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Harvard Business Review
March 2022ADDRESSING LABOR PAINS
New ways to connect management to the worker voice
Today’s workers are choosing change because they are unhappy
with the status quo.- rising inequality
- covid-19
- stagnated wages
- nature of work/worker
- staffing shortages
- sky-high inflation
- significant turnover
- favorable labor environment
THE RE-MAKING OF ORGANIZED LABOR
Facing historic lows in membership, organized labor and the self-
proclaimed “most pro-union administration in history” to radically
alter longstanding “rules of the road” when it comes to traditional
labor. Co-opting the rise in social activism and pandemic related
changes in the workplace as well as social issues, the labor
movement has found a new momentum and target audience.“I’m sorry,” Prisha said. “I
don’t want to abandon you all, but
Ishan seems so much happier and
has the potential to make more
money. It’s really tempting to
follow his lead. I have to think of
my own interests.”
So much for family, Diya
thought.
“I see where you’re coming
from,” Diya said, “but let me
present the counterargument.”
She shared all the reasons to stay:
the security, the benefits, the
company’s growth potential, and
yes, the close-knit culture.
But as she was talking, Diya
realized that she wasn’t sure
those upsides were convincing
enough. Would retention bonuses
or pay increases be more compel-
ling? Or was it time to intensify
the downsides of leaving by
instituting a no-working-with-
former-employees rule and
inserting language to the same
effect and noncompetes in all
future employment contracts?
Would carrots or sticks be more
persuasive?RAKESH BOHRA is the senior VP
and head of projects at Pioneer
Urban Land & Infrastructure Ltd. and
a doctoral student in organizational
behavior and human resources
management at the Management
Development Institute in Gurgaon,
India. JYOTSNA BHATNAGAR is a
professor of organizational behavior
and human resources manage -
ment and dean of research at the
Manage ment Development Institute
in Gurgaon, India.It’s time for Blackbird to
lean into 21 st-century
management, embrace the
gig economy, and let more
employees go freelance.
Diya and Veer made the right decision
with Ishan, and they’ll attract moretalent, foster greater loyalty, build a bet-
ter culture, and produce more-creative
work by letting others follow suit.
To keep pace with societal and
technological change, companies today
need to be flexible with—and offer
flexibility to—their workforces. Young
people, particularly creatives, want the
autonomy and variety that gig work
offers. And companies like Blackbird
can greatly benefit—first, by reducing
the danger of having people they can’t
keep busy on the payroll and, second,
by serving clients with curated teams
designed for their specific needs. If
your employees are almost exclusively
full-time, you’re stuck with their skills;How should Diya handle all the
employees who want to follow
Ishan? The exper ts respond.
JOHN H. CHUANG is
the cofounder, chairman,
and CEO of Aquent.152
Harvard Business Review
March–April 2022Experience