Canadians are not alone in feeling undervalued in the workplace, as a new survey shows almost half of the population feels overqualified for their jobs.
The latest global work monitor survey released by recruitment firm Randstad showed 44 per cent of Canadians feel they are overqualified for the positions they fill, while one in five (20 per cent) feel under-qualified for their role.
Randstad surveyed employees in 32 countries for the poll, released Wednesday.
Globally, about 47 per cent of workers say they are overqualified for their jobs.
Hanna Vineberg, of Randstad Canada, said the findings raise questions about employee turnover and retention in the workplace.
“Employers who want to keep their best people should be looking for more and better ways to keep them challenged, upwardly mobile and happy,” she said in a statement.
Countries that saw the highest number of workers who felt overqualified include China at 84 per cent, followed by Turkey at 78 per cent and Greece at 69 per cent.
On the other side of the spectrum, 47 per cent of workers in Italy felt their education levels left them under-qualified for their current job, while 42 per cent of workers in Japan and 41 per cent of workers in Chile felt the same way.
While many Canadians feel overly skilled in the workplace, they don’t hold the same feelings true for their colleagues: 45 per cent of those surveyed said their co-workers are filling positions above their education level. A slightly smaller margin (40 per cent) said their co-workers fill position in which they’re overqualified.
“More experience is a good thing, and can likely bring value to your business,” said Vineberg. “But as an employer, it’s important to make sure there is room for a person to grow and develop new skills -- otherwise they will be bored.”
When it comes to the proper education for the workplace, 72 per cent of Canadians said they felt their jobs are a good match with their field of study, and about two-thirds say the same is true for their colleagues.
