Hiring decisions
Use an offer decision checklist before seeking approval
Before requesting an offer, confirm that the selection decision is documented, the role and level are still accurate, all internal approvals are current, and the proposed terms match what has been discussed. Revisit the candidate's priorities and likely questions. Assign one owner for approval, communication, and handoff so momentum does not create avoidable errors.
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Confirm the hiring decision is complete
An offer request should follow a decision, not become the method for forcing one. Check that must-have evidence is present, material concerns are resolved or consciously accepted, and the decision owner has stated why this candidate fits the role. If the committee is still divided because evidence is missing, collect that evidence first. Do not use offer urgency to bury an unfinished assessment.
Reconcile the role and terms
Compare the approved requisition, interview promise, and proposed offer side by side. Confirm title, level, reporting line, location or remote expectations, start-date assumptions, and any agreed working pattern. Route compensation and policy questions through the responsible internal teams. Small discrepancies can damage trust because the candidate has built a decision around what managers said during the process.
Revisit candidate priorities
Return to what the candidate said matters: scope, manager access, learning, team setup, location, timing, or another practical condition. Prepare honest answers and name anything still uncertain. This is not a final sales script. It is a check that the offer represents a workable mutual choice. If the role has changed, explain the change before asking for commitment.
- Selection rationale and open risks recorded
- Role, level, manager, and work setup reconciled
- Approvers and response dates confirmed
- Candidate priorities and likely questions reviewed
- Onboarding owner and provisional start plan named
Plan the offer conversation
Decide who will speak with the candidate, what can be answered immediately, and where written documentation will follow. Allow space for questions rather than reading terms at speed. If a request falls outside current approval, state the review process and a realistic return time. Keep one point of contact so the candidate does not receive conflicting messages from a recruiter, manager, and leader.
Catch a mismatch before it travels
Illustrative example: a Chennai design finalist interviewed for a hybrid role reporting to the design head. The draft request lists office-based work and a different manager after an internal reorganisation. The checklist catches both changes. The company clarifies the actual model with the candidate and updates approval before presenting terms, preventing a surprise that could otherwise appear after acceptance. Store the completed checklist with the offer decision so later handoffs can see what was confirmed. If approval expires or the candidate asks for a material change, rerun the affected items rather than relying on the earlier review. The checklist is a decision control, not a one-time ceremony.
Next step
Run the five-part checklist with the hiring manager and recruiter in one sitting, and resolve every mismatch before the offer request enters approval.