# The Written-Offer Match Standard, Each Term Graded Match, Query, or Hold

*Grade any offer letter against your call notes, sort each gap as drafting error, policy, or reopened negotiation, and name the written fix each Hold needs before you sign.*

- Canonical URL: https://www.refolk.ai/candidates/guides/written-offer-match-standard
- Pillar: Offers and negotiation
- Format: Standard
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
- Reading time: 23 min
- Keywords: written offer different from verbal offer, what to check in offer letter before signing, bonus not in offer letter, ask recruiter to revise offer letter, confirm offer terms in writing email

## Key takeaways

- Grade each agreed term in an offer letter as Match, Query, or Hold against notes you dated on the day of the call, and do not sign while any Hold is open.
- In Refolk's index, US recruiters outnumber compensation specialists 24.5 to 1, so the person who quoted your terms on the phone usually does not draft or approve the letter, and drafting errors should be expected.
- A dollar-value equity offer is really two terms: UnitedHealth Group's worked example turns a $5,000 grant at a $350 share price into 15 RSUs, so the conversion date and price method matter as much as the dollar figure.
- A bonus target names a number but does not promise it, because real clauses pair the target with 'may be zero' and a rule that you must be employed on the payment date.
- A recap email sent before signing is a prior communication that an integration clause can override, so a gap counts as fixed only when it appears in a revised letter or is confirmed by someone with authority to change the terms.
- Offer deadlines typically run 3 to 7 business days, and no US law sets a minimum, so ask for a 2 to 4 business day extension on the same day you find a gap.

This standard is for a candidate who has a written offer in hand and needs to confirm it says what the recruiter said on the phone before signing it and resigning from the current job. It grades every agreed term against your own dated call notes as Match, Query, or Hold, sorts each gap by its cause, and names the written fix each Hold needs. Two people who grade the same letter against the same notes should reach the same verdict.

## What does the Written-Offer Match Standard grade?

It grades the written offer letter, one term at a time, against your dated call notes. It does not grade against your memory, the job posting, or what is normal in your industry. The output is one grade per term and a single rule: no signature while any term is graded Hold.

Three definitions make the grading repeatable:

- **Call record.** Notes you wrote on the day of the offer call. They give the date, who said each term, and the term in your own words. Notes you write after the letter arrives do not count, because by then the letter has shaped what you remember.
- **Must-have and Nice-to-have flags.** Before the letter arrives, mark each term as one you would not accept the job without (Must-have) or one you would like (Nice-to-have). Setting the flags in advance is what stops two graders from reaching different verdicts.
- **Authority to modify.** The person allowed to change the terms of the offer. Attorney checklists recommend letters say that only a named officer can modify certain terms in writing, so check whether your letter names one.

| Grade | When it applies | What clears it |
|---|---|---|
| Match | Same value, unit, and conditions as your note | Nothing; record it |
| Query | Nice-to-have missing, deferred to a plan, or more conditional; or a term you never discussed has been added | Any written answer from the employer |
| Hold | A stated value contradicts your note; or a Must-have is missing, deferred, or more conditional | Revised letter, or written confirmation from someone with authority to modify terms |

A contradiction is a Hold even on a Nice-to-have term. A wrong number shows that the drafter was working from a different record, and the same error may sit elsewhere in the letter.

> **Rule:** The exit rule
>
> Sign nothing while any term is graded Hold, and do not resign until you have a signed written offer and any background check has cleared.

This standard tells you whether the letter matches the call. It does not tell you whether the offer is a good one, and it is not legal advice. Where a Hold involves serious money or equity, an employment attorney who reviews offers for individual employees is the right second reader.

## Which terms to check in an offer letter before signing

Check nine terms: base, title and level, manager, bonus basis, equity grant, sign-on, work arrangement, start date, and benefits start. For each one, "Match" needs a specific thing, and each has a typical way of looking right while being wrong.

No one has published how often each term goes missing from offer letters. That gap exists in practitioner reports and in HR-platform templates alike. One practitioner source does say that verbal offers routinely skip the exact equity grant and vesting schedule, the bonus structure and targets, and the benefits start date. Check those three first.

