Now is the time for streamlining in Corporate America and beyond.

The need for streamlining in Corporate America and beyond...

Corporate America’s war for talent is starting to feel like a war on talent. Once hailed as prized assets, workers are now being told to toughen up, stop complaining, and feel lucky to have jobs. Skims co-founder Emma Grede said bluntly, “Work-life balance is your problem.” Starbucks’ CEO Brian Niccol, after major layoffs, told staff to “step it up.” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, frustrated by return-to-office pushback, told employees in a profanity-laced meeting that he’d had enough, asking, “Where is everybody else?”

The tone shift reflects a shift in power. With economic uncertainty and shrinking white-collar staff, companies are cutting perks and ignoring grievances. At Uber, changes like increasing the sabbatical threshold from 5 to 8 years and requiring 3 in-office days instead of 2 drew complaints. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stood firm: “This is a risk we decided to take.” The company followed up by reprimanding staff for expressing displeasure.

This new climate affects job seekers too. Donnie Donselman, a tech professional, says companies now expect one person to do the work of three. He’s wary of leadership that rules by fear, saying, “You’re not going to get good results from that.”

Michael McCutcheon, executive coach and NYU professor, says CEOs are reacting to today’s global trade pressures and economic strain, while many workers still expect 2021-level flexibility. Meanwhile, political and tech influencers like Trump and Musk stoke the “everyone’s replaceable” fire. Musk recently demanded proof of work from federal staff. Fiverr’s CEO Micha Kaufman warned, “AI is coming for your jobs… This is a wake-up call.”

Even hiring decisions now weigh whether AI can do the job. Shopify’s CEO has halted hiring unless AI can’t do it. The message? Learn AI or risk being left behind.

Experts like Stanford’s Charles O’Reilly predict employees will regain power when the market turns. But until then, many CEOs believe leaner teams are more efficient. Match Group, for example, just cut 20% of its managers. “We lit a fire under the team,” said CEO Spencer Rascoff.

Will there be a cost for this more with less approach? Time will tell, but at Bon Vie Consulting we understand the stresses of being efficient in times like these, we have rode these waves with many players before, AI is new, but the scenario tends to repeat. Let's talk and see what we can do for you and your team.