A signing bonus is a one-time monetary incentive that may be offered when a posted position is critical to continued departmental operations and mission, and the incentive would encourage applicants to apply to vacant positions and/or entice an eligible candidate to commit to employment at the University.

These guidelines support and prioritize initiatives that increase compensation for CSU faculty and staff in an effort to attract and retain world class talent to serve CSU students, Colorado and the globe.

When to Offer a Signing Bonus

A signing bonus may be appropriate when:

• The position is critical to operations and an extended vacancy could have significant detriment to department or university objectives.
• The position is difficult to recruit for as demonstrated by previous failed recruitments, multiple or extended vacancies, or small applicant pools.
• Competitors regularly offer signing bonuses for similar roles.
• Unique qualifications/credentials are required for the position and are limited or in high market demand
• Other relevant labor market factors exist

Who is Eligible for a Signing Bonus

• Qualified candidates for salaried Faculty, Administrative Professional and State Classified critical positions

Who is not eligible?

• Candidates for temporary positions (temporary Faculty/Administrative Professional, Postdoctoral Fellow, Intern, Graduate Assistant, Student or Non-Student Hourly) are not eligible.
• Current CSU employees and former employees employed within prior 12 months are not eligible.

Signing Bonus Amounts/Approvals

Bonus Amount	Approvals	Documentation
$500 to $2,500	Department Head	Department justification
$2,500 to 15% of hiring salary	Dean/VP in conjunction with HRBP	Evidence of ‘hard to fill’ or similar justification to support
Above 15% of hiring salary	CHRO or designee	Statement of justification with detailed rationale supporting request/$ amount

Payment

An approved signing bonus will be paid in full during the regular payroll cycle on or before the end of the employee’s second month of employment and is subject to all applicable state and federal taxes and withholdings. Signing bonuses are not considered ‘salary’ and are excluded from retirement deductions. Signing bonuses are funded by the hiring department or college/division. As one-time payments are not part of ‘Institutional Base Salary’ (IBS), signing bonuses are not allowable on sponsored projects and cannot be charged to 53 accounts.

Repayment

If an employee voluntarily separates from employment with the hiring department within 12 months of hire, they agree to repay in full any bonus received.

Job Postings

Use of a signing bonus will normally be confirmed/approved prior to initiating recruitment for a vacant position and information related to the bonus must be included on the official job posting. (A signing bonus of up to $xxx may be considered for successful candidates.)

Signed Agreement

The amount of the signing bonus must be specified in the offer letter, and the letter must clearly state that it is a one-time lump sum payment and will not be made part of the annual base salary. In addition, the requirement of repayment at time of separation must be specified in the offer letter.

Retention Bonus

If a signing bonus is provided to new employees, a one-time retention bonus in an equal amount is allowable for incumbents in like positions to retain a unique, specialized set of skills or knowledge that is critical to the mission and productivity of the department. Employees must be performing successfully as evidenced by their most recent performance rating and all terms outlined above will apply. Note: A retention bonus cannot be offered as a substitute for performance or merit-based salary increases.

Alternate Terms

Any terms that differ from those outlined above (e.g, bonus paid over course of multiple months/years, extended repayment requirement, etc.) must be approved by the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) prior to an offer being extended.