Productivity levels in many Australian business sectors are below international standards. As low productivity leads to low profits, leaders must find ways to boost productivity. Maximising employee competency and performance can improve productivity and can increase business success.

An employee’s competency is the extent to which they have the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform a job. In turn, an individual’s performance is influenced by their competency, level of engagement/motivation and a supportive organisational environment.

Many Australian businesses are underusing the capabilities of their workers. Research shows that approximately 64% of Australian employees believe that their employer underuses their skills. And, almost 1 in 10 organisations acknowledge that they underuse their workers’ expertise.

Research shows that 4 in 5 workers believe they can increase their daily productivity by up to 21%. This figure means that there is $26,300 of untapped potential in every worker.