i just mean that in larger companies, sometimes the negotation/etc will happen through a sourcer/recruiter in their HR department rather than directly w the hir

i just mean that in larger companies, sometimes the negotation/etc will happen through a sourcer/recruiter in their HR department rather than directly w the hiring manager. in such cases, the recruiter will act as the messenger between you and the hiring manager basically. this is the way things usually go (curious to know how much this jives with other people's experience): - first step is they decide they'd like to hire you. ie, the "we'd like to go ahead and bring you on board / make you an offer." this is verbal, or sometimes via email. it is typical for them give a specific number at this time (edit: actually, i'd say this is pretty much what a 'job offer' is). you might or might not have discussed salary prior to this, but when they want to hire you, they will almost always start out with an explicit figure (it will be lower than you want 99% of the time). - then, the salary negotation begins. eventually, after some back-and-forth (which can happen either in a single phone call, or can stretch out over weeks), both parties finally agree on a specific number for the salary, along with other aspects of the comp package including signing bonus, RSU payout/schedule, and other things like time off, etc etc. this all happens verbally normally. - only when a salary/comp is agreed upon, would they send you a written offer letter -- this is usually done as a PDF emailed to you. until this happens, keep up the job hunt. decide where you are in the above flow (if at all). if they have not uttered a specific, singular figure (and i suggest you let them do that first, no matter the circumstance -- but that's a different discussion), then the interview process is still going imo, and it might be worth a follow-up at some point, use your best judgment.