There has to be a net positive (ie benefit - (financial + time cost)) to implement anything. Everything has a learning curve (though better software has less of a learning curve) and management has to communicate and demonstrate the value and the why - I literally go desk to desk.
How are those companies performing after your look? Were the gen-2's net contributors to the company's growth up to that point? Were they majority or minority recaps? What changes were not welcome? If the difference maker is junior vs. senior roles then the gen-2s anticipated demotions or were on the chopping block and not the management team you'd want to work with anyway.