When we receive a request from a new client, it’s in the best interest of both parties that we get to know the company inside out before suggesting the right people for the task ahead. We will schedule a meeting with the manager responsible for the assignment, preferably at the business itself, to run through the assignment and to gain a & complete picture of the scope, the team, the expectations, the culture and so on.
Afterwards, we will roll up our sleeves straightaway to start looking for the right person for the assignment in our extensive network.
The assignment and the business involved will be discussed in detail with the potential candidates. We will then pass on a selection of anonymised CVs, with the full agreement of the consultants in question. Next, interviews will be scheduled with the candidates on the shortlist. Usually, a temporary recruitment decision will be made after this introductory meeting. In exceptional cases, multiple interviews can be scheduled with other team members.
BrainTower will handle the contract aspect (definite term or for a specific project) with both the business and the consultant before the assignment can officially be given the green light. If you prefer to do so yourself, that’s fine too, of course.
We act based on straightforward principles and in a way that is 100% transparent.
- BrainTower uses fixed day rates for specific roles/responsibilities, as our clients tend to be looking for someone to fill a particular role or handle a particular responsibility, rather than for a specific number of years of experience. In other words, a Senior Brand Manager with 10 years of relevant experience costs the same as a Senior Brand Manager with 15 years of relevant experience. Our rates do of course vary depending on the specific responsibilities taken on by the candidate. A Junior Brand Manager (with between 1 and 3 years of experience) starts from 500 euros/day, while a Senior Director (Marketing Director, Commercial Director) with major responsibility for a team costs up to 1250 euros/day.
- We do not charge for overtime. As our consultants are allocated certain responsibilities, they are not paid by the hour.
- Travel allowances for commuting in relation to the assignment will be charged at the statutory rate.
- All other expenses (hotels, restaurants etc.) will never be incurred without prior approval.
- BrainTower will pay its freelance consultants correctly and within 15 days after the invoice date.
Before a consultant can join BrainTower’s books, we arrange several in-depth interviews and we perform at least two reference checks. One of the requirements we apply for freelancers or employees is that they are passionate about their job and always willing to expand their knowledge, and that they are in the field of consultancy for all the right reasons: because they’re always looking for new experiences, because they’re eager to master entirely new situations time and time again, because they want to pass on their experience, because they have the energy to inspire teams, because they never shy away from a learning curve and because they love to explore different cultures.
Everything depends on the exact requirements of our clients. If you opt for a mid-career or senior profile, we will introduce you to a consultant with a good few years of relevant experience in the bank. ‘Relevant’ means knowledge of the sector, knowledge of similar challenges, coaching skills, business insight and other aspects.
You are under no obligation to request a full-time assignment, but please be aware that many consultants prefer to work full-time. On the other hand, certain consultants like to divide their time between projects. What matters most is that you find the right consultant for the job — and that’s exactly where we step in. At the start of an assignment, we will get together with you to run through your requirements and to explore your best options. If that turns out to be a part-time assignment, we will find a part-time consultant for you. Whatever it is you need, we’ll make sure it happens!
Of course an assignment can be extended. To request an extension, simply get in touch with your contact at BrainTower before the final month of the assignment. That way, we’ll have enough time to arrange a contract and we can make allowances for the consultant staying on your project a little longer. If the consultant is no longer required, this also allows us to start looking for a new assignment for him/her in good time.
The best way to view a consultant is as a reinforcement for your existing team, and not as a competitor. The main purpose of our consultants is to help your business move ahead and to offer a fresh perspective. When they offer you feedback, they are usually doing so to help your business move forward.
When our consultants first arrive at your business, it’s best to give them a warm welcome. If you give them all the tools they need straightaway, they will feel right at home on your team much more quickly. That way, you can build the necessary trust on both sides in no time, our consultant will get up and running in the blink of an eye and you’ll start seeing results before you know it.
This rarely happens, but if our consultant turns out not to be a 100% match, simply contact BrainTower straightaway. Once you’ve done so, we’ll sit down together to find a solution by clearing things up, by discussing the issues in depth or by introducing a test period, for example. Alternatively, we can introduce you to a different consultant, on the condition that the reasons for the potential mismatch are well-founded and fully justified.
Consulting projects are always clearly defined in advance, and we can always arrange a project to suit your needs.
- What are the issues?
- Which questions need to be answered?
- Step-by-step plan to tackle the issues
- Methodology (e.g. a specific type of research, interviews, desktop research etc.)
- Stakeholders (steering committee, consultant team)
- Timing
- Budget
One thing we know for certain is that it’s always better to thoroughly discuss a project in advance and go back to the drawing board as often as necessary than it is to be left feeling frustrated because certain expectations weren’t properly aligned.
Once again, we’ll put the right person in the right place. You’ll be introduced to the one candidate who has the relevant experience and skills to tackle the project as efficiently and qualitatively as possible.
Consultant FAQ
No, we’ve also got a few consultants on our payroll. These are mainly younger consultants or people who prefer permanent employment. Either way, it’s certainly possible to come work for us as a permanent employee. Just make sure you let us know when you get in touch with us.
If you’re interested in working for us, simply contact us using the contact form or by e-mail. Make sure you let us know what type of contract you prefer (permanent/freelance). Once we’ve received your message, we’ll invite you for an interview.
