Hacker News Reader

Comment by agentgt | Hacker News Reader

I actually saw this article and was immediately thinking of an additional product my company could sell (we sell recruiting software).

But then I started playing devils advocate. If your sending an offer letter wouldn't you want it really personal and not as much about the $$$. Wouldn't you want to cite memorable and salient specifics about the individual.

This letter seemed like it was completely automated. It didn't seem "sticky" at all. I think a "personal" letter might have greater success particularly for smaller companies hiring expensive talent. Obviously you need to state what the candidate would be receiving for compensation but I think making it the only focus will lead to price comparisons.

View on HN

I disagree, not only does this give me a huge amount of insight into the company (more than I've ever seen from an offer letter), if it is automated that's actually a plus to me: it shows that they know this stuff is an important part of the offer and are showing it to everyone. I don't need to hear nice stuff about myself, I need to deeply understand the deal I'm making.

Plus, there's nothing that stops them from adding a personal cover letter to this.

Recruiter here. You raise a good point: I think this takes the need for compensation transparency to an extreme.

However, I strongly support this concept overall. Often, I see the offer letter essentially presented as a formality once the basics are agreed upon. The candidate has completed the interview process, decided his/her non-financial interests in the opportunity, and received that "personal" positive reinforcement from the hiring manager & team. At this point: sure, the offer letter can include a personalized message to start, but ultimately it's for the candidate to review the hard facts: compensation, benefits, disclosures, etc.

I applaud this, but I'm cynical and think it would require an overhaul of the entire system regarding compensation transparency. The status quo offer letter simply benefits the company, and it's hard to justify changing course when only a tiny minority of companies are following suit. If this trend took off, then the threat of a competitive disadvantage come offer time would be a worthwhile motivator. I hope it happens someday.

It does feel really robotic. I appreciate the transparency, but it also implies "you're an equation - and as soon as your numbers don't make sense for our bottom line, you're position shall be liquidated"

Yeah, I think a hybrid approach might benefit. Even a section in the middle that is evidently 'personalized' or custom written (even if you guide management as to what to write) might help.

"We are excited by what you have to offer in the data science field - we are looking forward to seeing how you can ..."

Reply on news.ycombinator.com