How to Make a Job Offer That Actually Gets Accepted

You found the right person. The interviews went well, references checked out, and your team is excited. Now comes the part that more hiring managers fumble than most would admit: the offer.

A job offer isn’t just paperwork. It’s the final impression you make before someone decides whether to trust you with their career. Get it right, and you close a great hire. Get it wrong, and you’re back at square one — often with your second-choice candidate and a team that’s been waiting for reinforcements.

Here’s how to put together an offer that actually lands.

Do Your Comp Research Before You’re Ready to Make the Offer

By the time you’re ready to extend an offer, you should already know what the market looks like for this role. Waiting until the final stage to check salary benchmarks is one of the most common and avoidable mistakes employers make.

Use multiple data points: Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational data, industry surveys, compensation tools like Radford or Mercer, and frankly, your recruiting partners who are placing candidates in these roles every day. For accounting and finance positions in particular, compensation bands can shift meaningfully from one metro area to the next, and what looked competitive six months ago may no longer be.

If your budgeted range is below market, it’s better to know that before you fall in love with a candidate than after. Adjusting expectations or getting internal approval for a stronger number is much easier when you’re still early in the process.

Understand What the Candidate Actually Wants

Salary is rarely the only thing on a candidate’s mind. Strong candidates are often weighing a few offers at once or considering what staying put would look like. Before you finalize your offer, take the time to understand what matters most to this particular person.

Some candidates are motivated primarily by base salary. Others are more focused on flexibility, career trajectory, benefits, or bonus potential. If you’ve worked with a recruiter throughout the search, this is the moment to lean on them. A good recruiter will have already had candid conversations with the candidate about their priorities, and that intelligence should shape how you package the offer.

Don’t assume. A candidate who took a pay cut at a previous company in exchange for remote flexibility may not be easily swayed by a higher base alone. The more you know going in, the better positioned you are to put together something compelling.

Move Quickly Once You’ve Made the Decision

Hiring timelines have a way of drifting. A few extra days of internal approvals, a decision-maker on vacation, a week of “let’s just think on it” — and suddenly a candidate who was excited about your company has accepted somewhere else.

Top candidates at the manager, director, and controller level are not sitting idle while you deliberate. Once your team has reached consensus, move. Get the necessary approvals lined up before the final interview if you can. Know who needs to sign off on the compensation and have that conversation ahead of time so you’re not hunting for budget approval after the fact.

The speed with which you make an offer sends a signal. A fast, decisive offer communicates that you’re organized, that you value the candidate’s time, and that you actually want them. A slow offer — even a generous one — can create doubt.

Make the Initial Offer by Phone, Not by Email

This one seems small, but it matters. Extending a job offer by email alone is transactional. It doesn’t feel like an exciting moment; it feels like a form letter.

Call the candidate. Tell them you’re thrilled to extend an offer. Walk them through the key components of the package and give them an opportunity to ask questions in real time. If you’re working with a recruiter, they may be the right person to make this call on your behalf — they’ll often have the relationship and context to deliver the news in a way that generates genuine enthusiasm.

The written offer letter follows the call. That sequence matters. Lead with the human touch, then send the documentation.

Be Transparent About the Full Package

Candidates want to understand the whole picture, not just the base salary. When you present the offer, be ready to clearly explain the bonus structure and how it’s calculated, the benefits package including health, dental, and vision, 401(k) matching and vesting schedule, any equity or profit-sharing components, PTO and flexibility policies, and professional development opportunities.

If your base is on the lower end of the market, a rich benefits package or strong bonus potential can absolutely make up the difference. But only if the candidate actually understands those components. Don’t bury the bonus structure in fine print or wave vaguely at the benefits as “competitive.” Walk through it.

Transparency also builds trust. Candidates who feel like they received an honest, complete picture of the offer are more likely to accept it and more likely to feel good about that decision long-term.

Leave Room for a Conversation, Not a Negotiation Battlefield

Negotiation doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. If you go into the offer expecting that a good candidate may have questions or want to discuss specific components, you’ll handle it with a lot more grace.

Consider sharing a range during the interview process rather than a fixed number. This sets expectations and gives you room to move if the candidate is exceptional. It also avoids the situation where a candidate feels like they left money on the table before they’ve even started.

When a counteroffer comes in, don’t take it personally and don’t overreact. Listen to what the candidate is asking for and evaluate it honestly. Sometimes the ask is reasonable and closing the gap costs less than restarting a search. Sometimes there’s a creative solution, like adjusting the signing bonus, the review timeline, or the remote work arrangement, that gets both parties to yes without blowing up the comp structure.

Watch Out for the Counter From Their Current Employer

This is a real phenomenon, especially in accounting and finance. You extend an offer, the candidate resigns, and their current employer counters with a raise, a promotion, or both.

The best defense against this is making a strong enough offer that the counter feels hollow by comparison. But it also helps to have ongoing conversations with the candidate throughout the process about what’s driving their search. If they’re leaving because of culture, leadership, or growth concerns, a counter-offer from their current employer doesn’t actually solve the problem. A candidate who has fully articulated why they’re leaving is much less likely to be swayed by a last-minute retention play.

Your recruiter can be a valuable ally here. They can have direct, honest conversations with candidates about the risks of counter-offers and help reinforce the decision to move forward with your opportunity.

The Offer Is the Beginning, Not the End

Closing the offer is worth celebrating, but it’s also the first test of the employment relationship. How you handle the period between the offer acceptance and the first day matters more than most employers realize.

Stay in touch. Send a welcome email from the hiring manager. Connect the new hire with their future teammates on LinkedIn. Make sure they have all the logistical information they need for day one. If the start date is more than two weeks out, a brief check-in call can go a long way toward keeping excitement high and eliminating any lingering second-guessing.

The employers who have the best offer acceptance rates and the strongest retention don’t treat the offer as a transaction. They treat it as the beginning of a relationship they intend to take seriously. That posture, as much as any dollar amount, is what makes candidates say yes and stay.

Ready to Make an Offer Your Next Great Hire Can’t Refuse?

Burchard & Associates works with employers across the St. Louis metro area to find and place top accounting, finance, and business operations talent. We help you move quickly, compete on compensation, and close the candidates you actually want. Contact us to learn more.