Positive Manifestations of Overhiring and Underutilization
By Michelle Malay Carter on May 14, 2008
Last week, I asked you how you channeled your cognitive surplus. One reader responded by saying that she created and carried out extra work. This is a fabulous thing for an employee to do. However, when you have people mismatched to roles, dysfunction can strike as quickly as the paparazzi on Britney Spears.
Two examples of dysfunction than can creep out of this scenario are:
1. Fair Pay – The extra work you choose to do will likely be of higher order, i.e. more complex or at a higher work level, than that embedded in your current role because you are more capable than your current role.
Felt fair pay theory says that we all have an intuitive sense of what fair pay is for our work relative to the work others are doing. So, when we choose to do higher level work to keep from getting bored, eventually, we will begin to resent our pay, which will reflect the lower level work of our role.
2. Talent Hoarding – One of my experiences of delivering above and beyond the expectations of my role while hoping to be noticed and promoted was that my manager actually did her best to shield my talent and capacity from others so I wouldn’t be noticed. She hoarded my talent for herself!
We had openly talked about my being bored, but it was only after I sought a promotion in another division that she, within days, all but secured me a promotion in my current division.
Overhiring is Not To Your Long Term Advantage
It’s just not wise practice to mismatch people to roles. Even when your employee responds maturely eventually a toll is exacted.
I’m OK. You’re OK. Let’s fix the system.
Have you ever been disappointed by not being monetarily rewarded for your extra work? Have you ever had your talent hoarded? Do tell.
Filed Under Employee Engagement, Felt Fair Compensation, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Talent Management, Work Levels
Comments
4 Responses to “Positive Manifestations of Overhiring and Underutilization”
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I’ve never been disappointed by not being monetarily rewarded for extra work IF the extra work was because of my own choosing. I derived satisfaction from the process of finding, scoping, planning, and executing the work and satisfaction in knowing that the work would benefit the team and provide my resume with a nice accomplishment paragraph.
That said, I hate to be underused, but I often have no choice: without a BA, my resume is usually overlooked by HR/recruiters and an under-using position is usually all I can find. It’s ironic that, to get these jobs, I have to dumb down my resume.
Hi Ruby,
Welcome. Thanks for the comment. Yes, I think we pay to much hommage to college degrees. A lot of hard working, bright people running around without them (and vice versa).
Michelle
I would agree UNLESS, you overhire with a plan and are committed to executing the plan.
Unfortunately, many companies hire employees with higher skills or talents than they need, they do so with good intentions or maybe even a plan, but don;t have the commitment and fail to execute!
Hi Bo,
Yes, that is an exception. And I agree, excess talent sitting on the shelf eventually spoils. Thanks for the comment.
Regards,
Michelle