Pre-Offer in Zoho Recruit

Offer Negotiation with Pre-Offer in Zoho Recruit

Pre-Offer lets recruiters share proposed offer details with candidates for discussion and negotiation before sending the Final Offer. It provides a flexible way to discuss changes and clarify offer details, ensuring that the Final Offer reflects the agreed-upon terms.

When to use a Pre-Offer  

Use a Pre-Offer when:
  1. Offer details need to be discussed or negotiated based on the candidate's input.
  2. The candidate may have questions or concerns about the proposed offer.
  3. The recruiter expects multiple rounds of discussion and updates before finalizing the offer.
  4. The recruiter wants to work through the proposed offer details before preparing the Final Offer.
All discussions and changes can be handled through the Pre-Offer. Once the offer details are finalized, the recruiter can convert the Pre-Offer into a Final Offer. The Final Offer will then include the finalized offer details.

NotesNote:
Pre-Offer sharing supports email delivery only. E-signature is available only after the Pre-Offer is converted to a Final Offer.

 

Pre-Offer

Final Offer

Purpose

Used to discuss and negotiate the proposed offer details.

Used to issue the finalized offer.

When to use

When offer details may need discussion or changes.

When the offer details are finalized.

Changes

Can be revised and shared again during the discussion.

Represents the final offer and cannot be reverted to a Pre-Offer.

Delivery

Email

Available delivery options, including e-signature

 

NotesAvailability  
  1. Users whose profile has the Customize Zoho Recruit permission can enable the Pre-Offer feature.
  2. The permissions required to generate a Pre-Offer letter are the same as those required to generate an Offer letter. For more information, refer to the Availability section in the Offer Letter Generation help document.

 Pre-Offer workflow   

The complete negotiation process follows this lifecycle:

 1. Enable Pre-Offer   

Before recruiters can use Pre-Offer, the feature must be enabled for the organization. You can enable Pre-Offer in either of the following ways:
  1. While creating an offer—Enable Pre-Offer directly from the Create Offer page.
  2. From the Offer module layout — Add the Offer Phase field to the Offer layout.

 Method 1: While creating an offer   

  1. Navigate to the Offers module and click Create Offer.

  2. In the Create Offer form, click the Enable Pre-Offer option.  

    Notes
    Note:
    If you click Do It Later, the Introducing Pre-Offer information box will no longer be displayed for your account. To enable the Pre-Offer feature later, you must follow Method 2: From the Offer Module Layout.

  3. Once enabled this way, Pre-Offer becomes available for the organization.

 Method 2: Through the Offers module layout 

  1. Go to Setup → Customization → Modules → Offers.
  2. Open the Offer layout.
  3. Drag the Offer Phase field from Unused Fields into the layout.

  4. Save the layout. After saving this layout, PreOffer feature  will get enabled.

Notes
Note:
Pre-Offer can be enabled at any time, but once enabled, it cannot be disabled.

   2. Generate the Pre-Offer  

  1. Navigate Offers module and click Create Offer icon
  2. When creating an offer, you can choose the Offer Phase.
    1. Pre-Offer
      Used for negotiation and discussion before the official offer.
    2. Final Offer
      Used after both parties have agreed on all terms.   
  3. Select Pre-Offer as the Offer Phase.

  4. Now Save and Next.

 3. Send the Pre-Offer   

After reviewing the letter, click Send Pre-Offer.
The candidate receives an email with a secure link to review the Pre-Offer.

Once the Pre-Offer is sent:
  1. The Offer record is updated with the corresponding Pre-Offer made status.
  2. The Pre-Offer letter PDF is added to the Offer record under the Pre-Offer attachment category.
The recruiter can now track the negotiation directly from the Offer record.

 4. Candidate reviews the Pre-Offer   

The candidate opens the Pre-Offer from the email and reviews the offer details. They have two options.

 1. Request Revisions

The candidate asks for changes to salary, benefits, or other offer terms. Result
  1. Offer status → Pre-Offer revision requested
  2. Candidate comments are added to Notes.

 2. Accept Pre-Offer 

The candidate confirms that the negotiated terms are acceptable. Result
  1. Offer status → Pre-Offer Accepted
  2. Candidate confirmation is added to Notes.

Notes
Note:
Accepting a Pre-Offer does not mean accepting employment. It only confirms that the recruiter and candidate agree on the negotiated terms before the Final Offer is issued.

Pre-Offer Status

Description

Pre-Offer Sent

The Pre-Offer has been sent to the candidate and is awaiting their response.

Pre-Offer Revision Requested

The candidate has requested changes to the proposed Pre-Offer details.

Pre-Offer Accepted

The candidate has accepted the negotiated Pre-Offer details, and the Pre-Offer is ready to be converted into a Final Offer.

 

5. The Recruiter reviews the response   

After the candidate responds, the recruiter decides the next action. If revisions were requested  
  1. Choose Revise Pre-Offer.
  2. Open the existing Pre-Offer and review the candidate's feedback.
  3. Update the offer details and send the updated Pre-Offer.

The revised Pre-Offer is sent to the candidate, and the negotiation cycle continues until candidate accepts the pre-offer.
Notes
Note:
Pre-Offer supports multiple rounds of negotiation until both parties agree. This process can repeat as many times as required before converting the offer to a Final Offer.

 6. Convert to Final Offer   

Once the candidate accepts the Pre-Offer, the recruiter can convert it into a Final Offer.


After conversion  
  1. The Final Offer can be sent directly through email or through a supported e-signature service, including Zoho Sign, DocuSign, and Adobe Acrobat Sign.
  2. The original Pre-Offer PDF remains available in the Offer record under the Pre-Offer attachment category.
  3. The Final Offer PDF is added under the Offer attachment category.

 Filter Pre-Offer Records   

You can filter Offer records based on their Offer Phase to quickly view Pre-Offer or Final Offer records from the Offers list page.
  1. Navigate to the Offers module.
  2. Click the Filter icon and Select Offer Phase as the filter criteria.
  3. Choose Pre-Offer to view all Pre-Offer records, or Final Offer to view Final Offer records.
  4. Click Apply Filter.

7. Generate and send the Final Offer

After converting the Pre-Offer into a Final Offer, you can generate the Final Offer letter using the finalized offer details. You can then review and send the offer to the candidate through the available delivery options, including e-signature.

For detailed instructions on generating and sending Final Offer letters, see Generating Offer Letters.