The Employee's Dilemma

You may have heard of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, a game theory example attributed to mathematician Albert Tucker. Two individuals are each faced with different options that increase or decrease their potential prison sentence. By betraying the other they can potentially avoid a prison sentence, depending on who speaks first.

To speak first and betray the other is deemed the most rational option. However, if both confess, they each receive a reduced sentence. The dilemma is ultimately about whether to act in one’s own self-interest, or to act for the collective good. A supposedly rational person would act in their own self-interest to avoid prison by ratting on their accomplice.

The Employee’s Dilemma is different, but the self-interest premise is similar. Assume two employees each receive the same pay for the same amount of their time. Each will seek to reduce their less desirable work where possible by transferring or allocating it to the other employee. The trick in this dilemma is to be competent enough to be retained, but not so competent as to be swamped with undesirable tasks.

The rational employee is assumed to want the work that is the most desirable, in its various forms. They will thus avoid menial tasks in favour of career-advancing ones, to the disadvantage of their colleague. This self-interest exists regardless of the organisational structure or focus on profit.

The employee who receives the more menial, less desirable tasks will eventually leave and the employee who has enjoyed career-advancement may or may not leave for greener pastures. Regardless, the employer is worse off because they carry the cost of replacing at least one employee.

Some businesses, such as large law firms thrive on the churn and burn model (graduates suffer most), but in many cases, the rational employer will seek to reduce turnover. The grinder (graduates), minder (mentors) and finder (big fish) (GMF) structure is not in keeping with this theory. Is there still a place for the GMF structure?

The employer’s duty is to keep the Employee’s Dilemma in check and ensure that undesirable tasks are fairly and evenly distributed!

Test the pros and cons of such shared task allocation to see if it improves your workplace experience.

Subscribe to unlock your work life meaning.