Build Skill — Offer Letter and Closing Script Production Workflow

How to Use This Skill

Follow this workflow in order. No offer is delivered without client authorization. No release communication is sent without practitioner review.

Step 1: Read Reference Data

Read the client's reference data file. Every proper noun must match.

Step 2: Confirm Authorization

Before building anything, confirm:

• Specific compensation offer authorized by the client
• All special terms authorized (signing bonus, relocation, title, start date)
• Negotiation authority defined
• Client's threshold confirmed
• Contingencies confirmed with client HR

If any authorization is missing, stop and get it. Do not draft an offer letter with placeholder compensation. The draft becomes the deliverable too easily.

Step 3: Read the Extraction Interview

Routing Check

• Extraction available → proceed
• No extraction → stop. Go to 06-consultant-methodology.md first.

Read all source material:

• Extraction interview transcript (primary)
• Compensation benchmarking output
• Screening notes for the selected candidate
• Debrief summary and scorecard evidence
• Client HR requirements for offer letters

Step 4: Identify Gaps

Work through the Required Inputs table in 01-context.md. Common gaps:

• Negotiation authority not defined
• Contingencies not confirmed
• Release protocol not captured for all stages
• Post-acceptance plan not defined
• Handoff to HR/onboarding not specified

Document every gap.

Step 5: Stop — Present Gap Report to Advisor

Do not proceed until every gap is resolved.

Step 6: Build the Verbal Offer Script

The verbal offer is a conversation, not a script. Build talking points, not a document to read from.

Talking Point Structure

1. Opening — Set the tone. Warm, personal, genuine. The practitioner has been working with this candidate for weeks or months. This is a moment, not a transaction.

1. The news. Clear and direct: the organization has selected them. If appropriate, share who made the decision and express the team's enthusiasm.

1. Why them. 1-2 specific reasons drawn from the evaluation — not generic praise. "The board was particularly impressed by your approach to organizational transformation at [prior role]" not "everyone really liked you." This is where debrief evidence and scorecard data become valuable.

1. The terms. Present clearly:

• Title
• Compensation (base + any variable)
• Start date (confirmed or proposed)
• Reporting structure
• Location / working conditions
• Benefits overview (high level — details in the written offer)
• Any special provisions (signing bonus, relocation)

1. Next steps. Written offer coming within [timeframe]. Candidate has [X days] to review and decide. Encourage them to take the time they need.

1. Open for questions. The candidate will have questions. Be prepared for negotiation to start here. If the candidate asks for something within authority, respond. If outside authority, say "Let me look into that and get back to you within [timeframe]."

1. Close. Reiterate enthusiasm. Confirm the practitioner is the point of contact for any questions.

Negotiation Preparation

Before the call, prepare:

• The authorized offer number
• The threshold (maximum the client will go)
• The candidate's likely ask (from screening data)
• Non-salary items the client has flexibility on (start date, remote work, title, signing bonus)
• The escalation path if the candidate asks for something outside authority

Step 7: Build the Written Offer Letter

Coordinate with the client's HR team. The practitioner typically drafts; HR/legal reviews and finalizes.

Offer Letter Sections

1. Opening — "On behalf of [Organization], we are pleased to offer you the position of [Title]..."
2. Compensation — Base salary, payment frequency, any variable compensation
3. Benefits — Summary or reference to detailed documentation
4. Start date — Confirmed date
5. Reporting — Who the role reports to
6. Location — On-site, hybrid, remote, travel expectations
7. Special provisions — Signing bonus, relocation assistance, any negotiated terms
8. Contingencies — "This offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of [background check / reference check / etc.]"
9. Employment classification — At-will, contract, exempt/non-exempt
10. Restrictive covenants — Non-compete, non-solicitation (if applicable, per client legal)
11. Offer expiration — "Please indicate your acceptance by [date]"
12. Signature lines — Client authority signature block + candidate acceptance block

Cross-Check

Before sending, verify:

• Every term matches the verbal offer exactly
• Nothing appears in writing that wasn't discussed verbally
• Contingencies are accurate per client HR policy
• The letter has been reviewed by client HR/legal

Step 8: Manage Negotiation

If the candidate negotiates:

1. Listen fully. Let the candidate state what they're asking for before responding.
2. Assess against authority. Is this within the practitioner's negotiation authority?

