New Books in Economics Stephan Meier, "The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive" (PublicAffairs, 2024)
May 9, 2026
Stephan Meier, behavioral economist and Columbia Business School professor, argues for putting workers first to boost performance. He discusses why engagement is low, what motivates employees beyond pay, and how managers, fair processes, and intentional team culture drive results. Case studies include Costco and Best Buy, plus practical tools like scripted check-ins and employee-centered design.
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Widespread Employee Disengagement Persists
- Gallup engagement surveys show roughly 60–65% of employees are disengaged, a persistent problem for 10–15 years.
- Meier argues that only firms that solve this hard people problem can differentiate like firms that succeed on customer experience do.
Managers Drive Most Engagement Variation
- About 70% of variance in employee engagement is explained by individual managers, not centralized HR policies.
- That makes employee centricity harder because every manager must adopt the right mindset and tools for a firm-level advantage.
Use Four Motivators To Redesign Jobs
- Focus on four nonmonetary motivators: purpose, autonomy (trust), competence (just-right tasks), and relatedness (teamwork).
- Use these levers to redesign jobs so tasks are meaningful, autonomous, skill-building, and socially rewarding.
