An offer decision brief gives a candidate one consistent summary of the opportunity and the questions still open. It should match the approved offer documents and the role discussed during interviews.
Use it to support an informed decision. Do not use it to turn possibilities into promises.
Include the facts that affect the decision
| Section | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Role | Title, core responsibilities, and initial priorities |
| Working relationships | Manager, collaborators, and decision rights |
| Working conditions | Location, onsite expectations, travel, and agreed schedule |
| Compensation | Base pay, variable pay if applicable, and separately described equity |
| Start and onboarding | Proposed start, dependencies, and initial support |
| Open items | Questions, approval status, owner, and expected resolution |
| Process | Decision timing and the person who can clarify details |
The formal offer and governing documents remain the source for contractual terms. Have the appropriate company owner check the summary for consistency.
Separate confirmed terms from discussion
Use clear labels such as approved, proposed, and awaiting confirmation. If a detail is not settled, say so and identify who will resolve it.
Do not describe a future promotion, funding event, remote-work exception, or compensation review as guaranteed unless it is genuinely approved and documented.
Make the mandate easy to picture
Illustrative summary: A fictional engineering hire will initially own one product workflow, work with a founder on priorities, and receive design support from a named internal function. People management is outside the initial scope.
This is more useful than repeating that the role has “huge ownership.” The candidate can compare the work with their priorities.
Keep private internal discussion and interview notes out of the candidate-facing brief.
Address the candidate's actual questions
Use what the candidate has chosen to share about their priorities. If technical mentorship matters, explain the available support. If work location matters, state the arrangement directly.
Do not make assumptions about what a candidate should value based on age, background, or personal circumstances.
Review before sending
Check that the hiring manager, recruiting coordinator, and offer approver are using the same version. Remove stale ranges or wording from earlier discussions.
Give the candidate a clear route to ask questions and a realistic decision timeline. If an unresolved company item could affect their choice, acknowledge it.
For the earlier conversation, use the motivation interview guide. For package communication, see how to explain cash and equity separately.
For a founding engineer offer specifically, how to evaluate a founding engineer offer works through ownership, equity, stage, and risk.