India’s Banking Giant Leveraged Virtual Assessments to Identify Top Talent and Build Leadership Pipeline
Authored by:
Rabab Haider | KNOLSKAPE Editorial Team
A Global Manufacturing Company
Industry
BFSI
Headquarters
Mumbai, India
No. of Employees
214,521
One of India’s premier financial institutions initiated a program to identify and develop top talent within the organization. The initiative targeted employees at the Senior Manager to Vice President levels, with 6 to 15 years of experience. The program aimed to build a pipeline of high-potential leaders equipped to navigate complex business challenges and drive the bank’s strategic vision forward.
The Need of an Assessment-based Format for 50 High-potential Leaders
The client aimed to identify 50 high-potential employees suited for advanced leadership roles, with a strong emphasis on ensuring diversity across functions and levels of experience. Their objective was to evaluate key competencies such as endurance, leadership acumen, and future-readiness through a robust virtual assessment framework. Additionally, they sought to develop a predictive model of performance aligned with the requirements of future roles. The initiative faced several challenges, including the need to design an assessment that was both rigorous and engaging, strike a balance between objectivity and developmental feedback, and implement a scalable, remote-friendly solution within tight time constraints.
Introducing VAC to Evaluate Competencies in a High-engagement Format
KNOLSKAPE implemented a Virtual Assessment Centre (VAC) combining psychometric tools, simulations, and analytics to evaluate competencies in a high-engagement format:
The Assessment Tools Included:
- Psychometric Assessments – Measuring 156 traits including motivations, personality, interests, and work values.
- Simulations:
- iLead – Leadership style flexing and team management.
- Kompose – Strategic execution and multitasking.
- Change Quest – Influencing and change management.
- Coaching Simulation – Performance coaching using the GROW model.
- Trust Simulation – Client-centric relationship building.
- Kognitix – Online cognitive games for quick thinking and endurance.
Each participant underwent a 6.5-hour virtual experience using KNOLSKAPE’s digital platform, with detailed individual and group analytics provided post-assessment.
KNOLSKAPE's Unique Approach
- Experiential Learning: Real-world simulations mirrored business challenges, promoting natural behavior and unconscious competence assessment.
- Comprehensive Analytics: Data-driven insights included perception vs. evidence analytics, endurance indicators, and decision-making under stress.
- Customization: Simulation journeys were tailored to leadership levels and future roles.
- Technology Integration: Seamless access via AktivLearn, a gamified platform supporting real-time analytics and remote access.
- Engagement-First Design: Ensured high completion rates and accurate assessment through immersive, pressure-tested modules.
The structured deployment of engaging tools and the use of gamified platforms like AktivLearn indicate high user engagement and positive learner experience. Feedback from similar programs has shown consistent learner satisfaction in terms of relevance, realism, and depth of insight.
Impact
The initiative successfully:
Identified high-potential leaders ready for the next level.
Offered the bank a detailed talent map with individual and cohort-level strengths and gaps.
Provided predictive insights into participant performance in future roles.
Enabled HR and leadership teams to make informed development and succession planning decisions.
Reinforced the bank’s position as a progressive organization invested in talent development and leadership readiness.
The collaboration exemplifies how strategic use of digital assessments and simulations can revolutionize leadership identification and development within large, complex organizations.
Stay Ahead of the Learning Curve!
Sign up for our free newsletters, including tips to improve workforce capability through technology. We don’t spam!
About KNOLSKAPE
KNOLSKAPE is a global leader in experiential learning with a mission to help organizations and employees become future ready. Using a large award-winning portfolio of simulations aligned with 100+ competencies and cutting-edge talent intelligence, KNOLSKAPE produces stellar outcomes for more than 375+ organizations across 75 countries. Driven by research and thought leadership, KNOLSKAPE offers its products and solutions in a flexible subscription model powered by omni-channel delivery.
©2021 KNOLSKAPE. Developed by: Xenia Consulting