The Definition of Offer Acceptance Rate
Offer acceptance rate is the percentage of formal offers extended to VP or C-suite candidates that result in accepted offers. It is calculated across a defined period or portfolio of searches, and is one of the most meaningful indicators of executive search quality — reflecting the accuracy of candidate assessment, the strength of offer design, and the depth of the candidate relationship managed by the search firm.
An industry average offer acceptance rate for executive searches runs approximately 70–80%. Majhi Group's rate is above 90%. The difference is not negotiation skill — it is assessment quality and the elimination of misaligned offers before they are extended.
What Drives Offer Acceptance Rate
Candidate motivation assessment
Candidates who accept offers have a genuine reason to make a move. Surfacing that reason — and validating it before advancing a candidate to the shortlist — is the most important driver of offer acceptance. A candidate who is "open to opportunities" without a specific motivation is a counter-offer risk.
Offer design quality
Offers that address the candidate's actual priorities — not just base salary — accept faster and at higher rates. Understanding what a candidate values (equity upside, flexibility, growth opportunity, scope) before the offer is designed is the search firm's responsibility.
Counter-offer management
A search firm that manages the candidate relationship deeply — maintaining honest, frequent communication through the process — reduces counter-offer risk at close. A firm that appears only to push candidates toward offers is not managing the relationship.
Shortlist accuracy
High shortlist approval and offer acceptance rates are correlated. If the right candidates are on the shortlist, the offer that follows is to a candidate who is genuinely fit for the role and genuinely motivated to take it. Accurate shortlists produce high acceptance rates.
Offer Acceptance Rate Benchmarks
"A 90%+ offer acceptance rate is not about being good at negotiation. It is about not extending offers to candidates who are not going to accept them. Every offer we extend has been stress-tested before it is made: we know the candidate's motivation, their compensation priorities, and their counter-offer risk level. The outcome is a formality."
Why Offer Acceptance Rate Matters
A declined offer restarts the search from the selection stage — typically adding 4–6 weeks to the timeline and reopening cost of vacancy. For a company paying a retained search fee, a declined offer is expensive in both direct cost and opportunity cost. High offer acceptance rates mean searches close when they should, and placements begin when the company needs them.