Offer Management

Offer Management

Create, approve, deliver, and track employment offers through acceptance.

Workflow

1. Pull candidate details, approved role, and compensation band from the requisition and ATS.
2. Determine offer components: base salary, equity, bonus, signing bonus (if approved), benefits, start date, employment type.
3. Validate offer against comp policy: ensure salary is within band, equity grant aligns with level, total compensation is defensible internally.
4. Draft the offer letter using the appropriate template.
5. Route for approvals: HR → Hiring Manager → Finance (if above midpoint) → Legal (executive roles).
6. Upon approval, deliver offer via e-signature platform with a clear acceptance deadline.
7. Track offer status; send reminder 48h before deadline.
8. Handle negotiations: assess counter-proposals against policy, route exceptions for approval.
9. Upon acceptance: trigger onboarding workflow, notify hiring manager and team, update ATS and HRIS.
10. Upon rejection or expiry: log reason, update candidate record, consider pipeline hold.

Offer Component Structure

| Component | Full-Time | Contract | Internship | Executive | |-----------|-----------|----------|-----------|-----------| | Base salary | ✓ (within band) | ✓ (hourly rate) | ✓ (stipend/hourly) | ✓ (within band + discretion) | | Equity / Options | ✓ (per level grant) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ (accelerated vesting possible) | | Annual bonus | ✓ (% of base) | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ (performance-based, higher %) | | Signing bonus | Conditional (approved by Finance) | ✗ | ✗ | Common (pre-approved range) | | Relocation | Conditional | ✗ | Conditional | ✓ (comprehensive package) | | Benefits | ✓ (full package) | ✓ (prorated or excluded) | ✓ (limited) | ✓ (executive benefits) | | Start date | Negotiated (target < 4 weeks) | Negotiated | Fixed (program start) | Negotiated (notice period) | | Employment terms | At-will / permanent | Fixed-term | Fixed-term | Fixed-term + severance |

Offer Letter Template

[Company Letterhead]

EMPLOYMENT OFFER LETTER

Date: [Date]
To: [Candidate Full Name]
    [Address]

Dear [Name],

We are pleased to offer you the position of [Job Title] with [Company].
Below are the terms and conditions of your employment:

POSITION:
  Title: [Job Title]
  Department: [Department]
  Reporting to: [Manager Name, Title]
  Location: [City, State / Remote]
  Start date: [Date]

COMPENSATION:
  Base salary: [$X,XXX] per year, paid [monthly/bi-weekly]
  Annual bonus: Target [X]% of base salary, based on [company/individual] performance
  Equity: [X] [stock options/RSUs] granted under the [Year] Plan,
         vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff (25% per year thereafter)

BENEFITS:
  Health, dental, and vision insurance (effective [date])
  401(k) with [X]% company match
  [X] weeks paid time off per year
  [X] paid company holidays
  Parental leave: [X] weeks paid
  Learning & development stipend: $[X]/year

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
  - Successful completion of background check
  - Proof of eligibility to work in [country]
  - Execution of proprietary information and inventions assignment agreement
  - [At-will employment statement — required in most US states]

This offer expires on [Date — typically 7–10 business days from offer date].
To accept, please sign and return this letter via [e-signature link].

We are excited about the possibility of you joining our team.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,
[HR Director Name]
[Title]
[Company]

ACCEPTANCE:
I, [Candidate Name], accept the offer of employment under the terms described above.

