Authentic assessments require students to use the same skills, knowledge and attributes that they would use in a workplace context. Such assessments have positively affected the quality and depth of student learning, skills development, employability, and workplace readiness. Authentic assessments have also been heralded as a potential solution to minimise academic integrity issues caused by artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT. Despite these benefits, substantial barriers exist to implementing authentic assessments in higher education. This article discusses the critical elements of authentic assessments and the steps involved in planning authentic assessments. This article is based on the author's professional experiences and reflections on implementing an authentic assessment initiative at a business school in a New Zealand University. Further information was obtained from document analysis, observations and informal conversations with colleagues. The article recommends that it is essential to develop a holistic approach at the programme level when designing authentic assessments.