How to Nail the Offer Stage

The offer stage is where all your hard work pays off – or slips away. Too often, great candidates walk away because the offer wasn’t aligned or because a counteroffer pulled them back. As a recruiter, this is your moment to shine: guiding both client and candidate so the deal gets signed.

This guide shows you a simple, repeatable and validated process to maximize offer acceptance. Follow it step by step, and you’ll close more placements and boost your success rate.

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Step 1 – Confirm the Offer Stage with the Client

To avoid unplanned individual actions that can end in chaos, it’s important to be proactive: always confirm first whether the client is ready to make an offer. Sometimes clients move too quickly and send out an offer without involving you — this creates unnecessary risk and often leads to failed deals. Your first action is therefore to check in with the client, via the comment section on Juucy, and ask: “Do you intend to extend an offer to [Candidate Name]?”

At this point, your job is not only to confirm but also to position yourself as the guide for the offer process. Explain to the client that you can maximize the chance of acceptance by:

Validating the candidate’s expectations upfront (to prevent misaligned offers).
Testing the candidate’s commitment before the official contract is sent.
Supporting the offer presentation and keeping the candidate engaged until signature.

You can phrase it like this:

“I recommend that we run the offer process together — this way I can validate expectations, avoid surprises, and keep the candidate engaged until signature. This significantly increases the likelihood of closing the deal successfully.”

By doing this, you secure the mandate to lead. Once the client confirms, you take control of the process and guide both sides. This ensures no surprises, keeps you in the driver’s seat, and maximizes the chance of a successful placement.

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Step 2 – Candidate Reality Check

When: As soon as the client signals they want to make an offer.‍

Goal: Know the candidate’s true expectations before the client creates a contract.‍

How: 10-minute call or message. Ask the following questions:

“To make sure we’re aligned — what’s the minimum salary you’d consider, what’s your target, and at which point would you definitely say no?”

“Are there any must-have conditions for you (e.g. number of remote days, training budget, benefits) that would be deal-breakers if missing?”

“What’s the earliest date you’d realistically be able to start in a new role?”

"On a scale from 0–3, how likely is it that your current employer would make you a counteroffer — and if so, how seriously would you consider it?”

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Action: Document the answers.‍

Output: Clear salary range + must-haves + risk level.

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Step 3 – Client Pre-Alignment

When: Same day as Reality Check.

‍Goal: Prevent the client from sending an offer that won’t work.

Message Template (to client):

Hi [Client Name], I just spoke to [Candidate Name], and he/she provided me with very important information regarding the upcoming offer. I’d suggest a quick alignment so we can maximize the chances of a smooth acceptance.
Based on our conversation, here’s what I see as important:
- The candidate is targeting around €85k base and would not go below €80k.
– The following aspects are particularly important for the candidate: [e.g., 2 remote days, training budget]
– Earliest start date: [date]

If we keep these points in mind when preparing the offer, we have a very good chance that he/she will accept it. I’ll also stay close to the candidate throughout the process to handle any questions or potential counteroffers.
My recommendation is not to send out the offer directly to [Candidate Name], but to inform me of the most important contract details so that I can take the next steps.
Does this approach work for you?

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Step 4 – Commitment Check with Candidate

When: Within 24h after client confirms salary (range) and further contract details.

‍Goal: Test commitment before the client sends the offer to the candidate.

How? Share the aligned contract specifics:

“I’ve just spoken with [Company Name] — they’re really impressed with you and very eager to bring you on board! In fact, although their initial budget was closer to €XXk, they’ve decided to stretch to €YYk (+ relevant Benefits if included) because they don’t want to miss the chance to hire you.

If they prepare this officially, can we count on your acceptance?”

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Document the answer as: Hard Commit / Soft Commit / No Commit. Share the candidate's feedback with the client so that an optimized offer can be prepared if necessary.

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Step 5 - Offer Presentation

When: Within 48h after commitment check.
Who: Clarify with the client via the comment section who will present the offer to the candidate and how. Client (main speaker) + Recruiter (support). Most will probably just want to send the offer by email. Others will likely use your services as a recruiter so as not to leave anything to chance.

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Step 6 – Cooling-Off & Counteroffer Defense

Goal: Keep the candidate warm until signature.

Day 0 (after offer presentation): Follow up with summary/key points.
Day 1: Send short reminder message: “Quick check – any open questions before you sign?”‍
Day 3 (if necessary): Call to check for counteroffer risks: “If your current employer matches the salary, what would still make you choose [Client]?”

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Step 7 - Decision & Documentation

The decision has been made:

If Yes: Share acceptance with client (if contract is really signed) → ask the client to mark the candidate as “Hired.”
If No: Record reason (Salary / Benefits / Start Date / Counteroffer / Other) in the comment section on juucy.

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Key Takeaways

Always confirm the offer stage first. Don’t let clients move alone — secure the mandate to guide the process.
Validate candidate expectations upfront. Salary, must-haves, start date, and counteroffer risk must be crystal clear.
Pre-align with the client. Share candidate insights so they can prepare an offer with the highest acceptance chance.
Test commitment before the offer goes out. This reduces surprises and allows for adjustments.
Be present at the offer stage. Whether by call or email, support the client in presenting the offer.
Stay close until signature. A few well-timed touchpoints (Day 0, Day 1, Day 3) can neutralize counteroffers and keep the candidate engaged.
Document outcomes. Capture reasons for rejections — this data makes everyone smarter for the next deal.

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The offer stage isn’t just another step — it’s the make-or-break moment of every placement. By taking control early, aligning both sides, and guiding the candidate through to signature, you turn uncertainty into clarity and chaos into closed deals. Use this process, stay proactive, and you’ll not only increase your offer acceptance rate but also strengthen client trust and elevate yourself from a recruiter to a true deal closer.