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Hana Naulo Bego
Episode · #194

MISLIŠTE Hana Naoulo Bego

Guest Hana Naulo BegoHosted by Sandro KraljevićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Hana Naulo Bego wrote her master's thesis on talent management during a crisis in 2011, making it one of the first academic works on the subject in Croatia. Her research showed that Croatian companies often resorted to restrictive measures during economic downturns, cutting training budgets and deprioritizing talent development. It was a stark contrast to global practices, which often maintained or even increased investment in people. Today, as the Head of Human Resources for Tifon, a company with over 500 employees spread across 46 retail locations, Hana understands the real-world implications of those decisions. She navigates the complex task of keeping a large, dispersed workforce engaged and motivated, balancing the need for continuous communication with the challenges of scale. This conversation reveals the tension between short-term cost-cutting and long-term human capital investment, a lesson that feels more relevant than ever. You will walk away with a clearer understanding of how to foster engagement across a distributed team, and how modern tools can redefine what "training" even means, especially when budgets tighten.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
For Tifon, keeping over 500 employees motivated and engaged across 46 geographically dispersed locations is a constant challenge, often making one-on-one communication impossible. The point is that managing a distributed workforce demands a deliberate, multi-channel communication strategy that extends far beyond direct managers.
02
Hana emphasizes that leaders must 'listen not only to operational difficulties but also to private problems that affect them in the business environment.' Empathy isn't just a soft skill; it's a practical HR tool that allows managers to address personal stressors directly, mitigating their impact on professional performance.
03
Tifon was the third company within the MOL group to implement the ISmile e-learning tool, following successful pilots in Slovenia and Hungary. The decision to adopt a new HR technology shouldn't be a leap of faith; it's a measured step that follows successful internal trials or proven results within an affiliated network.
04
Traditional training for Tifon's distributed team meant employees traveling two days for content that was often forgotten quickly, especially with high staff turnover. When your workforce is spread across many locations, centralized training isn't just inconvenient; it actively works against knowledge retention and return on time.
05
The ISmile e-learning tool lets employees consume 'smaller amounts of content' 'whenever they want' via mobile, complete with gamified points and leaderboards. Effective learning isn't about dedicated blocks of time; it's about integrating bite-sized, rewarded engagement into the flow of daily work.
06
The ISmile platform offers immediate ROI tracking, showing a 90% login rate and a knowledge increase from 78% to 87% within its first month. The true test of an HR investment isn't just adoption, but its rapid, measurable impact on employee capabilities.
07
Hana's 2011 master's thesis found that Croatian companies often resorted to 'restrictive measures' during economic crises, cutting investment in talent management and training. The lesson from past downturns is that while it feels counter-intuitive, global leaders understood that preserving investment in people can be a differentiating factor, not a disposable cost.
08
Hana Naulo Bego finds satisfaction in uncovering 'hidden talents' that neither employees nor their managers initially recognize. Talent management is less about formal assessments and more about the active cultivation of latent potential, guiding individuals toward roles where they can truly excel.
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