This is an interesting topic because like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, organizations have a hierarchy of needs as well. Maslow's theory is based on the motivation of people based on psychological, safety, belonging and love, social or esteem and self-actualization. For the individual, self-actualization is the highest of needs. For an organization, on the other hand, the levels include people first, customer satisfaction, company culture, continuous improvement, and innovation & pioneering. The highest level in an organization is to reach the level of innovating & pioneering. 

@llefevre This is a very interesting topic.  Companies can't be innovators and pioneers if they have not mastered the other needs outlined in the pyramid.  It makes me think if that is true.  If we look at many of the biggest companies now; Amazon, Facebook. Google, Apple, etc., accomplished innovation and pioneering prior to fulfilling the other items within the hierarchy.  It pushes me to think that longevity is dependent on satisfying all the needs but not in any specific order.   

• One of the major issues with Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is that it cannot be tested empirically.
• There is no way to measure precisely how satisfied one level of need must be before the next higher need becomes operative.
• The model is too simplistic:
• The same product or service can satisfy several needs at once.
• The model lacks empirical support for the rank-ordering of the needs.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs consists of five levels of human needs that enable a person to feel fulfilled. Physical requirements include physiological conditions and safety. Once these are met, people concentrate on needs that involve interpersonal relationships. Maslow's third level has social needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs places esteem needs for a sense of accomplishment and achievement at the fourth level. Self-actualization needs, or the desire to be fulfilled, to live up to one's potential, and to maximize one's abilities, are at the top of Maslow's hierarchy.
Working at the market, for example. This is not usually the first choice of job. Long hours and low-pay needs are generally not regarded as the best places to work—unless you work at a branded store that has made Fortune's list.

The theory offers a basis for organizational development with high employee motivation to achieve company objectives. An organization that satisfies Maslow's principles can feature high employee satisfaction, excellent employee retention, and cohesive teams. The theory psychologically explains human motivation based on the pursuit of different levels of needs. The theory states that humans are motivated to fulfill their needs in a hierarchical order. However, this interesting theory can’t be trusted empirically. And in recent times, the biggest organizations are preferring innovations and growth over hierarchical order and theory.

I think something that is heavily under-utilized in corporate settings is "esteem" in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Starting from the bottom, I believe that physiological and safety needs are likely being met by necessity in the corporate world. There could be an argument that due to global market trends, if salaries do not rise to compensate, then some people may not be able to afford even the most basic physiological need of food. However, assuming those needs are being met, the next need is social and I believe everyone in the corporate world has their own view on their social needs. A sense of belonging on a team or division may be crucial to some people, but not to others. It may be based on the company, but it is a proven idea that people more friendly with each other have a greater capability of working together. So facilitating positive social interactions within a company is in its best interests.

Now to what I believe is critical and under-utilized in the corporate world: esteem. This describes a human's needs to be recognized by their peers, mentors, and higher-ups. I think being recognized for the work that someone does is critical to their happiness and also their motivation to continue their work to that same degree. Being recognized for that facilitates their readiness and self-esteem, making them aware of what they are doing and reminding them that the work that they do is meaningful. Companies often do not recognize the work of people at the lower level since "anyone can do that work." But the problem is that despite the fact that anyone can do it, they are the ones doing it, putting hours and hours of their time into their job. So even if someone else can do that work, the person actually doing it should be recognized for it, boosting their morale and motivation. Although it is a far stretch, it can even contribute to their need for self-actualization, feeling like they are living to their fullest potential.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs tends to focus on the self-development of the person and can be likened to the organization one works at as a whole. Beginning with the psychological needs of a person in the organization, they would have to focus on the salary as well as the benefits of the company. This is the first stepping stone in the organization where a job seeker would want to be appropriately paid for his work, which in turn benefits the employee's needs. The next stone in this would be the safety needs of the employee, namely the stability of working at the company, knowing that this individual has job security and won't be replaced soon. In addition, the employee would have this sense of self that his job would not become obsolete for his mental health. For social needs, this would extend to the co-workers of the employee and having this sense of camaraderie that they work together to create a work culture. This would include things such as working on the same project and interacting with other members of the organization. Esteem needs would be the personal development of the person growing in the organization and having higher positions than before. Self-actualization would be that after achieving all these needs, the person would be working for the organization for multiple years as well as earning achievements due to the positive work environment this person would be in.

I really like your analogy to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In the responses so far, there seems to be a divergence between the needs of the company and the needs of the employees. There seems to be good discussion addressing both sides, but to be completely honest, most of the arguments for arguments in favor of the needs of the employees are higher up on the pyramid of Maslow's hierarchy in the eyes of the company. This is why a lot of the base needs that employees advocate for are typically seen in more profitable companies, like the Tech Giants, rather than smaller companies and start-ups. While I do not think the needs of the employees are beyond reason, in the eyes of the company, the only requirement for them is to obey the laws set by the government before easing into employee-oriented policies with higher performance. To incorporate my thoughts into the analogy, the work of the employees is a physiological need, while the employees continued efforts give rise to the security of the company. Yet, to prevent a strike, companies need to give into the "belonging" demands of the employees, and show figurative "love" in order to ensure the continued work of the employees. This will lead to increased output, and give rise to the "self-esteem" and "self-actualization" seen in larger companies.