Equity / Share Options

In recruiter context

UK employers mostly use EMI (Enterprise Management Incentive) schemes for tax-efficient options at startups, CSOPs for larger companies, and RSUs (restricted stock units) at US-listed firms. Standard vest is 4 years with a 1-year cliff: nothing vests if you leave before year one, then a quarter vests, then monthly after that. Equity at a private startup is lottery-ticket money — most options never become liquid. Treat the base salary as your real pay and the equity as a possible upside. Dilution from future funding rounds also quietly shrinks what you own.