What I keep thinking is that a lot of these things where I totally agree "we shouldn't have to do X or Y" aren't driven by someone at the top asking for them - or weren't, to begin with.
These actions became expected (cover letters, both parents in a family working) because that's how people got ahead, and if you don't also do that, you fall behind, maybe you can't otherwise get the job or afford everything that your family needs in today's society.
Somehow we have to all agree just to stop.