UK Recruitment Glossary
Variable Pay
In recruiter context
Different roles have different variable pay structures. Sales: typically 50/50 base/commission with quota-based commission. Banking: 100-200% bonus targets at senior levels. Tech: equity grants vesting over 4 years. Senior commercial: 20-30% target bonus tied to KPIs. Crucial considerations when evaluating offers: actual achievement rate vs target (some companies pay 60% of target on average), bonus discretion (contractual vs discretionary), clawback clauses, vesting schedules. Variable pay calculated correctly often dwarfs base salary at senior levels.
Related terms
Headhunter
An external recruiter, often executive-search, who proactively sources candidates rather than receiv…
Bonus Clawback
A contractual clause allowing an employer to recover all or part of a bonus if certain conditions ar…
Redundancy
Dismissal because the role itself no longer exists — not because of your performance.
Talent Pool
A pre-built list of candidates a recruiter has already screened for future roles.