Get it on paper first
A verbal offer is a friendly conversation. Thank the caller and ask for the written offer and the benefits summary before you respond. Two business days to a week is a reasonable amount of time to request. The letter should state the title, base pay, start date, bonus terms, who you report to and any contingencies such as a background check or drug screen. Do not resign from your current job until the written offer is signed and every contingency has cleared.
Price the whole package
Two offers with the same salary can differ by thousands of dollars a year. Work through these items with the plan documents in hand.
- Health insurance is priced by your share of the monthly premium, the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum, not by the insurer's name.
- A retirement match is pay, so note the percentage, the date you become eligible and the vesting schedule that decides when the match is fully yours.
- A bonus described as a target is not a promise, so ask what share of the target people at your level actually received in the last two years.
- Paid time off is counted in days, along with the holiday list and whether unused days carry over or pay out.
- Equity is worth nothing until it vests and can be sold, so ask for the vesting schedule, which is commonly four years with nothing vesting before the first anniversary.
The job behind the number
Your direct manager will shape your days more than any line in the letter. Ask to speak with a future teammate, and ask how long people in this role usually stay and where they go next. Find out why the position is open. Count the commute honestly, since an hour each way is ten hours a week you are not paid for.
The fine print
Read every attached agreement before signing. A non-compete or non-solicitation clause can limit your next job, and the enforceability of these clauses varies widely by state, so look up your state's rule or pay an employment lawyer for an hour if the clause is broad. Check whether a signing bonus or relocation payment must be repaid if you leave within a year or two. Almost all American employment is at will, which means the offer letter is not a guarantee of a job for any period.
Note If you plan to negotiate, do it once, after the written offer arrives and before you accept, with every request in a single conversation.
