New survey reveals widespread employee disengagement as workers report talents going untapped
A significant majority of workers believe their skills and abilities are being wasted in their current roles, according to a new report that highlights growing concerns about employee engagement and retention.
The Untapped Talent Report, released by Resume Now, found 69% of employees say their skills and abilities are not fully leveraged at work, with serious implications for career progression and job satisfaction.
The survey of 1,018 workers revealed widespread dissatisfaction with how organisations utilise their workforce’s capabilities, Resume Now noted.
The concerns echo broader international trends in workplace engagement. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2025 Report, global employee engagement dropped to 21% in 2024 from 23% the year before – only the second such decline in the past 12 years. The fall cost the global economy an estimated US$438 billion in lost productivity.
Data from the same study show that a strong sense of purpose is closely linked with higher engagement. Employees who feel their work has meaningful purpose are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged than those who do not, and less likely to be actively seeking new jobs.
Daily tasks fail to challenge employees
The research showed 87% of workers find their day-to-day responsibilities only moderately challenging or less, with 5% reporting they are not challenged at all and feel bored in their roles.
“Thirteen per cent find their work extremely challenging,” the report stated, whilst 58% described their work as moderately challenging and 24% said it was barely challenging.
The lack of meaningful challenge has created a workforce struggling to find motivation, with 13% reporting they feel “deeply underchallenged and disengaged all the time”.
Recognition exists but impact lacks
Whilst some employers acknowledge employee strengths, the survey found this recognition rarely translates into meaningful opportunities. Just 9% of respondents said their unique strengths directly shape projects or initiatives.
The report revealed 62% of workers believe their strengths are acknowledged but not central to their work, even when recognised by leadership.
Role misalignment also emerged as a significant issue, with 36% of employees saying their organisation shows little to no recognition of their skills. Only 24% reported their role closely matches what they do best.
Underutilisation drives turnover intentions
The consequences of feeling underutilised extend beyond morale, with 72% of respondents indicating they would likely seek new employment if the situation continued.
The survey found 67% of workers would consider leaving their company within a year if underutilisation persisted, including 17% who would exit within three months.
Career progression has also suffered, with 77% of respondents reporting that being underutilised has slowed their professional development in some capacity.
Leadership response inadequate
Most workers believe management is failing to address the problem, with 80% saying leadership either does not notice underutilisation or notices but rarely takes action.
“Just 21% say leadership recognises underutilisation and addresses it quickly,” the report stated, whilst 38% reported leadership does not notice the issue at all.
The survey included participants from diverse demographics, with 58% female and 41% male respondents across all generational groups.
