Assessment centres are well-known evaluation tools most used in selection or promotion processes for managerial and executive positions. Through simulations of real business situations, they help identify key competencies and candidate potential. Ivan Tolić, Director of Human resources, Organizational development and Sustainability at Raiffeisenbank Croatia, explains how assessment centres help in strategic talent management and what they can reveal.
1. What was the main motivation for introducing assessments at the B-1 management level, what did you want to achieve?
Assessment is actually a very simple tool – it shows us exactly where we stand in the organization within certain frameworks and tells us what we need to improve on an individual and collective level. And that's exactly why we introduced it for the B-1 management level.
The reality today is different than before. New generations of employees have new expectations from their leaders. The problem is that we, the managers, often ‘get comfortable’ with our old habits. We stick to what’s familiar and comfortable, especially if it has brought us success so far. But what got us here won’t necessarily get us further. And that’s why we need assessment – to shake us out of that comfort zone and show us new opportunities for growth, both personal and organizational.
2. What key challenges of today’s B-1 leaders can assessment reveal?
Expectations from leaders have drastically increased in all areas – from communication and people development to strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. The reason is simple: people today know what good leadership is. They read, listen to podcasts, and follow experts on social media. Ten years ago, you could be an average leader and fly ‘under the radar.’ Today? No chance. Employees immediately recognize when leadership isn’t up to par.
Here’s a personal example: I’ve been involved in team sports my whole life. I lead large teams. I live for teamwork. And you know what the assessment showed me? That I need to work on my – teamwork! At first, I was confused. But then I realized – I was often ‘pushing’ my team too fast. I wanted everyone to race toward the goal at my pace. The assessment opened my eyes: it’s not just about reaching the goal, but how we get there. I learned to let my people progress at their own pace in their way, not mine.
3. How do assessments help in strategic talent management?
Do you know what the biggest trap is when identifying talent? Subjectivity. We often think we know who the talent in our organization is, but it’s often based on personal impressions. As an organization, we must know where we want to be in 10 years and what kind of people we need to get there. Only when we know which specific skills and traits we’re looking for, can we start measuring them.
Once we have that data, the assessment shows us who has those traits. It identifies people who can accelerate our journey to the goal and often reveals hidden potential we might not have seen with the naked eye. In the end, we get a clear picture – of whom to develop and in what direction, where we have ‘gaps’ in talent, and which skills we need to further build. Simply put – assessment helps us stop guessing who the talent is and start knowing.
4. What were the key criteria when choosing the assessment methodology?
We set three key conditions before deciding. First, we had to be crystal clear about our goal. Second, we needed to fully understand what each methodology specifically brings us. And third, the most important – we needed to find a partner we could trust and who shares the same vision.
Only when we could tick off each of those conditions did we know we had a winning combination. Because at the end of the day, the best methodology is only as good as the partner who implements it. So, it’s not just about tools and methodology – the key is choosing the right partner for the journey. It’s like a marriage – you can have the most beautiful house in the world, but if you don’t have the right partner, none of it makes sense.
5. What specific benefits does assessment bring to B-1 level managers?
Assessment gives our managers a precise picture of where they stand about what the organization expects from them. This is not some arbitrary evaluation – we have a clear Leadership model from our Viennese headquarters, which all banks in the Group follow. Of course, each bank has the freedom to adapt those standards to its local needs and strategic priorities.
What proved particularly valuable was that we didn’t use just one assessment tool. Instead, we created a complete picture through various approaches – from personal interviews and role play to group work and standardized questionnaires. When you connect all those points, you get a much deeper and more accurate insight. At the end of the process, each manager receives two key things: clear results of where they stand today, and concrete guidelines for where and how to go next. These are not general recommendations, but practical steps for learning and development tailored exactly to them.
6. How do assessments help in leadership development and succession planning?
Assessment gives us an objective picture of our leaders and their potential. That enables us to do two key things: first, we can specifically develop existing leaders in the areas where they need support. Second, we can timely recognize and prepare future leaders who will one day take over key positions.
Simply put – instead of guessing who a good successor for which position might be, we have solid data on which we can plan the organization’s future.
7. What did the Belbin questionnaire reveal about team roles at the organizational level?
The results showed us an interesting, though not surprising picture: as bankers, we excel in technical knowledge and goal achievement. That’s our DNA – focus on results and numbers. However, we also discovered room for improvement – especially in soft skills and people development. While that’s typical for the banking industry, we know that today’s leadership demands both – technical excellence and the human component.
But it’s important to emphasize that this group result is a mosaic of different individual profiles. Each of our managers has a unique combination of strengths and development areas. That’s why we don’t just look at the big picture – we believe that the personal development of each manager leads to the collective progress of the entire organization.
8. Which aspects of the assessment proved most successful?
The assessment met our expectations on several levels, but what makes us happiest is the strong positive reaction from most of our managers. Although the process is demanding and requires significant time and energy, they recognize its value.
Of course, there will always be those who don’t like this kind of approach – and that’s perfectly normal. But what particularly pleases us is that most of our managers participate in the process actively and with enthusiasm. They see it as an opportunity for learning and development, not as a duty to be completed.
That attitude of our people confirms to us that we are on the right track and that assessment truly brings value to the organization.
9. What are the managers’ reactions to the results and how do they apply them in practice?
Reactions vary – some conversations are easier, some harder, which is to be expected. But what’s crucial: we didn’t just hand out the results and say ‘Good luck.’ Each Management Board member sat down with their managers for an individual conversation.
Those one-on-one meetings were an opportunity to go through the results together, to understand them, and to plan concrete steps for improvement. It wasn’t just a conversation for the sake of talking – clear development plans came out of it, which managers are actively using today.
We invested too many resources and too much energy to stop at the report itself. That’s why we insisted that the results live in practice – that they are used for real change and progress. And that is happening today.
10. What are your plans for future development activities?
Assessment is only the starting point – if it ends at evaluation, we’ve missed the point. The real value lies in the action that follows. That’s why we’ve already launched several initiatives.
We’re currently starting the Future Leadership Academy, and the Selectio assessment was an important part of that broader development story. But we’re not stopping there. As an HR team, we constantly seek new ways to support the organization and help achieve the bank’s strategic goals.
Simply put, the assessment gave us the map, and now we’re building the roads to the goal. It’s a continuous process that we don’t plan to stop.
