Requesting for a sign-on bonus while entering into a new employment agreement might be a tricky conversation to have.
Learning how to compose an email requesting a sign-on bonus can be a great skill for you to improve your finances, and in this blog post we will learn how to do that through best practices, tips and a template you can copy-paste. So let us get started.
Tips to Remember
Research industry standards on what is being offered in the market as far as sign-on bonuses are concerned. If there is no such practice, then sending out an exorbitant proposal would be of no help.
Send the proposal for the sign-on bonus after the offer has been made to you and you have clearly gone through it to assess if there is wiggle room for more.
Clearly state the value you will be adding to the role, so that your employer or hiring manager can convince themselves and others on why giving you a sign-on bonus might be a good investment.
Show gratitude to the hiring manager or Human Resources manager for considering your request and be appreciative of their receptive attitude since that is not the norm.
Best Practices
Keep the email clear and concise and tell them exactly what you are looking for and do not hesitate to share additional context on why you think your proposal is reasonable.
Maintain a professional tone throughout the email and be very specific about why you are asking for the bonus without sounds prudish or arrogant.
Keep your terms a bit flexible so that your employer knows that there is wiggle room to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal, if you are rigid then it might make it easy for your employer to deny your request.
Keep the email confidential and send it only to the concerned person after verifying. Do not share your negation or amount details with people at the workplace since it can disrupt team morale.
Sample Email Template for Requesting a Sign-on Bonus
Subject: Requesting a Sign-on Bonus
Hello {Recipient’s Name},
Hope you are doing well. My name is [Your Name] and I was recently hired for the role of [Role] in [Department] with my joining date being [Joining Date].
I am writing this email to request a sign-on bonus after reviewing my offer letter. After researching I believe a sign-on bonus of $ [Amount] would be fair and in line with the industry standard. I would also like give my assurance that [List Things You Will be Bringing to the Job] and will justify your investment into my sign-on bonus.
That said, I would like to thank you for the job confirmation and affording me an opportunity to work at [Company Name], I will strive to ensure that I meet your expectations satisfactorily.
Finally, thanks for considering my request, and I look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to reach out to me via email on [Your Email Address] or on my phone at [Your Phone Number]. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
[Your Name]
[Mobile Number]
Conclusion
One of the best ways to earn more is by asking for a sign-on bonus when entering into a new job agreement and by following the tips and best practices indicated in this post, you are now ready to draft an effective email asking for a sign-on bonus.
Thanks for reading. Need guidance on other email situations like writing an email to refer a friend for a job? Check out our detailed blog post!
