69% of employees say their skills are not fully used

Nearly seven in 10 employees say their skills are not being fully utilised at work, according to new research by career platform Resume Now – raising fresh concerns for business leaders focused on engagement and retention.

The findings, published in the Untapped Talent Report, reveal that 69 per cent of workers feel their skills and abilities are not fully leveraged in their current roles. More strikingly, 77 per cent say being underutilised has slowed their career progression.

For employers, the implications are clear – untapped talent is not merely a morale issue, but a strategic risk.

The data suggests that a large share of employees feel insufficiently stretched in their day-to-day work. While 13 per cent describe their work as extremely challenging, 58 per cent say it is only moderately challenging. A further 24 per cent find it barely challenging, and 5 per cent admit they are bored.

In total, 87 per cent report that their roles are only moderately challenging or less.

This gap between capability and challenge appears to be widespread. Thirteen per cent say they feel deeply under-challenged and disengaged all the time, while 28 per cent often feel they could be contributing much more. Only 31 per cent say they rarely or never feel underutilised.

Over time, such understretching can erode motivation, creativity and performance – particularly in knowledge-based environments where growth and progression are central to employee expectations.

The survey also points to a disconnect between recognising strengths and meaningfully deploying them.

While 62 per cent say their unique strengths are acknowledged at least sometimes, most report that those strengths are not central to their work. Just 38 per cent say they are encouraged to use their strengths in meaningful ways, and only 9 per cent say their abilities directly shape projects or initiatives.

In addition, 36 per cent feel their organisation shows little to no recognition of their skills, and 29 per cent say their day-to-day responsibilities are only somewhat aligned with what they do best. Only 24 per cent believe their role closely matches their strengths.

For leadership teams, this signals a potential misalignment between talent management strategies and actual job design.

Perhaps most concerning is the clear connection between underutilisation and employee turnover.

Seventy-two per cent say they would be likely or very likely to look for a new job if they felt consistently underutilised. Sixty-seven per cent would consider leaving their employer within a year if the situation persisted – with nearly half saying they would exit within six months.

For many employees, the issue is not immediate dissatisfaction but perceived stagnation. When contribution and growth feel capped, job-searching becomes a rational next step.

The report also highlights a leadership gap. Eighty per cent of employees say leadership either fails to notice underutilisation or notices but rarely takes action. More than one in three – 38 per cent – say leadership does not notice underutilisation at all, including 11 per cent who believe leaders do not notice or care.

Only 21 per cent say leadership both recognises and addresses the issue quickly.

For CEOs and HR leaders, the message is straightforward – engagement is not solely about pay, flexibility or benefits. It is also about whether employees feel fully used, challenged and trusted to shape meaningful work.

In a competitive labour market, failing to activate existing talent may prove more costly than the effort required to redesign roles, empower teams and create clearer pathways for progression.