Day 17 of 20 · AI for Recruitment

Offer Letters & Negotiation Scripts

⏱ 5 min 📊 Beginner

You've sourced, screened, interviewed, and found your perfect candidate. Now comes the moment that makes or breaks the hire — the offer.

A clumsy offer process loses great candidates. A slow one loses them to competing offers. A cold, corporate offer letter makes them feel like a number rather than a person. Today you'll learn how to create offer letters that excite candidates, scripts for explaining compensation packages, and strategies for handling counter-offers and candidates who are sitting on the fence. AI makes all of this faster and more polished — so you close more hires.

Every step of the offer process is a chance to win or lose the candidate.

Offer letters that excite

Most offer letters read like legal documents. They're technically accurate but emotionally flat. The candidate just went through weeks of interviews, they're excited about the opportunity, and then they receive a PDF that starts with "Dear Candidate, We are pleased to inform you..."

A great offer letter does two things: it confirms the details and it makes the candidate feel wanted.

Here's the prompt template:

"Write an offer letter for [candidate name] for the role of [title] at [company]. Start date: [date]. Salary: [amount]. Benefits: [list key benefits]. Report to: [manager name]. Make the opening paragraph warm and personal — reference something specific from their interview. Include all the formal details but don't let it read like a legal contract. The tone should make them excited to sign, not just informed. Under 400 words."

The secret ingredient: reference something from their interview. If they talked about wanting to lead a product launch, mention it. If they were excited about the team culture, bring it up. This tiny detail transforms a generic letter into a personal one.

Knowledge Check

What transforms a standard offer letter into one that excites a candidate?

A

Including as many details about company policies as possible

B

Sending it as quickly as possible before they get other offers

C

Referencing something specific from their interview process and using a warm, personal tone that makes them feel wanted

D

Using formal legal language to show professionalism

Candidates want to feel chosen, not processed. When your offer letter says "Your ideas about scaling the customer success team during our final interview were exactly what we need," the candidate feels like this job was meant for them. AI can draft this in 2 minutes — you just need to provide that one personal detail.

Compensation explanation scripts

Salary is usually straightforward. But total compensation — equity, bonuses, benefits, pension contributions, learning budgets — is where candidates get confused and sometimes undervalue your offer.

A clear compensation breakdown can make a lower-salary offer win against a higher one.

Prompt template: "Write a compensation explanation script I can use on a call with a candidate. Base salary: [amount]. Bonus: [structure]. Equity/options: [details]. Benefits: [list]. Total estimated value: [amount]. Explain each component simply and emphasize the total package value. Include a comparison: 'While the base is £X, the total compensation value is £Y when you factor in...' Keep it conversational — this is for a phone call, not a document."

For agency recruiters, this script is gold for candidate prep. Walk your candidate through the total package before they see the offer letter, so they're already sold before the paperwork arrives.

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ChatGPT

online

Write a script for handling a candidate counter-offer scenario. Situation: I've offered Sarah £75k for a Senior Marketing Manager role. She's come back saying her current employer has matched at £78k and offered a promotion to Head of Marketing. She likes our company but is torn. Help me respond in a way that's persuasive but not desperate. I need to be honest — we can stretch to £77k but no more.

Here's your call script: **Opening — acknowledge and validate:** "Sarah, thanks for being upfront with me about this. A counter-offer and a promotion — that's a really strong position to be in, and I completely understand why you're taking time to think it through." **Reframe the decision:** "Can I share something honest? Counter-offers are flattering, but I'd encourage you to think about why you started looking in the first place. Something wasn't right — and a title change and a pay bump don't usually fix the underlying reasons. Six months from now, those reasons will still be there." **Reinforce your offer:** "What excited you about our role was [reference their motivation — e.g., building a team from scratch, the product, the growth stage]. That opportunity hasn't changed. And I want to show we're serious — I've gone back to the team and we can move to £77,000. That's the strongest offer we can make." **Create gentle urgency:** "I don't want to pressure you, but I do need to be transparent — we have other strong candidates in the process, and I'd hate for you to miss this while deliberating. Could you let me know by [date]?" **Close warmly:** "Whatever you decide, I respect it. But I genuinely think this is the right move for your career, and I'd love to have you on the team."

↻ Replay conversation

Counter-offer response strategies

Counter-offers are one of the most common reasons candidates drop out at the offer stage. Here's how to handle the three most common scenarios:

Scenario 1: "My current employer matched your offer."

This is about more than money. Remind the candidate why they were looking in the first place. Prompt AI: "Write a response to a candidate whose employer matched our salary offer. Focus on the reasons they wanted to leave — lack of growth, poor management, limited scope. Be empathetic, not pushy."

Scenario 2: "I have a higher offer from another company."

Don't get into a bidding war unless you can genuinely compete on salary. Instead, compete on everything else. Prompt AI: "Write a response to a candidate who has a higher offer elsewhere. Our strengths are [list non-salary advantages]. Help me make the case without matching the salary."

Scenario 3: "I need more time to think."

Totally reasonable — but set a deadline. Prompt AI: "Write a warm but clear message to a candidate who needs more time to decide on our offer. Give them [X days], offer to answer any remaining questions, and create gentle urgency without being pushy."

Knowledge Check

What's the most effective response when a candidate's current employer counter-offers?

A

Acknowledge the counter-offer, then refocus on why they started looking in the first place — the underlying issues that a pay bump doesn't fix

B

Withdraw your offer to show you're not desperate

C

Immediately match or beat the counter-offer

D

Tell them counter-offers never work out

Research shows that 80% of candidates who accept counter-offers leave within 12 months anyway. The underlying issues — growth, culture, management — don't change because of a salary bump. Helping the candidate see this clearly, without being pushy, is the most effective approach.

Closing candidates on the fence

Sometimes you've made a strong offer, handled objections, and the candidate is still stuck. They like you. They like their current situation. They can't decide.

Here's the closing framework:

The future question: "Where do you see yourself in 2 years? Which role gets you there faster?"

The regret test: "If you turned this down and stayed where you are, would you wonder 'what if' six months from now?"

The practical close: "What would need to be true for you to say yes? Let's talk through it."

AI can help you prepare for these conversations. Prompt: "I need to close a candidate who's on the fence between our offer and staying in their current role. Their concerns are [list]. Write me 5 talking points that address each concern directly and honestly. Don't be salesy — be consultative."

Whether you're an agency recruiter guiding a candidate through the decision or an in-house recruiter protecting a critical hire, these scripts save time and increase your close rate.

Final Check

A candidate says "I need a few weeks to think about your offer." What's the best approach?

A

Be warm but set a reasonable deadline, offer to answer any remaining questions, and check in once during the waiting period

B

Send them more information about the company to convince them

C

Say "Take all the time you need" — you don't want to seem pushy

D

Withdraw the offer if they can't decide immediately

"Take all the time you need" sounds supportive but often leads to lost candidates — they get comfortable, momentum fades, and other opportunities appear. A reasonable deadline (3-5 business days) with an offer to address concerns shows respect while maintaining urgency. AI can help you draft the perfect check-in message.

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Day 17 Complete

"The offer stage is where good recruiters become great ones. A personalised letter, a clear compensation story, and the confidence to handle objections — AI helps you nail all three."

Tomorrow — Day 18

Build a LinkedIn Summariser Chrome Extension

Tomorrow is the big build — you'll use AI to create a Chrome extension that reads LinkedIn profiles and compares them against your job specs automatically.

Continue to Day 18 →