter (25%) say HR is considered but not central to the decision-making process, with 8% saying that HR is heard but rarely influences the outcome.
“When HR isn’t in the room from the start, decisions are made without the necessary workforce insight to make change sustainable,” said Aaron Alburey, Founder of LACE Partners. “Transformation fails far more often because of people challenges than technology ones. If HR is asked to deliver a strategy it didn’t help design, the business risks slower progress, wasted investment and employee fatigue.”
The report also highlights that CPOs are mainly seen as playing a reactive rather than proactive role in transformation planning (cited by 41%), bringing less tangible and measurable contributions to the table (41%), and other functions being seen as more directly tied to business outcomes (37%). A third of organisations (33%) believe their CPO lacks the capacity to influence, while 26% say they lack the capability to influence, and 22% believe they lack the data and metrics to make a strong case for transformation decisions.
“Until HR is integrated into transformation planning from the outset alongside Finance, Operations and Technology, organisations will continue to face the same barriers of misaligned priorities, resistance to change and weakened delivery,” concluded Alburey.
The full report can be downloaded here.
—
About LACE Partners
LACE Partners is a global boutique HR consultancy that supports major employers with HR transformation, technology advisory, change and adoption. It combines the on-demand expertise of top HR change specialists, with the market leaders in progressive HR technologies, providing a flexible, bespoke service to help HR and Exec teams of large organisations to solve strategic and technology challenges. Its operating model drives innovation, quality and collaboration. UK headquartered, LACE undertakes global projects for organisations of all industry sectors and sizes.
For more information visit www.lacepartners.co.uk.
Image: Deposit Photos
