An alarming Gallup poll published in 2013 titled State of the American Workplace Report(www.gallup.com/strategicconsulting/163007/state-american-workplace.aspx) indicated that most American workers either hate their jobs or don’t care one way or the other about them. Less than a third of Americans are actively engaged in their work, meaning they’re passionate about it, enthusiastic, and energetic. They’re consistently productive and high performing.

Gallup estimates the some 20 million who are actively disengaged—openly negative and unhappy—have a staggering effect on the economy, possibly costing the United States $450 to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. To engage this 70 percent—the 20 million who are actively disengaged and 50 million who are passively disengaged—leaders need to change how they view human capital.

There is a solution to engaging employees. I call it human equity or the unique assets each individual brings to the workplace that often go unrecognized. Identifyingand leveraging your own human equity, as well as that of employees, addresses not only the incredible waste of human capital illustrated in the Gallup poll, but also related concerns that leaders can share, including the constant need for innovation. These challenges are not unique to the United States.

There is a reason why such executives as Warren Buffet and former General Electric CEO Jack Welsh sought talent beyond traditional criteria like knowledge and skills, which are also important. Here is a method for uncovering valuable intangibles in employees that I call the SHAPE V talent model:

Strength. Consider strength as defined by the 1999 Gallup StrengthsFinder study: “consistent near-perfect performance in an activity.” The study identifies 34 qualities that can be innate and, unlike skills, are not learned. Individual employees and managers should not force a square peg into a round hole.

If, for example, an employee’s near-perfect, near-effortless strength is in research and analysis but not so much in data management, managers should allocate this resource accordingly.

Heart. Have you ever wondered what comes first, whether you’re good at something because you like it, or you like it because you’re good at it? The chicken-or-egg question aside, what matters is the passion one has for a talent. This includes activities a worker would do even if he or she didn’t have to do it on the job.

If a talented manager won the lottery and decided to quit his job, for example, he might be inclined to manage people in a local political campaign or take the helm of his son’s little league team.

Attitude. An employee might have three general attitudes, according to a branch of study in positive psychology.1 First, there are those who approach their work as a job, who seek only a paycheck and benefits.

The second group includes those with a career perspective who seek advancement. The third group views their work as a calling and deeply connects with what they do every day.

Personality. In 2009, nearly $500 million was spent on personality testing in North America alone.2 A reliable test isn’t valuable in so much as it reveals differences among workers, which are most likely already apparent.

The value of these tests is in showing how and where differences lie. Understanding differences can lead to an appreciation for how and why coworkers perform and improve the synergy of teams.

Experience. Who is the person you’re sitting next to at work; who is she when she’s not making business calls, scheduling meetings, or troubleshooting problems? How does her race, religion, economic background, family situation, and overall lifestyle influence or not influence her work life?

More importantly, how might her life beyond work offer diversity of thought in the workplace? Life experience should not be overlooked when assessing talent.

Virtue. “Value in action, that’s virtue” is what I say. Candor, temperance, courage—these traits preempt problems like public scandals, harassment, and discrimination. They also foster a positive moral pragmatism among coworkers and practical wisdom among leaders.

With social media continuing to expose bad behavior and employee morale revealed to be at a stunning low, this is a significant quality in the ongoing search for the best talent.

ENDNOTES

1 Isen, A. M., & Reeve, J. (2005). The influence of positive affect on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: Facilitating enjoyment of play, responsible work behavior, and self-control. Motivation and Emotion, 29, 295–323. See also: Wilson, T. The Human Equity Advantage: Beyond Diversity to Talent Optimization. “The SHAPE of Talent,” 127–128. 
2 Wilson, T. (2013). The Human Equity Advantage, 128–129: “There are well over 2,500 personality questionnaires on the market, and each year dozens of new companies appear with their own ‘new’ products . . . One of the most popular personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). . . One of the most reliable personality tests is the Kolbe, which divides people into four basic personality types: fact finders, follow-throughs, quick starts, and implementers.”