You've impressed them and they want to hire you for that software engineering role. But between "we want you" and signed offer, there's a complex process in tech companies.

This stage often takes 1-2 weeks and involves multiple stakeholders including engineering managers, HR, and finance making final approvals.

Engagement Message

What's one thing that might cause delays during this final stage in tech hiring?

First comes the internal decision confirmation. The engineering team meets to discuss salary band, start date, and any special terms like remote work or equipment needs.

They need to get budget approval from finance and final sign-off from senior engineering leadership before making anything official.

Engagement Message

Why might finance need to approve even if the engineering role was already budgeted?

Reference checks happen simultaneously with internal approvals. They'll contact 2-3 of your previous tech colleagues or engineering managers to verify your coding skills and team collaboration.

This isn't just a formality - bad references can kill offers even at this late stage in competitive tech hiring.

Engagement Message

What's one way to prepare your references for this stage in tech hiring?

Here's when negotiations happen: after they've confirmed they want you but before the written offer. Tech companies often ask about compensation expectations again.

This is your window to discuss base salary, equity, signing bonus, remote work flexibility, or professional development budgets.

Engagement Message

What's one item beyond salary that you might want to negotiate in a tech role?

Expect 1-2 weeks from verbal interest to written offer. FAANG companies and large tech firms take longer due to more approval layers and legal review processes.

Delays are normal and rarely signal lost interest - but silence beyond two weeks warrants a polite follow-up in the fast-moving tech world.