There are numerous tactics employers use to boost employee engagement, but no amount of catered lunches or vacation days will work if employees don’t feel valued. Interestingly enough, those who are least likely to feel valued are the highest performers. According to a recent study, top performers are actually less engaged than the lowest performers. High performers are supposed to be engaged, love their jobs, and work long hours because they want to accomplish great things. But in reality, that’s not how it works. Managers will tolerate low-performing individuals, and may even stick high performers with the lion’s share of the work because of it. Often high performers and low performers of the same rank are paid exactly the same. If you’re a high performer faced with this situation, it’s easy to feel disposable. That’s why it’s so important for employers to let their top performers know exactly how much they value them and compensate them accordingly.