An offer where the base is fixed but the equity has room
Picture a product manager with an offer where the recruiter states early that the base salary band is fixed for the level, but hints that the equity grant has more flexibility. New-offer mode runs that exact conversation.
The AI recruiter holds the line on base pay, points to the level's compensation band as company policy, and the candidate has to decide whether to push on equity instead, ask about a signing bonus, or make the case for a higher level entirely based on scope of the role described.
What the session actually asks
In new-offer mode, expect the conversation to open with naming the specific lever being pushed on, equity, a signing bonus, or the level itself, since a vague request for more overall compensation gets a different response than a specific one. Pushback follows naturally, a comment that the base band is fixed by level, or a question about what comparable data supports a higher equity ask.
In internal-raise mode, the same session instead runs a working PM's promotion-tied raise request, testing whether specific scope expansion, more direct reports, a bigger product area, gets used as the actual argument rather than tenure alone. Neither mode is meant to trail off unresolved, both are expected to land on a concrete next step before ending.
Scoring
How the report reads a negotiation, not a product-sense answer
This isn't graded like a product-sense interview, since nobody is deciding whether to hire the candidate.
The written reasoning in the report focuses on whether the specific lever being negotiated was named clearly, how well pushback about fixed bands got handled without folding immediately, and whether the conversation closed on something concrete, a number restated, a timeline for a decision, rather than trailing off.
An abrupt ending costs points here as well, under the same penalty system used across Intervieux, since a negotiation with no real next step reads as unresolved.
Frequently asked questions
Which mode fits negotiating equity when the base salary is fixed?
New-offer mode. It's built for the conversation that happens after an offer lands and before it's accepted, which fits pushing on equity or a signing bonus when base pay has less room.
Does the AI recruiter actually push back, or just agree to the counter?
It pushes back. Expect a comment that the base band is fixed by level, or a question about what supports a specific equity ask, the way a real recruiter working within a compensation structure would respond.
Is this scored the same way as a product-sense interview?
It ends with a scored report and written reasoning, the same format used across Intervieux's interview types, but the content is a negotiation rather than a judgment or data evaluation.
Does a real offer need to exist first to practice this?
No. It works before an offer is on the table, which makes it useful for planning how a counter would actually open.
Related pages
Rehearse the compensation conversation before you have it for real
Practice negotiating base salary, equity, or a promotion-tied raise with an AI that pushes back, then review a scored report on how the conversation actually went.