It can be easy to assume your top-performing employees don’t need much intervention. And for the most part, allowing for greater autonomy is a great way to help employees find passion and purpose at work.

But beware: Amidst your most autonomous, capable employees there’s a silent engagement killer that can creep in without you even realizing it.

It’s called utilization. Rather, underutilization, to be exact. Even your highest-performing people can become quickly disengaged if they don’t feel their skills are being utilized in the best way.

And what employer wants to see that happen?

Understanding Utilization

As one of the key drivers of employee engagement, utilization plays a significant role in how individuals approach their work.

This driver refers to how effective an employee feels the organization is at utilizing their abilities and skills. It’s crucial because the way employees perceive their knowledge and experience being put to use directly impacts their level of engagement at work.

For managers, it’s essential to regularly assess roles and responsibilities to ensure employees are being properly utilized, especially as they develop new skills.

Recognizing Underutilization

There are various reasons why an engaged employee may start to feel underutilized and subsequently disengaged.

Whether it’s boredom, the need for more meaningful contributions, a desire for creativity outlets, or overdue recognition for skill development, the impacts of underutilization are consistent. Employees who don’t feel challenged and able to apply their best work are likely to lose interest and become disengaged.

Identifying underutilization can be challenging because underutilized employees may excel in their assigned tasks, masking dormant skills.

The most reliable way to uncover underutilization is by gathering data-driven employee feedback to understand individual needs and address them effectively.

If underutilization is prevalent in your teams, leadership can take various actions to address it, from one-on-one coaching to providing managers with the necessary support to fully utilize employees’ skills.