If you receive a verbal job offer on the phone, do you negotiate everything then or ask for the written offer to review first?

If you receive a verbal job offer on the phone, do you negotiate everything then or ask for the written offer to review first?

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  1. Dr. Erica Walls

    Ask for the offer in writing, then negotiate.

  2. Anonymous

    In this case, I would just thank them on the phone (assuming they call) and ask to review the written offer prior to making a final decision? Also, when negotiating after a written offer, would it be best to email or set up a call?

  3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Always negotiate before the written offer is generated. For most offers, they must be approved by multiple people including your new boss, your bosses boss and in some cases, senior level executives. Going back to have those folks approve a second offer letter is not the best look.

    What have your conversations been so far? I always speak about compensation with my candidates on our first call and then again as we move through the interview process - typically when we come to the actual offer, there's not really that much to negotiate. By that times, we should be on the same page.

    Once you've accepted the verbal offer, you've accepted the offer - by trying to negotiate after the fact, you're essentially reneging your acceptance.

  4. Anonymous

    We haven’t had any conversations about salary or benefits. They’re currently checking my references though after the final interview. My concern with negotiating prior to a written offer is that a verbal isn’t as formal / official. I wouldn’t accept the verbal offer if I negotiated after - I would thank them for the offer and tell them I would love to review the written offer. Would that work?

  5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    How are you far enough into the interview process where they are checking your references and you have not had a discussion about compensation? Personally, I would never let that happen - either as a candidate or as a recruiter.

    A verbal offer is absolutely official. The written offer is just confirmation of what has been agreed to in the verbal offer. Why would you accept to an offer and then try to negotiate. If the verbal offer is not what you want to agree to, please don't accept it. Negotiate then.

    If you accept the verbal offer and a written offer is generated and you then try to negotiate, my first question to you would be why did you accept the verbal offer?

    That you have gotten this far in the process without a discussion about compensation and benefits is a red flag to me.

  6. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Please share your experience negotiating employment offers on behalf of your company or clients. How many years experience do you have doing this?

    Why would you tell a jobseeker - especially in this difficult market - to not accept what could be a great offer.

    I have seen candidates negotiate themselves out of perfectly good offers by following this type of advice.

  7. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    It is an OFFER. The written offer letter is confirmation of what has been agreed to/negotiated when the verbal offer is extended

    If someone is not happy with the verbal offer, then DON'T ACCEPT IT. Negotiate for what you feel is missing from the verbal offer that was extended.

    But you don't say yes, I am accepting your verbal offer and have the written offer letter generated (approved by your soon-to-be boss, their boss, HR and sometimes senior executive management) based on WHAT YOU AGREED TO and then say psyche, I'm not accepting the verbal offer I said I was happy with and agreed to - now I want to negotiate.

    I have seen candidates negotiate themselves right out of perfectly good offers.

  8. Anonymous

    Yes, always negotiate before signing anything.

  9. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Bonuses are tied to the level of the position. X level position is eligible for X percentage of their base pay. The percentage the candidate will be eligible for is stated in the verbal offer and confirmed in the written offer. It was also discussed on the first call with the candidate and most probably, on subsequent calls.

    If there is a shift differential, that is spelled out in the verbal offer and the offer letter - and had been discussed previously.

    All benefits, including PTO, tuition reimbursement are company policy and the same for everyone except possibly at the very most senior levels. To participate in making a retirement contribution is a decision the employee makes - again, the Company's contribution part of that is Company policy and the same for everyone.

    All our benefit offerings are available to be viewed on the company website.

    I've gone over all this information with my candidates from the first call on - offer time is not the first time we're discussing benefits.

    Yes, a verbal offer is followed up with a written offer letter. After the candidate has accepted the verbal offer. If they don't accept the verbal offer, exactly what am I supposed to put in the written offer lettter?

  10. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I need to have their verbal acceptance to be able to put it in writing. I need to know what to put into the offer letter. I want to make sure they're happy with the offer before I generate a written offer letter.

  11. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Of course the candiate can negotiate. That's literally what I've been saying since my original comment.

    If you are not happy with the verbal offer that I have extended to you, negotiate for what you want. So I can put whatever we agree on in the written offer letter.

    In my experience things that are open for negotiation are base salary, sign-on bonus and start date. Pretty much everything else is company policy unless you're talking about the most senior executive level.

    The candidate can take a reasonable amount of time to think over the verbal offer and then our written offer letters should be accepted within 5 days.

    The offers to my candidates should not be a surprise - except on the happy occassions where I'm able to get them more than we had previously discussed. We discussed comp and benes on the first call and at additional points through the interview process.

  12. Anonymous

    If the verbal offer is too low, I would absolutely negotiate that prior to receiving a written offer.

  13. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Yes - written offers are sent after verbal acceptance. I have 20 plus years recruiting experince including in-house, contingent and retained executive search experience and that is how every offfer I have worked on my entire career has been processed.

    Candidates are given a reasonable amount of time to consider the verbal offer and written offers should be accepted within 5 days.

  14. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    Is this your comment?

    "Don't accept a verbal if you haven't talked thru all benefits, stock options, bonus, etc. Thank them, be enthusiastic, ask for it in writing, but NEVER accept the first offer over a phone call . THEN negotiate."

    This part specifically:

    "NEVER accept the first offer"?

    "Your own experience is with ONE employer only. "

    IT IS ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Now you're telling me what my own experience is?

    Just for your information, I have 25 plus years recruiting experience including in-house, contingent and executive retained search experience.

    I have recruited in many different industries, from non-profits to some of the largest corporations on this planet. I have recruited for positions from C-level executives to hourly production workers and everything in between.

    I'm not sure what size company you typically work for, but the hiring managers at the companies I've worked for really have no idea what the actual offer letter process is.

    They tell Talent Acquisition they want to extend an offer and what they're looking to pay comp-wise and we tell them when the offer has been accepted and when the background check/drug test has cleared. Negotiating offers and processing offer letters and initiating the background check process is Talent Acquisition's responsibility. Actual processing of the background check and other on-boarding activities are the responsibility of our On-Boarding group.

  15. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I have 25 plus years recruiting experience including in-house, contingent and executive retained search experience.

    I have recruited in many different industries, from non-profits to some of the largest corporations on this planet. I have recruited for positions from C-level executives to hourly production workers and everything in between.

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