You will meet and have discussions with several managing partners, you may be asked to put forward a case (to go on our payroll) and we’ll perform a few reference checks.
Once we’ve decided to take you on board, we’ll add you to our CRM system and we’ll specify which assignments you’d like to work on and what your areas of expertise, sector knowledge, personality and so on are. When an opportunity comes around, we’ll be in touch to discuss that potential project and to assess whether you meet all the conditions to be introduced to the client.
One of the requirements for our freelancers or employees is that they are passionate about their job and that they are always looking to expand their knowledge. On top of that, you need experience in the services we offer, or course. Your personality also matters: as a consultant, you will be entering completely new environments and working with completely new people and teams time and time again, so you’ll need to have a strong and open personality.
Another major thing we look for in freelancers is whether they are in the field of consultancy for all the right reasons: because they’re always looking for new experiences, because they’re eager to master entirely new situations time and time again, because they want to pass on their experience, because they have the energy to inspire teams, because they never shy away from a learning curve and because they love to explore different cultures.
At BrainTower, we mainly work in marketing, sales and general management. Our assignments are temporary, project-based or consultancy-based. On a temporary management assignment, you’ll be working at a business for a certain period — until a replacement is found for the role, for example, or until the person who is absent is in a position to return. On a project assignment, you will work on a specific project. As a consultant, you could be taking on a whole range of tasks. All consultancy assignments are different, and you could be working part-time or full-time.
There is no single sector we operate in. We do take on a lot of projects in FMCG and retail, but we also work in life sciences, energy, automotive, banking, industrial, media and so on.
If you prefer to work in a specific sector or discipline, we will take this into account as far as possible. As a freelancer, you always have the option to turn down an assignment, of course.
It depends. You may be asked to work as part of a team on extensive consultancy assignments. On temporary assignments, you’ll usually work alone. Sometimes, at larger businesses and multinationals, you might find multiple BrainTower consultants working in different departments.
There are no fixed rules regarding the length of an assignment. That said, we do always ask our clients to sign up for a three-month assignment as a minimum, as that is usually how long it takes to get completely up to speed at a business and in a specific role. There are no rules for the maximum length of an assignment. If both the client and the consultant are happy, assignments can run for a long time. For example, we have had some consultants who have stayed on an assignment for several years.
An assignment can be extended at any time, with the agreement of the consultant, of course. We always ask our clients to let us know one month before the end of an assignment whether that assignment will be extended or not, so that we can draw up a contract in good time and arrange for it to be signed. Unfortunately, our consultants cannot start work without a signed contract.
Our freelance consultants can send their invoice on the final day of the month (together with their performance sheet). We pay these invoices within 15 days.
When we receive an assignment that we feel might be just your thing, we’ll call you to explain the assignment and discuss whether you’re happy to take it on. Our sector operates on a first come, first served basis, which means that if another consultancy firm contacts you about the same assignment afterwards, you cannot allow that other firm to introduce you to the client.
Once you’ve accepted, we’ll introduce you to the client. We will send them your CV, together with a description. If the client is interested, we’ll let you know. Next, you’ll be asked to schedule a meeting so you can get to know the client. Afterwards, the client will choose who they’d like to add to their team. We’ll keep you informed on any progress.
If the client chooses you, we’ll draw up a contract, which the client will sign. Once this contract has been signed, the assignment is confirmed and you can get to work!
No, some clients also request part-time assignments. The assignments we get range from one day a week to full-time, and some clients only ask for a few days a month. We always take a flexible approach, and we’ll try to meet our clients’ requirements as far as possible. On the other hand, we don’t want to lose sight of the needs of our consultants, so we’ll try to find a solution that suits everyone best.
Freelancers are free to spend the rest of their time as they see fit.
If you work for us as a permanent employee, we may ask you to carry out BrainTower work part-time. We regularly receive consultancy assignments we work on with the people we have available at that time. On top of that, we also have our own communication and/or campaigns that need to be maintained, ranging from our website to our blog and social media.
As a freelancer, you’re free to start looking for other assignments yourself.
If you work for us as a permanent employee, we will ask you to carry out BrainTower work. We regularly receive consultancy assignments we work on with the people we have available at that time. On top of that, we also have our own communication and/or campaigns that need to be maintained, ranging from our website to our blog and social media.
At BrainTower, we believe it is important to stay up to date with the latest developments in our sector, ranging from technologies to new types of marketing, sales systems and so on. To make sure that our consultants stay ahead of the curve, we regularly organise ‘BrainShowers’. At these events, we invite one or more speakers to tell us more about their specialism. These evenings allow our consultants to come together, be inspired and gain new knowledge — and snacks and drinks will be served too, of course.
For permanent employees, we arrange several training courses every year (up to five days). The exact courses are decided together with our employees, and they are free to make their own suggestions, of course. We ask our employees to propose these courses to their teams, and if everyone agrees, we’ll arrange them.
We make sure that our consultants have the opportunity to come together, so that they can genuinely feel part of a team. One way we do so is through our groups on social media, where anyone can ask everyone else a question at any time. We also organise BrainShowers. At these events, we invite one or more speakers to tell us more about their specialism. Over the course of these evenings, we’ll get together, listen to the speaker — all with a selection of snacks and drinks on offer. In other words, they are the perfect opportunity to catch up with your colleagues. On top of that, we also organise a New Year’s dinner, which is another great chance to get together for a fun evening.