1. **Base salary.** Match needs the same number, the same period (annual or hourly), and the same currency. *Lies when* the number matches but the pay basis or period differs from what you heard.
2. **Title and level.** Match needs the exact title and level you were quoted. *Lies when* the title matches and the level is missing, which leaves the level open to being set later.
3. **Manager.** Match needs the named manager or reporting line from the call. *Lies when* the letter names a team or department instead of a person.
4. **Bonus basis.** Match needs the target, the discretion wording, and the condition for getting paid. *Lies when* the percentage matches but the clause adds "may be zero" or "must be employed on the payment date". The next section covers this.
5. **Equity grant.** Match needs either a share count, or a dollar value plus the conversion date and price method, plus the vesting schedule. *Lies when* the dollar value matches but the share count will be set later at a price you cannot see yet.
6. **Sign-on bonus.** Match needs the amount, when it is paid, and any repayment terms you discussed. *Lies when* the amount matches but a repayment condition you never discussed has been added.
7. **Work arrangement.** Match needs remote, hybrid, or onsite as agreed, and the work location. *Lies when* the arrangement is described as "subject to company policy", which lets it change after you sign.
8. **Start date.** Match needs the agreed date and any contingencies you were told about. *Lies when* a new contingency appears that could move the date.
9. **Benefits start.** Match needs the date coverage begins. *Lies when* the letter says nothing. Practitioners flag this as routinely missing.

Title and level is the one term with a second reference point: the posting you applied to. [Refolk](/candidates) keeps the posting each tailored resume was written against, so you can see whether the letter's level matches what was advertised as well as what was said. Grade against the call, though. The posting is context, not the agreement.

## Bonus and equity: grade the wording, not the number

Bonus and equity are the two terms most likely to pass a quick read and fail a careful one. A bonus percentage or equity dollar figure can match your notes exactly while the words around it change what you will actually receive.

### Bonus wording as drafted

Employment counsel have not published a comparison of "target", "eligible", and "sole discretion". Real clauses, though, often use all three in one sentence. Read together, they show that "target" names a number without promising it.

| Wording | Example source | Payout-date condition |
|---|---|---|
| "target discretionary... up to 35%" | Portola, SEC filing | Must be employed on payment date |
| "target of 40%... may be zero" | Law Insider | Service through payment date |
| "eligible... sole discretion" | Law Insider | Employed through payment date |
| Target cut only "upon Executive's written consent" | Law Insider | Employed on award date |
| "guaranteed in full" (first year) | Law Insider | Not pro-rated |

The Portola letter, filed publicly with the SEC, says the employee is "eligible to receive a target discretionary annual bonus of up to 35%". It leaves the award to the board's sole discretion and adds "you must be employed on the date any bonus is paid in order to earn the bonus." If your call notes say "35% bonus", that letter matches on the number and fails on the substance.

Grade the bonus line on three questions:

- **Is there a number?** If the letter only refers to the plan, the target is missing. SHRM tells employers they can describe bonus terms briefly or simply refer to the plan, which is how a target drops out of the letter.
- **What does the discretion wording allow?** "May be zero" or "sole discretion" means you are not promised the target. A clause that lets the target be cut only with your written consent is stronger than one that says nothing.
- **What is the payout condition?** Being required to be employed on the payment date means leaving one day before payday costs you the whole bonus.

If you were told "guaranteed" on the call and the letter says "eligible", grade that as Hold whatever the percentage says.

For a California commission role, also check the commission plan. California Labor Code 2751 requires commission contracts to "be in writing and... set forth the method by which the commissions shall be computed and paid". A plan "to follow" is a Query at minimum. The statute excludes short-term productivity bonuses and temporary incentive payments that only increase pay.

### Equity is two terms

Large employers often state equity as a dollar value that becomes a share count only on the grant date. According to employee threads, UnitedHealth Group, Adobe, Apple and Meta do this. UnitedHealth Group's plan document puts it this way: "Awards are planned and communicated in dollar values versus a specific number of RSUs. After award values are approved by the Compensation Committee, they are converted to a number of RSUs."

