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title: Setup and customization checklist description: Trigger setup, placeholders, policy decisions and the behaviour that must never be removed.

Setup and customization checklist

1. Trigger setup

The skill fires when a candidate moves to an offer stage, or on demand ("build the close for [candidate]"). Reference trigger:

[Candidate] has moved to offer stage for [role].

Load and follow the <Sales hire offer close> skill in full.

Context for this run:
- Candidate and role: [ATS link or ID]
- Approved ceiling and approver: [figure, name], or "not yet approved"
- Who holds the candidate relationship: [name]
- Target start date, if known: [date]

• {{ATS}} returns interview and debrief notes, not only stage changes. The motive check depends on the notes.
• {{COMP_APPROVER}} is named per role, and knows they are asked for a ceiling before the offer, not a sign-off after.
• {{CALENDAR}} can create events or tasks for {{OFFER_OWNER}}.
• {{REVIEW_CHANNEL}} exists and the hiring manager reads it.

2. Placeholders

• {{ATS}}, {{COMP_APPROVER}}, {{REVIEW_CHANNEL}}, {{CALENDAR}}, {{OFFER_OWNER}}, {{CURRENCY}}, {{PACKAGE_BASIS}} all filled.
• {{PACKAGE_BASIS}} written out in one line, including how equity is valued. Without it, two people compare different numbers.

3. Policy decisions

• Start in trial mode for the first three offers.
• What flexes without a new approval. Sign-on, equity, start date, title, review date. Write it down.
• Sign-on clawback terms. Decide them now, not during the close.
• Commission disclosure. Decide what you will show a candidate about how the last cohort was actually paid. If the honest answer is uncomfortable, fix the plan before hiring into it.
• Your own gap thresholds. The defaults in offer-structures.md are practice-based. Replace them with your own once you have ten offers of data.

4. Behaviour that must never be removed

• The close-ready gate runs first, and a failed check stops the plan.
• No figure is estimated. Every number is confirmed by the candidate or the approver.
• Every structure is priced on cost, signal and risk.
• The counter-offer rating cites its evidence.
• Statistics are used only with their source, year and population.
• No pressure tactics, guilt or exploding deadlines.
• Protected attributes are never inputs.
• No offer is made, changed or recorded as accepted without a human.
• Every write is read back, and failures are reported on the card.