Have you ever been surprised by a co-worker in casual conversation while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing or walking to a favorite lunch spot?

“I didn’t know you skied at Jackson Hole.”

“So, you’re an artist? I had no idea your paintings were in an exhibit!”

“You teach adult ed classes in the evenings?”

Often the people we spend years with in the office or on a factory floor have hidden interests and talents that aren’t mentioned during regular work-related interaction but provide a deeper appreciation of just who that person is.

Hidden skills

Such revelations are interesting, but when what’s hidden are employees’ work related skills, learning about them is more than interesting—It’s essential for creating happier, more engaged workers. People enjoy using their talents. A recent SHRM Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Survey reported that 56% of employees expressed that the opportunity to use their abilities and skills was a major contributor to job satisfaction.

You might have an employee who is passionate about writing, worked on their college paper, and does free-lance writing and editing from home. And, the writer on your small marketing team could use someone to be a “second-pair-of eyes” and look over copy before it’s published. A perfect match.

Where to look

In “Find Your Employees’ Hidden Talents,” Harvey Mackay, Founder of MackayMitchell Envelope Co., suggests employers pay closer attention to performance reviews, looking for special abilities and initiative. The suggestion box can reveal innovative thinkers, and asking people to volunteer for assignments instead of assigning them allows employees to pick areas of interest and expertise.

Dara Goldberg, president at Mindsets, Inc., shares a story about an employee who was quiet at work, but outside the office was an innovator and leader who, with a modest amount of coaching, became Assistant Vice President and eventually Vice President. If you like Scrabble—and even if you don’t—you’ll enjoy this account of discovering hidden talents in “Look Outside the Office Window to Identify Employees’ Hidden Talents.”

Maybe just a cup of coffee and a conversation

Wendy Pat Fong, Director of Talent and Operations at 7Geese, writes that around $23,600 per employee is lost because their talents and skills are not fully utilized. In her post “How Can Leaders Tap Into to Full Potential of their Employees?” published on The SHRM Blog, she suggests that one of the best things a company can do to create a better work culture is 1-on-1 conversations between managers and their employees to better understand what they have to offer your team.

Read the study and her post for more ideas on maximizing the potential of your employees. And start uncovering their hidden talents.

Keeping Track

As you discover your employees’ special skills, you can keep track of them by designing a custom page in Sage HRMS, adding your own custom fields or adding existing fields from Sage HRMS databases. Another option is using the “Skills Report” that comes with Sage HRMS.

If you’d like to learn more about Sage HRMS, visit our website or give us a call at 1.888.421.2004. We’re happy to help you explore possibilities.