'Not Applicable', They pay you because it's the law, the minimum they have to in order to get you on. Most people quit immediately once they see what it's like, so in recent years they've added 'poison pills' to keep people to stay. As a condition of employment, have you sign a 'contract' agreeing to stay at least 2 or 3 years or pay them back all signing bonuses, relocation, plus up to $15,000 in 'training expenses' for their bogus 2 week training course, touted as among the industry's best. They can make that claim simply because most company's provide little to no training at all, and because they hire people with English and liberal arts degrees, 2 year degrees, dental assistants and med-tech lab assistants who have no previous experience and no idea what clinical research is. It would be pretty had to pass them off to a client without the 'training'. You will be offered the least. You may not be offered a signing bonus, even if they are handing them out. You may be offered 5k when they are handing out 10 or even 15k. All of this is confidential, by the way - discussing any benefits is grounds for immediate termination. Told you get a bonus? Guess what, it will be pro-rated if you have not been there a year - and not a calendar year since you were hired - the fiscal year for accounting purposes. Did a great job and travelled 150 to 200 days a year? May not get a bonus if your 'team' did not hit their marks. Are bonus objectives achievable? Perhaps - if everyone works 80 hours a week and travels 100%. I did it. We had no life. At the annual meeting, those of us that were left were told to stand so the company could 'applaud' our work and our happy client that had given PPD ten of millions in new business as a result of our work. We didn't get a penny - not even a Christmas present or a pencil or a thermos - being 'recognized' was our thanks. Benefits are - well, do this - ask your HR specialist what your out of pocket is - for ANYTHING. They will claim not to know. They will say they have to look it up. Several days later you may get back a chart with a table of numbers. Guys - as a CRA - someone who reads thousands of documents for a living - not only can I find this information in less than 30 seconds, imagine you worked in HR and just had to hire people and generate new hire letters. Do you really think they would not know? If you are local to an office, you may get good local benefits. Particularly the things they build on-site for their executives for free. But if you are a regional CRA, the health insurance will suck - not be local - and little else will apply. Stock options and 401k sound great. Read the fine print. To stay long enough to be vested you will have to stay so many years and lose so much in salary because it is not competitive that you will be way behind. They all know this. It is a careful calculation with exacting math and tried and true methods reminiscent of a used car salesman - nothing, nothing, nothing, - now make a decision, take it or leave it, a one time offer. Remember that when you get ready to qit. PPD does not give out job recommendations for former employees. You do not get a 'good' reference or a 'bad' reference. All they will do is verify dates of employment. Not even salary. So when you are told they expect a few weeks notice to leave in 'good standing' - think about how many of their commitments to you the honored. And reflect if these seasoned HR professionals could really not understand their own jobs enough to help you when you need it.