Equity agreements allow entrepreneurs to secure funding for their start-up by giving up a portion of ownership of their company to investors. In short, these arrangements typically involve investors providing capital in exchange for shares of stock which they will hold and potentially sell in the future for a profit.
Beyond the college graduate market, employers typically use signing bonuses—which can be 5% to 10% of the base salary for middle managers and professionals—to attract key employees.
Signing bonuses are most typically awarded to top executives, upper management, middle management, and professional staff, World at Work learned. For managers and executives, signing bonuses typically ranged from $10,000 to more than $50,000.
4 tips for how to structure sign-on bonuses Paying a portion upfront and the rest after a probationary period. Paying in installments, with later payments due only if the employee remains for a set period, such as six months or a year.