Email template · Offers
Counter offer response email
In short
A response to a candidate counter offer tells the candidate what you can and cannot change after they ask for more pay or better terms. The best replies are fast, specific and final-sounding. Below are four templates: agreeing to the request, meeting them partway with a revised offer, holding at the original number, and improving non-salary terms instead.
When to send it: Reply within one business day of the counter, after you have approval for your answer. Call first for salaried roles, then send the email so the revised terms are in writing.
Counter offer response email: 4 versions
Agreeing to the request
SubjectUpdated offer for [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], Thanks for being straightforward about what you were looking for. I talked with [Manager Name], and we're happy to move the base salary to [New Salary]. Everything else in the offer stays the same: start date of [Start Date], [Bonus / Benefits Summary], reporting to [Manager Name]. Your revised offer letter is here: [Offer Link]. Could you let us know by [Offer Deadline]? We're really looking forward to having you on the team. Best, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Meeting partway (revised offer)
SubjectRevised offer: [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], Thank you for sharing your counter. We took it seriously and went back to look at the budget for the role and how it compares with others on the team. We can increase the base salary to [New Salary], up from [Original Salary]. [We can also add a one-time sign-on bonus of [Sign-on Amount], paid with your first paycheck.] This is the strongest offer we're able to make for this role. Your updated offer letter is here: [Offer Link]. Please let me know your decision by [Offer Deadline], and call me at [Phone Number] if it would help to talk it through. Best, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Holding at the original offer
SubjectRe: your [Job Title] offer
Hi [First Name], Thanks for coming back to us, and for being clear about what you're hoping for. We looked hard at your request. The salary for this role is set within a range that we apply to everyone in the same position, and our offer of [Original Salary] is where we need to stay. I know that isn't the answer you were looking for. What I can share is how pay grows from here: [Review Cycle / Merit Increase Timing / Progression Path]. [Manager Name] would be glad to talk through that and the role itself if useful. The offer stands until [Offer Deadline]. Whatever you decide, we've really enjoyed getting to know you. Best, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Improving non-salary terms
SubjectUpdated terms for your [Job Title] offer
Hi [First Name], Thanks for your note. We aren't able to move the base salary above [Original Salary], but we did look at other parts of the offer, and here's what we can do: - [Extra PTO Days] additional days of paid time off in your first year - [Remote Days / Schedule Change] - [Sign-on Bonus or Relocation Amount] - A pay review at [Review Date] rather than the standard [Standard Review Timing] The updated letter is here: [Offer Link]. Let me know by [Offer Deadline], or grab time with me here if you'd like to talk: [Scheduling Link]. Best, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Subject line ideas
- Updated offer for [Job Title]
- Revised offer: [Job Title] at [Company]
- Re: your [Job Title] offer
- Following up on your counter
- Our response to your offer questions
- Updated terms for your offer
- [First Name], here's where we landed
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. I've emailed our response to your counter on the [Job Title] offer, including updated terms. Have a look when you can and call or reply with questions. Deadline is [Offer Deadline]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Company], [Manager Name], [Original Salary], [New Salary], [Sign-on Amount], [Start Date], [Offer Link], [Offer Deadline], [Review Date], [Scheduling Link], [Your Name], [Title], [Phone Number]
Decide before you reply
The email is the easy part. The real work is deciding your answer and getting it approved before you write a word. Before replying, know three things: the top of the approved range for the role, what current employees in the same job earn, and which non-salary levers you actually control (sign-on bonus, start date, PTO, remote days, an early pay review).
Check internal equity first. Paying a new hire above people already doing the job well is the fastest way to create a pay compression problem and, in some cases, a pay equity risk. If the counter is above what your best performer in the role earns, a sign-on bonus is usually the better tool because it does not compound.
Then make one counter, not three. Candidates respect a single clear revised offer labeled as final. Haggling over email in $1,000 steps tells them there is always more if they push.
Call first, then confirm in writing
For salaried roles, give the answer by phone. You hear the reaction, and if you are holding firm you can talk about the role, the team and the pay progression in a way an email can't. Then send the matching template within the hour so the revised terms are written down.
Any change to pay, bonus or start date needs a new offer letter, not just a line in an email. Regenerating it from the same job offer record avoids the classic mistake of an email saying $78,000 and an attached letter still saying $75,000.
For high-volume hourly hiring, counters are less common and the answer is usually fixed: pay rates are set by role, shift and site. A short, respectful reply that explains the rate structure and any shift differential is enough.
Tone when the answer is no
Saying no to a counter does not have to lose the candidate. Many accept the original offer after a clear, warm no, especially if they asked because they felt they should rather than because they had a better offer. What loses them is a reply that sounds irritated or defensive.
Thank them for asking. Explain the reason in one sentence (a set range, internal equity, a fixed budget) without apologizing at length. Then point to something real: when pay is reviewed, how people in the role have progressed, or a non-salary term you can improve. If you already discussed pay expectations earlier, for example with a salary expectations email at screening, a gentle reference to that range is fair.
Legal and fairness notes
Several US states and cities ban asking for salary history, and some restrict relying on it even if the candidate volunteers it. Base your response on the role's range and the candidate's skills, not on what they earn now. In states with pay transparency laws, the final offer should sit within the range you posted. Keep notes on why a counter was accepted or declined; consistent, documented decisions are your best defense against a pay discrimination claim. Rules vary by state and city, so check with HR or counsel for your locations.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting days to reply. Silence reads as rejection, and competing employers fill the gap.
- Revising the offer by email only, without a new letter for the candidate to sign.
- Calling the offer final and then moving again. You lose credibility with this hire and every future one they talk to.
- Matching a counter that breaks internal equity without a plan for the existing team.
- Pressure tactics like shortening the deadline because they negotiated.
If the candidate declines after all, reply graciously with an offer decline acknowledgement email. If they accept, send the confirmation and move straight to onboarding; the original job offer email structure works well for the revised version.
Frequently asked questions
How do you respond to a candidate's counter offer?
Get your answer approved first, call the candidate to share it, then confirm by email with a revised offer letter if anything changed. Be specific about what you can and cannot move, and give a clear new deadline.
How do you write a salary negotiation email to a candidate?
Thank them for the request, state the new number or explain why the original stands, list any non-salary changes, and link the updated letter. Keep it short and make it sound final.
How do you tell a candidate you cannot meet their salary request?
Say it plainly in the first few lines, give a one-sentence reason such as a fixed range or internal equity, and point to future pay growth or other terms you can improve. Keep the original offer open until a stated date.
Should a revised offer email include a new offer letter?
Yes. Any change to pay, bonus, title or start date should be reflected in a new letter for signature so the email and the formal record match.
Is it OK to offer a sign-on bonus instead of higher salary?
Often it is the better choice. A one-time bonus closes the gap without raising the base above peers, which protects internal pay equity.
Can I withdraw an offer because a candidate negotiated?
Legally it is usually possible in at-will states, but it damages your employer reputation and is rarely worth it. Answer the counter and let the candidate decide.