#### How a dollar equity offer becomes shares

1. **Dollar value quoted** - The recruiter states a grant value on the call
2. **Letter drafted** - The letter repeats the value, or refers to the plan
3. **Committee approval** - The compensation committee approves award values after you start
4. **Grant-date price** - A share price is applied on a date the letter may not name
5. **Share count fixed** - The value divided by that price sets the number of RSUs

*The share count is set at the end of this chain, so a letter that states only the dollar value leaves the conversion date and price open.*

UnitedHealth Group's worked example converts a $5,000 grant at a $350 share price into 15 RSUs. If the price is different on the grant date, the count is different. For this term, Match needs the dollar value, the conversion date, and the price method. If two of the three are missing, grade Query when equity was a Nice-to-have and Hold when it was a Must-have.

Three more equity signals:

- **Refreshers.** Refreshers are later top-up grants. A Meta employee thread says refresher numbers "change yoy and not part of the offer letter." A refresher figure mentioned on the call is an expectation, not a term. Grade it Query, and do not count it in your comparison.
- **Asymmetric verbs.** One Robinhood letter, quoted in an employee thread, says the company "will recommend" the RSUs to the board, while the sign-on says the employee "will receive" it. "Will recommend" means the grant is still conditional after you sign. "Will receive" means it is a commitment.
- **Options need a price basis.** In a worked example from Secfi, 15,500 options are worth about $1,550 at a $0.10 strike and $310,000 at $20. A share count with no price basis is not enough to grade.

## Why the written offer differs from the verbal offer

The person who quoted your terms rarely controls the letter. The quote is passed along by someone who usually cannot change terms without re-approval from compensation and the hiring manager, so drafting errors should be expected and are rarely a sign of bad faith.

**24.5 - US recruiters per compensation specialist in Refolk's index**

Derived from 122,947 US recruiter-family profiles and 5,010 US compensation-family profiles; the people who quote offers far outnumber the people who set them.

| Set (Refolk's index) | Count | Top title in 25-profile sample |
|---|---|---|
| US recruiter family | 122,947 | Technical Recruiter, 8/25 (32%) |
| UK recruiter family | 9,397 | Talent Acquisition Partner, 15/25 (60%) |
| US compensation family | 5,010 | Compensation Manager, 13/25 (52%) |
| Derived: US to UK recruiters | 13.1x | n/a |

In Refolk's index, Meta and Okta appear among the top employers of the US compensation set. In a 25-profile sample of the US recruiter set, the top employers include the staffing firms K2 Partnering Solutions (3 profiles) and Experis (2). Some of the people quoting offers work at a staffing firm, outside the employer altogether. The title shares come from small samples, so treat them as direction, not distribution.

In practice, the recruiter is the right person to receive your discrepancy email and usually the wrong person to fix it alone. Practitioners note that the recruiter "does not usually have authority to alter the terms without re-approval from the compensation function and the hiring manager." Write the email so that it can be forwarded upward unchanged.

> A phone quote is a relayed number. Grade the letter as if the person who typed it was not on the call.

## How to sort each gap: drafting error, company policy, or reopened negotiation

Every term that is not a Match falls into one of three types, and the type decides the fix. Two questions sort them: does the employer agree your note is what was said, and can the term go into the letter at all?

#### Sorting an offer letter gap

Horizontal axis runs from Employer disputes your note to Employer agrees with your note. Vertical axis runs from Term cannot go in the letter to Term can go in the letter.

| Quadrant | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Reopened negotiation | The employer remembers different terms; treat it as a new offer and decide again |
| Drafting error | Ask for a revised letter; this is the easiest gap to close |
| Walk-away check | No agreement and nothing in writing; grade as if the term does not exist |
| Company policy | Get confirmation from someone with authority, or value the term at zero |

*Whether the employer agrees with your note, and whether the term can go in the letter, together decide the fix.*

- **Drafting error.** The employer agrees, and the term can go in the letter. Ask for a revised letter. Do not accept "noted, we'll honor it" in place of a revised letter.
- **Company policy.** The employer agrees, but says the term "never goes in the letter". Bonus targets and refreshers are the usual cases. A public Bogleheads thread shows a company refusing to put a bonus in writing.
- **Reopened negotiation.** The employer's record differs from yours. Stop grading and start deciding. The offer has effectively changed, and you are now weighing a new one.

