What should you check before you accept a job offer

12.11.2025

An offer lands. Your pulse jumps. This is where many candidates rush to “yes” and regret it later. Just pause for an hour. Check the details. Ask the right questions with calm confidence.

This is our guide to spotting red flags, clarifying terms, and knowing when to push back or walk away.

Quick checks: timing and next steps

How a firm handles your offer often predicts how they operate.

  • Time from final interview to verbal offer. Long silences without updates suggest poor coordination.
  • Time from verbal offer to paperwork. Efficient employers issue heads of terms within a few days. If you are still waiting after a week with no explanation, be cautious.
  • Clarity of next steps. You should know who sends the contract, what checks are required, and the start date window.

If the basics feel disorganised now, expect similar patterns after you join.

Contract must-haves

In the UK you must receive a written statement of employment particulars on or before day one. It sets out the main conditions of employment. Check these items as a minimum.

  • Job title and reporting line
  • Place of work and any mobility clauses
  • Hours, overtime, and on-call rules
  • Salary, pay review timing, and bonus mechanics
  • Holiday entitlement and how carry-over works
  • Probation length and notice during probation
  • Notice period after probation
  • Benefits, eligibility dates, and waiting periods
  • Any post-termination restrictions

If a key detail is missing, ask for it in writing before you accept.

Red flags that deserve a slow “maybe”

  • Vague variable pay. “Bonus at company discretion” without criteria or timing is hard to rely on. Ask for the formula, the assessment cycle, and typical payout ranges.
  • Open-ended mobility. “Anywhere in the UK” can become weekly travel. Seek a defined radius or “reasonable travel with expenses”.
  • Probation with weak support. Long probation and short notice for you, plus minimal training, increases risk.
  • Restrictive covenants that are too broad. Look for realistic geography, duration, and scope. Ensure wording is tailored to your role.
  • Missing benefits detail. “Private medical available” means little without provider, level, dependants, and waiting period.

What missing details often mean

  • No start date window. Likely internal dependency issues. Push for an agreed latest start.
  • No reporting line or objectives. The role may be under-scoped. Ask for a 90-day plan.
  • No clarity on hybrid rules. Expect office drift. Request the weekly pattern in the contract or an addendum.
  • No bonus wording. Treat any figure as discretionary until written criteria appear.

Use a simple checklist to make sure everything that matters is written down.

How to ask for clarity without spooking the offer

Tone matters. Assume good intent. Keep requests short and specific. Use bullets. Propose wording.

Email template

Thanks for the offer. I am excited about the role and team. To finalise, please can we confirm three points:

  1. Bonus. Confirm target, criteria, and payment month.
  2. Hybrid working. Confirm two office days per week, typically Tue and Thu.
  3. Probation. Six months with one week’s notice each way during probation, rising to eight weeks after.If you are happy with the above, I can sign today.

This approach signals momentum and trust. It also reduces back-and-forth.

When to push back

Push back when the change is material, common in your market, and easy to justify.

  • Notice period asymmetry. Ask for symmetry after probation, for example eight weeks both ways.
  • Unclear bonus triggers. Request a one-page bonus schedule with targets and eligibility rules.
  • Scope creep via mobility. Ask for a defined region, and cap overnight travel without prior agreement.
  • Over-broad non-compete. Suggest narrowing to competitors you will actually engage with, and a reasonable duration.

If there is a sign-on payment tied to restrictions, ask for the tax treatment and any clawback terms in writing.

When to walk away

  • Repeated missed deadlines with no explanation or apology
  • Major terms change late in the process
  • Pressure to resign before the paperwork is issued
  • Refusal to document key promises

Good employers answer fair questions. If clarity is unwelcome, treat that as a signal.

Your balancing act

You do not want to look untrusting. You also need the facts. Keep requests to three to five items. Bundle them once. Offer wording. Confirm you are ready to sign once clarified. This shows you are decisive, not difficult.

Quick checklist before you accept

  • I have the essentials in writing
  • I understand probation, notice, bonus rules, and hybrid pattern
  • Any restrictive covenants are specific and time-limited
  • Start date and onboarding plan are clear
  • The offer process was timely and communicative

Keep that list close. It is simple and it protects you.

Want a second opinion in confidence?

Send the offer and we will sense-check it against market norms across claims, loss adjusting, and financial services. You browse live jobs, or talk to our team on 0161 973 6900 today.

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