Refers to the potential abilities and skills of individuals that have not yet been fully developed or utilized.

This term is often used in an employer context by Human Resources (HR) to refer to employees who have not been given opportunities to fully develop their skills and abilities, or be recognized for hidden abilities and skills they may possess that have not yet been identified or utilized, developed their full potential within the organization.

There are a number of approaches organizations use to identify untapped talent in their workforce, including:

• Regular employee assessments (e.g., 360-degree evaluations, personality tests).
• Encouraging employees to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas where they would like to grow and develop.
• Mapping the skills and expertise of employees can identify areas where additional training and development may be necessary, and highlight employees with the potential to develop new skills and take on new roles.
• Regular employee surveys can help understand the motivations, interests, and goals of employees, and identify employees with untapped talent in areas outside of their current role.
• Allowing employees to work on cross-functional projects or rotate into different roles within the organization can identify employees with untapped talent.