### When the employer says a number never goes in the letter

A policy gap is fixed only by someone who can bind the company, in a form that survives the letter's own wording. Two clauses decide what counts:

- **Integration clause.** A clause stating that the letter is the entire agreement and replaces earlier statements. A practitioner summary says such a clause "can help prevent claims based on oral promises or prior emails."
- **Sole-modification clause.** A clause saying only a named officer can change certain terms, in writing.

Hogan Lovells reports that merger-clause defenses have defeated promissory fraud claims. A merger clause is another name for an integration clause. The reasoning in those cases was that "it is unreasonable as a matter of law to rely on an oral promise that was not memorialized." The ranking below follows from that.

#### What counts as a fix, strongest first

1. **Revised offer letter** - The term sits inside the document you sign, covered by its own integration clause
2. **Signed addendum** - A written amendment attached to the letter or referenced by it
3. **Authorized confirmation** - Email from the person the letter names as able to modify terms
4. **Recruiter email** - Answers a Query; does not clear a Hold where an integration clause exists
5. **Your recap email or notes** - Evidence of what you heard; superseded once you sign

*The closer a confirmation sits to the document you sign, the more likely it survives the letter's integration clause.*

Under this standard, a policy-type Hold clears only at the top three layers. For a Must-have money term, ask for the top layer first. Accept the third layer only if it comes from the officer the letter names, and value the term at zero in your own decision if you cannot get even that. How often employers use a revised letter rather than an addendum or an email has not been published, so ask for the strongest version and let them refuse it.

## How to run the match, from call notes to resignation

Run the match in eight steps. It starts with notes written on the day of the call and ends with a signed letter that passed the match. The step that most often fails is the sixth: asking for more time on the same day you find a gap.

#### The written-offer match, in order

1. **Write dated call notes** - On the day of the call, record every term in your own words with the date and who said it, and flag each Must-have or Nice-to-have. Done when all nine terms have an entry, even "not discussed".
2. **Ask for the written offer** - Ask during the call or right after. Expect 24 to 48 hours up to two weeks; done when the letter is in hand.
3. **Acknowledge within 24 hours and confirm the deadline** - Confirm you received the letter and ask for the response deadline in writing. Done when an email states the date.
4. **Grade each term against the notes** - Give each of the nine terms a grade of Match, Query, or Hold, then sort each Hold as a drafting error, company policy, or reopened negotiation. Done when every term has a grade and every Hold has a type.
5. **Send one discrepancy email** - Name each gap, quote the letter, cite the call date, and ask whether the letter or your notes are correct. Ask for corrections in the offer package, not in a side email.
6. **Ask for an extension if the fix will not land in time** - On the same day you find the gap, propose a specific date 2 to 4 business days later. Done when the new date is confirmed in writing.
7. **Wait for re-approval and re-grade the whole letter** - The recruiter sends the change through compensation and the hiring manager. Grade the revised letter again from the top; done when no Hold is open and every Query has a written answer.
8. **Sign, then resign** - Sign, save a copy outside the employer's systems, and send an acceptance email that restates the confirmed terms. Resign only after the signed offer is in hand and any background check has cleared.

Sources disagree on the order. Indeed puts negotiation before asking for the written offer. Resume.io notes that accepting verbally before the letter arrives "is common, and a verbal acceptance is not binding on either side." This standard does not care which comes first, as long as step 1 happens on the day of the call.

Re-grade the whole revised letter, not just the lines that changed. A letter regenerated from a template can fix one term and break another.

**Acknowledgement and deadline request (step 3)**

```
Subject: Offer for [Role] - received, confirming the response date

Hi [Recruiter name],

Thank you. I received the offer letter for [Role] today and I am reviewing it now.

Could you confirm in writing the date and time you need my signed response by?
[The letter does not state a deadline, so I want to be sure I have the right one.]

I will come back to you with any questions by [date].

Best,
[Your name]
```

*Send within 24 hours of the letter arriving; keep the bracketed line only if the letter states no deadline.*

