Case studies are not perfect, but they are the closest thing we could find to the real work conditions you'll be faced with while working with us. At manager level, the job is to make sense of a messy situation, take a position, and convince a room. That is what we assess.
You will do two case studies, scheduled separately, at our offices. Working language is English. Each one takes about 2 hours. Success in the first case is a prerequisite to advancing to the second.
We recommend you use a computer equipped with tools you are already familiar with. We do not have tools or technology preferences. That includes AI tools: copilots, chatbots and assistants are welcome, and smart use of them is encouraged. We consider it a good sign when candidates can leverage modern tools well, and we will ask you to walk us through where they helped and where you relied on your own judgment.
A paid subscription to any AI tool is not a prerequisite, although some features found in paid plans (such as agent or deep research modes) can come in handy. It is up to you to arrive with the setup you intend to use: we cannot provide temporary access to specific tools.
⏱️ The session format (identical for both cases)
Both cases run to the same 120 minute format:
- 15 min: the interviewer introduces the case live. Context, the ask, the deliverable, logistics. You can ask clarifying questions.
- 75 min: solo preparation. You build a short slide deck, 6 to 8 slides, from the brief pack.
- 30 min: you present to one of our partners, who then probes and challenges.
The 30 minutes break down as roughly 10 min of uninterrupted presentation, 15 min of questions, and 5 min to reflect on your AI-tool use and on what you would have done with more time.
You get the brief pack, a laptop and our slide template. This is not a design contest.
The brief packs are deliberately incomplete and, in places, contradictory. Real discovery always is. If you need something that is not in the pack, make a reasonable assumption and state it clearly, or look it up. We care as much about how you handle the gaps as about the answer itself.
💼 Case 1: business skills
You play the Agilytic manager on a client engagement. The groundwork has been done and you receive what the team gathered. Your job is to turn it into a clear story and a plan, and to present it to the client's leadership. In the debrief, your interviewer plays that role.
- Objective: make sense of the situation, structure it, and land a prioritized set of recommendations with a clear view on where to start and why.
- Deliverable: a 6 to 8 slide deck for a leadership audience.
- Timing: 15 / 75 / 30 as above.
Some classic business frameworks can help you structure your thinking, but none is mandatory and none is expected. What matters is that the room can see the whole picture clearly and knows what to decide.
Upon successful completion of case 1, we move on to case 2, scheduled later.
🚀 Case 2: entrepreneurial project
This case is different in spirit. It is internal rather than client-facing, forward-looking, and it is a two-way conversation. There is no single right answer. We want to see how you think and take initiative, and we want you to get a real feel for what the manager role looks like here.
- Objective: given a brief and a pack about us, take a clear position and be concrete about what you would do and own yourself.
- Deliverable: a 6 to 8 slide deck, pitched to us.
- Timing: 15 / 75 / 30 as above.
What helps here is knowing us: read our site and our cases, and come with a view on what we do well and where we could go further. One piece of context worth having: Agilytic joined Artefact in July 2026. We keep our own team, our Brussels base and our direct way of working, inside a much larger data and AI group. So we are looking for entrepreneurial thinking inside a group, not a plan for running a standalone boutique.
And since the debrief is a genuine conversation, come with questions for us too.
📊 How we assess you
We score both cases on the same six dimensions, weighted differently per case:
Dimension | What we look for |
Structuring | A clear, logical frame rather than jumping to answers. At best, sharp and hypothesis-driven. |
AI and analytical judgment | Knowing what is real versus shiny, and when AI is not the answer. |
Prioritization and feasibility | Impact and effort, sequencing, dependencies. Not a flat wish list. |
Client and commercial posture | Reading the room, reframing, building the business case. |
Communication and presence | Clear slides, executive delivery, defending your thinking under challenge. |
Ownership and delivery | Taking a position, creating momentum, crisp next steps. |
We also write a note on how you used AI tools: whether they helped you go faster and structure better, and whether you can explain your judgment over the output.
🎯 How to ace your case studies
- Mind the questions. What is asked? What is in scope, what is not?
- Take a position. At manager level, a balanced list of options is not an answer. Tell us where to start and why.
- Think entrepreneurially, not independently. We value initiative and ownership. We are also part of a group now, so the smart move is often to leverage rather than rebuild.
- Manage your time. What needs fine tuning? What is good enough to present?
- Manage the tools and resources at your disposal (the internet is a big place).
- Use AI smartly. AI tools are welcome and encouraged, but do not outsource your thinking to them. We will ask you to explain and defend your reasoning.
- Structure your output. Six good slides beat twelve busy ones.
- State your assumptions out loud rather than hiding the gaps.
- Be prepared for a 2-hour exercise for each case.
- Also: we keep it casual at the office, so wear something comfortable. Suits not required.