Employer guide
Employers
What candidates ask before they say yes
1,300
Chats, about
900
Replies, about
3
Pages in the PDF
Who it is for
Hiring managers and founders opening a role
Based on
About 1,300 LinkedIn chats with candidates, May to November 2026
We looked at about 1,300 LinkedIn conversations our team had with candidates between May and November 2026. In about 900 of them the candidate wrote back, and we counted what they asked about.
Pay: the range for the role, or their own current and expected pay: Conversations: about 195
More details or the job description: Conversations: about 150
Work mode: remote, hybrid or on site, and the city: Conversations: about 105
Employment type: full time, contract or freelance: Conversations: about 100
The name of the company, or what kind of company it is: Conversations: about 45
Each of these questions means a trip back to you for the answer. When we have the answers at the start, we can put them in the first message.
Give us these when you open a role
A pay range, even a wide one. Candidates ask for it early, and many share their current and expected pay in the same message. Of the 45 who gave both figures in chat, the median ask was about 50% above what they earn now. On our longer profiling calls, with a different group, the median was 34%.
Work mode and city. Remote, hybrid (how many days) or on site, and the office area. Candidates who cannot relocate or commute say no at once, which saves everyone time.
Employment type. Full time, fixed-term contract or freelance, and for contracts the length and whether it can turn into a full time role.
What we may say about the company. We keep your name private until you agree. Candidates still want to know what kind of company it is: what you make, team size, stage, funding. One or two lines we may share is enough.
A job description we can link, live for the whole search. Candidates check it before they reply.
What changes when you do
Candidates who get the range, the work mode and a line about the company in the first message can decide quickly. Those who would say no tell us early, and those who say yes come to the call ready to talk about the work.
Playdawn was founded in 2016 and recruits for games, interactive tech and robotics.