**Discrepancy email (steps 5 and 6)**

```
Subject: Offer for [Role] - [N] items to confirm before I sign

Hi [Recruiter name],

Thank you for the letter. I am looking forward to accepting, and I want to make sure the document matches what we discussed. I compared it with my notes from our call on [date] and found [N] items:

1. [Term]. The letter says: "[exact quote]". My notes from our [date] call say: [your note]. Which is correct?
2. [Term]. The letter does not mention [term]. On our [date] call we discussed [your note]. Can this be added?
3. [Term]. The letter says "[exact quote]". On the call I understood [your note]. Could you clarify?

Where the call version is correct, could these go into a revised offer letter rather than a separate email, so that everything is in the document I sign?

If any item cannot go in the letter as a matter of policy, could you tell me who is able to confirm it in writing? The letter names [title] as able to modify its terms.

Since a revised letter may need re-approval, could we move my response date to [specific date, 2 to 4 business days later]?

Thanks,
[Your name]
```

*One email for all gaps; quote the letter exactly and cite your call date for each item.*

> **Tip:** Write the email so it can be forwarded
>
> The recruiter will likely pass your email to compensation and the hiring manager. Quoting the letter and dating each note lets them approve the fix without having to call you back.

## How this goes wrong: failure modes and false positives

Most mistakes in this job come from grading the right term against the wrong evidence, or accepting the right fix from the wrong person. Each failure below says what it looks like and the check that catches it.

### Equity matches in dollars but fails in shares

*Looks like:* the letter states the same dollar value you were quoted, so you grade Match. *Why it lies:* the share count is set later at a grant-date price. *Check:* the letter states the conversion date and the price method. If either is missing, the term is not a Match.

### "Target" read as a promise

*Looks like:* the bonus percentage matches your notes. *Why it lies:* the same letter can say the bonus "may be zero" and require you to be employed on the payment date. *Check:* grade the discretion wording and the payout-date wording, not just the percentage.

### Recruiter email accepted as the fix

*Looks like:* the recruiter replies "confirmed, we'll honor the 15% target" and you sign. *Why it lies:* an integration clause covers prior emails, and a sole-modification clause may require a named officer to approve changes. *Check:* who sent the confirmation, whether the letter names them as able to modify terms, and whether it arrived before you signed.

### Recap email treated as protection

*Looks like:* you sent a recap of the call before signing and feel covered. *Why it lies:* a recap sent before signing is a prior communication, which the integration clause supersedes. Your record is weakest at exactly the moment it feels strongest. *Check:* is the recapped term in the letter itself? If not, the recap has not fixed anything.

> **Watch out:** Your own paper trail does not survive signing
>
> An integration clause can override earlier emails, including yours. A recap protects you only if the employer puts its contents into the letter, and how much weight an acceptance email sent after signing carries has not been publicly established.

### Statutory notice mistaken for the offer

*Looks like:* you get a California or New York pay notice and treat it as confirmation of your compensation. *Why it lies:* these notices cover base pay terms only, not bonus or equity. *Check:* use the notice to cross-check base pay, and grade the offer letter for everything else.

| Statute | Covers | Timing | Employee copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2810.5 | Nonexempt pay terms | At hiring; changes within 7 days | Yes |
| CA 2751 | Commission method | No fixed deadline | Signed copy plus receipt |
| NY 195.1 | Pay rate, payday | At commitment to hire | Signed copy; employer keeps 6 years |

None of these statutes gives you a right to see the document before signing. New York's "at time of commitment to hire" wording is the strongest basis for asking for the notice early. California's 2810.5 notice cannot be waived, and secondary sources say it applies to nonexempt employees. I have not checked New York's form for exempt employees or the statutes in other states. Check your state labor department's own notice page before relying on any of this.

### Deadline missed while waiting for a fix

*Looks like:* you send the discrepancy email and wait, and the deadline passes. *Why it lies:* typical deadlines run 3 to 7 business days, "There's no law in the US that sets a minimum", and no one has published how long re-approval takes. Some letters carry no date at all. One reported practice, attributed to Google, gives the deadline only verbally. *Check:* get the deadline in writing within 24 hours, and ask for an extension on the same day you find the gap.

### Commission plan "to follow"

*Looks like:* the letter mentions commission and says the plan will be shared after you start. *Why it lies:* for a California commission role, 2751 requires the method to be in writing, and an unwritten plan is a term you cannot grade. *Check:* the plan is attached or dated. If it is not, grade Query, or Hold when commission is a Must-have.

## Pre-signature checklist and keeping the standard current

Before you sign, every item below should be true. If one is false, you are not done, however good the offer looks.

