been a contractor for 8 years going perm, so i spent a lot of time studying how FTE comp actually works before my first negotiation. the thing nobody tells you upfront: base is almost always the hardest thing to move at large companies. they have bands, those bands are rigid, and even a strong counteroffer often gets met with 'we're at the top of the band for this level.'
where you actually have leverage: the sign-on bonus and the RSU grant.
the sign-on is easy. they budget for it. ask. they'll usually move it $10k-$25k without much drama, especially at L4/L5 (Google/Meta scale) or E4/E5 (Meta) or SDE II/III (Amazon). they'd rather do that than regrade your base comp band.
the RSU refresh is trickier because it only matters 1-2 years in. but here's the thing: if you're negotiating a new-hire grant, that grant sets expectations for your annual refresh. at some companies the refresh is discretionary, at others it's formula-based on your grant history. so the initial grant matters more than people realize for total comp over a 4-year cliff+vest.
how to actually move the RSU number: get a competing offer. not theoretical, an actual written offer. 'i have another offer' with no paper behind it moves nothing at big tech. they know. if you can't get a competing offer, know the market ranges for your level from publicly shared data (levels.fyi, this forum). frame it as 'my research suggests this is below market for [level] in [location], here's what i've found.' ask for a specific number. don't say 'can you improve the equity.' say 'i'd be comfortable at $X in annual RSU value.' they need a target.
my offer was: base at the high end of the band (couldn't move), sign-on went up $15k, and the RSU grant went up ~$40k total (4-year vest, so $10k/yr). not life-changing but real money.
one thing i wish i'd done: asked about the cliff explicitly. some companies have a 1-year cliff, some 6-month. that matters a lot for your actual take-home timeline, especially if you're leaving money on the table at your current role.
anyone else have rsu refresh strategies that actually worked? curious what you've seen at different companies.