Signature: ___________________    Date: ____________

Approval Routing

Offer ≤ Band Midpoint:
  → HR review → Hiring Manager approval → Send

Offer > Band Midpoint (up to Max):
  → HR review → Hiring Manager → Finance approval → Send

Offer > Band Max (exception):
  → HR review → Hiring Manager → Finance → VP/HOD → CFO → Send
  → Document business justification for exception

Executive offers (Director+):
  → HR review → CHRO → CEO → Board compensation committee (if C-suite) → Send
  → Legal review of employment agreement terms

Negotiation Handling

Common Counter-Offers and Responses

| Candidate Request | Assessment | Response | |------------------|------------|----------| | Base salary + 5–10% | Check vs. band max; if within, approve | "We can adjust to $X, which reflects your [specific qualification]" | | Base salary > band max | Requires exception approval | "Let me check with leadership — this would require an exception" | | More equity | Check total comp vs. market | "We can adjust the equity grant by [X] shares" | | Signing bonus | Check budget; one-time cost | "We can offer a $[X] signing bonus" | | Remote work request | Check policy; location-based comp impact | "We can accommodate remote work; note that comp is based on [policy]" | | Extended deadline | Reasonable request | "We can extend the deadline to [new date]" | | Benefits customization | Limited flexibility | "Our benefits are standardized; here's the full package details" |

Negotiation Rules

• Never lowball: Initial offer should be within 5% of final expected offer — lowballing destroys trust
• Give before asking: Present the full offer before asking for commitment
• Justify exceptions: If granting above-band salary, cite specific value (unique skill, competing offer, market scarcity)
• Document everything: Log all negotiation exchanges in ATS for audit trail
• Know your walk-away point: Pre-define the maximum offer before negotiations begin
• Timing: Respond to counter-proposals within 24 hours; delays signal disinterest

Counter-Offer Risk (Candidate Has Current Job)

When a candidate receives our offer, they may counter at their current company.

Risk factors:
  - Candidate has been at current role < 2 years (higher loyalty)
  - Current company known for aggressive retention
  - Candidate expressed uncertainty during interviews

Mitigation:
  1. Build rapport throughout process (warm recruiter relationship)
  2. Be decisive — extend offer quickly after decision
  3. Include a personal call from hiring manager after offer delivery
  4. If candidate goes silent for 3+ days: proactive check-in call
  5. Have a backup candidate in late stages (never admit this to primary)

Offer Tracking Dashboard

OFFER PIPELINE — Week of Jan 20, 2025
======================================

Active Offers: 6
  ✓ Jane Doe — Senior Designer — Accepted (Jan 18)
  ⏳ Alex Chen — Backend Engineer — Pending (deadline: Jan 25)
  ⏳ Sarah Kim — Data Analyst — Negotiating (requested +8% base)
  ✓ Tom Brown — Sales Rep — Accepted (Jan 19)
  ⏳ Lisa Park — PM — Pending (deadline: Jan 28)
  ✗ Mike Johnson — DevOps — Declined (accepted competitor offer)

Metrics:
  Offer-to-accept rate: 82% (9/11 this quarter)
  Average time to acceptance: 5.2 days
  Average negotiation delta: +3.1% of base
  Counter-offer loss rate: 12% (1/8 who had current jobs)
  Top decline reason: Better offer elsewhere (40%), timing (30%), comp (20%), other (10%)

Post-Acceptance Actions

Trigger immediately upon signed offer receipt:

  1. Update ATS status to "Accepted"
  2. Notify hiring manager: "Great news — [Name] accepted!"
  3. Send welcome email to candidate with pre-boarding info
  4. Trigger onboarding workflow (equipment, access, buddy assignment)
  5. Announce to team (hiring manager drafts, HR approves)
  6. Create HRIS record with start date
  7. Schedule pre-boarding check-in calls
  8. If other candidates in pipeline: send holding messages or close requisition

Edge Cases

• Multiple offers (candidate applying to multiple roles internally): Coordinate to avoid conflict; assign to best-fit role
• Rehire offers: Simplified process — use prior compensation as baseline, adjust for market changes and time away
• Global hires: Account for local employment laws, EOR requirements, currency, tax implications
• Contingent offers (background check, reference check, proof of eligibility): Clearly state contingencies; define timeline for completion
• Verbal offers: Never make a verbal offer without written follow-up within 24 hours; verbal offers create legal exposure

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