Driving Large-Scale Managerial Transformation: How Assurance Retraite Succeeded with Zest

The challenge: transforming the annual review nationwide

Assurance Retraite has 14,500 employees spread across the National Old-Age Insurance Fund (CNAV) and the network of regional Carsat funds. The organization set out on an ambitious managerial transformation: fundamentally rethinking the purpose and practice of the annual review.

The starting point: The annual review had long been seen as a mandatory, top-down evaluation exercise. It needed to become a genuine opportunity for dialogue and development. The challenge was all the more strategic as listening-based, hands-on management had gained importance following the changes brought about by the pandemic.

A new philosophy: from formality to managerial relationship

In 2020, nearly 200 volunteers across the network piloted a new review format. It was more frequent, more collaborative and lighter in structure.

The aim was twofold: to move beyond the evaluation review and to co-create an approach focused on skills development. This included soft skills, now considered essential for every role.

The new practices introduced:

• A single, simplified template used nationwide
• Inclusion of employee sentiment and quality of life at work
• Shared preparation between manager and employee
• Interim check-ins to ensure follow-up throughout the year

The solution: Zest as a driver of implementation

In 2023, Assurance Retraite selected Zest to roll out this new approach at scale. The tool became the shared foundation for the entire network, ensuring a consistent and seamless review process.

A change in stance: With Zest, the logic is reversed. The employee now initiates the process through preparation and self-assessment. The manager takes on a listening role, open to suggestions and to adjusting objectives where relevant to the work. The result is a continuous, two-way dialogue.

This partnership has made it possible to:

✅ Digitalize a process that was previously fragmented across different funds

✅ Streamline the review experience with an intuitive interface

✅ Strengthen a managerial approach built on trust and co-creation

✅ Give every employee greater meaning and autonomy in their career path

Support: equipping the cultural transformation with Zest

To support this shift, Assurance Retraite carried out an extensive change management program:

• Tutorials, e-learning courses and practical guides for all employees
• Dedicated training modules for managers
• Manager coffee sessions to share feedback and refine practices

This comprehensive program was designed to bridge theory and practice, giving teams concrete tools to handle feedback situations with confidence.

Toward a new era of management

Assurance Retraite continues to build on this lasting transformation.

Next step: Over time, the organization plans to gradually move toward 360° feedback, broadening its view of individual performance and development.

By placing dialogue, skills and trust at the heart of its management approach, Assurance Retraite and Zest demonstrate what a successful large-scale managerial transformation looks like: a public organization that is agile, modern and people-centered.