• Yes → respond with an adjusted offer or a middle-ground proposal
• No → "Thank you for sharing that. Let me discuss this with [the organization] and get back to you by [specific time]."

1. Escalate if needed. Contact the client, present the candidate's ask, and get authorization for adjusted terms before responding.
2. Document the outcome. Whatever is agreed upon must be reflected in the written offer. Update the letter before sending.
3. Confirm in writing. After verbal agreement on negotiated terms, send the updated written offer.

Negotiation Principles

• Represent the client's interests fairly. The practitioner is not the candidate's advocate. The goal is a fair outcome within the approved range.
• Treat the candidate with respect. Negotiation is expected and normal. It is not adversarial.
• Never exceed authority without escalating. No verbal commitment outside the approved parameters.
• Compensation floor is the floor. If a candidate's prior salary was below the range floor, the offer does not go below the floor. The range was set based on the role's market value, not the candidate's prior compensation.

Step 9: Build Release Communications

For every candidate not selected, build the appropriate release communication.

By Stage

Pre-screen / not qualified:

• Method: Email
• Timing: Within 2 weeks
• Content: Warm, brief. "We've reviewed your qualifications and have decided to move forward with candidates whose experience more closely aligns with the role."
• Personalization: Candidate name + role title

Post-screen / not advancing:

• Method: Phone call + email follow-up
• Timing: Within 1 week of decision
• Content: Acknowledges the conversation. Thanks them for their time. Brief and warm.

Post-practitioner-interview / not advancing:

• Method: Phone call + email follow-up
• Timing: Within 1 week of decision
• Content: Specific — acknowledges their strengths, explains the decision at whatever level of transparency is appropriate.

Post-team-interview / not advancing:

• Method: Phone call + written follow-up
• Timing: Within 48 hours of decision
• Content: Highly personal. Acknowledges the investment of time. May offer specific feedback if appropriate and the practitioner judges it would be well-received.

Post-finals / not selected:

• Method: Phone call + written follow-up
• Timing: Within 24-48 hours of decision
• Content: Fully personal. Acknowledges the candidate's significant investment. Expresses genuine appreciation. If appropriate, preserves the relationship for future opportunities.

Close-Out Communication

Once the role is filled and the selected candidate has accepted:

• All remaining candidates in the process receive a close-out communication
• Personalized by stage (how far they progressed)
• Thanks them for their participation
• Confirms the search is complete
• Sent within one week of offer acceptance

Step 10: Build Post-Acceptance Plan

Between offer acceptance and start date:

1. Confirmation communication — Written confirmation of acceptance with start date details, first-day logistics, and contact information for questions
2. Warm communication cadence — Define frequency (weekly, bi-weekly) and who maintains contact
3. Content for warm communications — Updates on the team, organizational news, anything that keeps the new hire connected and excited
4. Counter-offer contingency — If the new hire mentions their current employer made a counter-offer, the practitioner is available to talk through the decision
5. Handoff to client HR/onboarding — Define when and how the practitioner transitions the relationship. What information does HR need? What does the new hire need from HR before day one?

Step 11: Run Gate 2 QC

Run the Gate 2 checklist from 04-quality.md.

Step 12: Deliver for Advisor Review

After Gate 2 passes, present all deliverables to the advisor. Nothing goes to the client or the candidate until the advisor reviews.

When Building a Revision

If negotiation changes the terms, if the start date shifts, if contingency outcomes change the offer status:

1. Identify what changed
2. Update all affected deliverables
3. Re-run Gate 2 QC
4. Get client re-authorization for any term changes