Power Surge: Do Employees Have Too Much Control?

Analyzing the Shift Between Organizations and Employees in the Post-Pandemic Era

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As someone who has long championed employee experience and putting people first, this was a really hard but necessary article to write.

Recently, we have seen a dramatic shift in terms of the balance of power from organizations to employees but it has gone too far in one direction.

In the past few decades, particularly during the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, organizations wielded immense power. They controlled every aspect of work, and employees were mere cogs in the machine—showing up, completing tasks, receiving pay, and going home. However, from the mid to late 2000s, the balance of power began to equalize a bit. Organizations started investing in employee engagement and experience programs, creating a more balanced environment. This trend accelerated in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic, however, has swung the pendulum too far in favor of employees, especially white-collar workers. CEOs and leaders frequently share stories of employees demanding higher pay, better benefits, more equity, remote work, and reduced four day workweeks. As companies face inevitable layoffs, those who demand too much and contribute too little are the first to go, which is what we are seeing now.

For the past few years, organizations have been acquiescing to the demands of their people and now with the end of The Great Resignation and Covid, that trend is reversing, in a sharp way so what does this mean for you?