Job offer preparation checklist

Record gross pay, currency, frequency, classification and any probation terms.

Gather: Offer letter and proposed employment agreement.

Check targets, discretion, eligibility, performance measures and payment dates.

Gather: Bonus plan and written target terms.

Check quota, credited sales, payment timing and treatment of cancellations or departure.

Gather: Commission plan and an example calculation.

Record repayment triggers, period, calculation and exceptions.

Gather: Sign-on or relocation agreement.

Understand review timing and success measures without treating future raises as promised.

Gather: Review policy and initial performance goals.

Record award type, quantity, approvals and the documents governing it.

Gather: Proposed award agreement and equity plan.

Check cliff, vesting, expiry, exercise deadlines and termination treatment.

Gather: Vesting schedule and departure provisions.

Separate illustrative value from cash you can receive; check pricing and liquidity assumptions.

Gather: Employer valuation context and any exercise-cost information.

Identify information needed to assess taxes and exercise funding for your circumstances.

Gather: Award terms, exercise cost and tax information supplied by the employer.

Professional review: Get qualified tax advice when exercising or accepting an award creates material tax or cash exposure.

Check employee costs, dependents, networks and coverage start dates.

Gather: Benefits summary, premiums and eligibility rules.

Check employer contributions, participation conditions and vesting.

Gather: Retirement plan information and vesting schedule.

Compare holidays, paid leave, accrual, approval and any carryover or payout terms.

Gather: Leave policy and benefit summary.

Match the role and reporting line to the interviews; ask about initial expectations.

Gather: Role description and written reporting line.

Clarify remote arrangements, working hours, relocation and travel expectations.

Gather: Written work-location terms and relevant policy.

Clarify equipment, training, travel reimbursement and any required employee costs.

Gather: Expense policy and equipment or training terms.

Record background, reference, authorization and internal approvals before relying on the start date.

Gather: Contingency list and proposed start date.

Record the acceptance deadline and ask for more time if documents are missing.

Gather: Offer deadline and written extension, if agreed.

Review confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-compete and outside-work provisions.

Gather: Every proposed restrictive agreement and relevant policy.

Professional review: Ask counsel about restrictions that could materially affect future work; enforceability varies.

Check IP assignments against existing projects, inventions and permitted outside activity.

Gather: IP agreement and any prior-inventions schedule.

Review arbitration, governing law, notice, termination and any severance terms.

Gather: Employment agreement and dispute-resolution documents.

Compare alternatives and prioritise the package changes you want to raise.

Gather: Personal priorities and comparison notes.

Coordinate notice, contingencies, benefits and the start date with your existing obligations.

Gather: Confirmed new terms and current notice or restriction documents.

Check revisions, approvals and all attachments; keep the accepted copy.

Gather: Final written offer, attachments and approval confirmations.