#### Before you sign

- [ ] Each of the nine terms has a grade of Match, Query, or Hold written next to the dated note it was graded against.
- [ ] No term is still graded Hold.
- [ ] Every Query has a written answer from the employer, saved with the letter.
- [ ] Each former Hold is fixed in a revised letter, a signed addendum, or a confirmation from the person the letter names as able to modify terms.
- [ ] The equity line states a share count, or a dollar value with its conversion date and price method.
- [ ] The bonus line has been graded on its discretion and payout-date wording, not only its percentage.
- [ ] For a California commission role, the commission plan is attached or dated, not "to follow".
- [ ] The response deadline, original or extended, is in writing and has not passed.
- [ ] The revised letter has been re-graded from top to bottom, not only at the changed lines.
- [ ] A copy of the signed letter is saved outside the employer's systems.
- [ ] Any background check has cleared before you resign.

### Keeping it current

The grading rule does not change. The facts it relies on can. Re-check these when you use the standard:

- **Statutory notice contents.** The 2810.5 notice has been amended by statute before. Download the current template from the California Department of Industrial Relations, and the current New York forms from the NYDOL notice-of-pay-rate page, rather than relying on an old copy.
- **Other states.** This standard covers only the California and New York statutes above. For any other state, check that state's labor department for a written-notice-at-hire rule.
- **Equity conventions at your employer.** Whether grants are stated in dollars or shares, and when they convert, differs between companies. Ask the recruiter how the conversion works and write the answer down as a dated note.
- **Deadline norms.** The 3 to 7 business day range comes from practitioner sources, not from law. Treat the deadline in your letter or in the employer's email as the only one that counts.

If a Hold cannot be fixed and you walk away, the work goes back to applications. Refolk tailors your resume and cover letter to each new posting and scores how well you fit. That way, the next offer call starts from a role you have already checked, and you have your Must-have list ready before the phone rings.

## Frequently asked questions

### What should I do if the written offer is different from the verbal offer?

Send the recruiter one email that names each difference, quotes what the letter says, and gives the date of the call where you heard something else. Ask which version is correct and whether the correction can go into a revised offer letter. Do not sign and do not resign while the gap is open. If the deadline is close, ask for a new date 2 to 4 business days out in the same email, because re-approval goes through compensation and the hiring manager.

### The recruiter says the bonus never goes in the offer letter. Is that a red flag?

Not on its own. SHRM tells employers they can describe bonus terms briefly or simply refer to the plan, so leaving the bonus out can be ordinary policy. Grade it Query if the bonus was a Nice-to-have and Hold if it was a Must-have. Then ask for written confirmation of the target and payout conditions from the person the letter names as able to change terms, or value the bonus at zero when you decide.

### Is a recruiter's email confirming a term as good as having it in the offer letter?

Usually not. An integration clause, which says the letter is the entire agreement, can override earlier emails, and recruiters typically cannot change terms without re-approval from compensation and the hiring manager. A recruiter email is a fine answer to a Query. A Hold needs a revised letter or a confirmation from the person the letter names as able to change its terms.

### How long do I have to review an offer letter before signing?

Typical deadlines are 3 to 7 business days, and no US law sets a minimum. Some letters carry no date at all and the deadline is only given verbally, so ask for it in writing within 24 hours of the letter arriving. If you find a gap that will take time to fix, ask that same day for a specific new date 2 to 4 business days later.

### Can I resign from my current job once I have accepted the offer verbally?

No. Practitioners note that accepting verbally before the letter arrives is common, and that a verbal acceptance binds neither side. Wait until you have a signed written offer that passed the match and any background check has cleared. Resigning earlier leaves you with no written terms and no job if the letter comes back different or the offer is withdrawn.

### Does the California or New York pay notice replace the offer letter?

No. California's 2810.5 notice covers pay rate and basis, payday, and similar items, and secondary sources say it applies to nonexempt employees. It says nothing about bonus or equity. New York's pay notice is given at the commitment to hire. Neither statute gives you a right to see the document before you sign, so grade the offer letter itself and treat these notices as a cross-check on base pay only.

---

*From the Refolk guide library. I revise these guides rather than replacing them, so the current version is always at https://www.refolk.ai/candidates/guides/written-offer-match-standard*