Being underutilized at work is hurting your career. Here’s how to determine if you are being underutilized and what to do about it.

You have the job you want. The job you worked hard to secure.

But something doesn’t feel right.

You feel like you’re not doing all you could or should be. You feel like you’re not accomplishing all you could or should be. You feel like you’re not growing. You probably feel frustrated and bored (and boredom often leads to sadness).

If you are feeling and thinking these things, it may be a result of being underutilized at work. And that’s hurting your career. 

Below are 3 ways being underutilized at work is hurting your career, 3 ways to determine if you are being underutilized at work, and 1 action to improve your situation.

3 ways being underutilized at work is hurting your career

1. You have fewer experiences and accomplishments. Being underutilized leads to fewer responsibilities, which leads to fewer experiences and accomplishments. It’s hard to have maximum impact on people, your company, or your community through your work if you’re being asked to do less than you are capable of.

2. You don’t use or grow your skill set. It’s hard to achieve mastery – and become your best self – if you’re not asked to use and sharpen your unique talents  – or develop new skills and abilities.

3. You become less competitive in the job market. It’s hard to stand out in a competitive job market if you have fewer responsibilities, experiences, accomplishments, and skills than your peers due to being underutilized.

3 ways to determine if you are being underutilized at work

1. Review your current job description. Your job description is a plain language document that outlines essential job duties, job responsibilities, and skills required to perform a specific role. Compare what is expected by your employer, as outlined in the job description, with what you are currently be asked to do to determine if you are being underutilized.

2. Review the publicly available job postings/descriptions of industry leaders. Best in class companies are likely to have the information and insight to know what the functions of the role should be, which people (soft) and technology (hard) skills are most important for a role, and what accomplishments are to be expected. Compare the job expectations of industry leaders to your situation to determine if you are being underutilized.

3. Gather information from your peers. Reach out 10 similarly situated people (same role in same industry) in your local labor market. Ask them what their day-to-day responsibilities are, what projects they are working on, what people skills they utilize the most, what technology they are working with, what training and development they have recently gone through, what their accomplishment and impacts have been, and what their goals are. Compare the responses of your peers with your situation to determine if you are being underutilized.

1 action to improve your situation

▶ If you understand how being underutilized hurts your career AND have determined that you are being underutilized based on your research, my suggestion is this: talk to your leader. Discuss the disconnect between what you are being asked to do and what is expected of the person in the position AND what you are capable of doing. Provide evidence from your research. Ask for feedback – what do you need to work on so that you have the opportunity to contribute at a higher level? 

Being underutilized at work sucks. It really does. It hurts your career and mindset. You deserve to be in an employment relationship that empowers you to do what you are capable of so that you can have a large, positive impact. 

If you feel, and have evidence, that you are being underutilized, consider meeting with your leader to discuss your concerns, get feedback, and determine potential solutions. The feedback you receive – both information and feelings – can help determine whether you continue in your current role, or look for a new, more empowering opportunity. Your career is worth it! You are worth it!

[This article was originally published on LinkedIn on 1/9/23: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/being-underutilized-work-hurting-your-career-heres-do-leonard-mhrm/?trackingId=K%2Bbp3m%2FlQdmLdAKSnEh7ww%3D%3D]