Job Offer letter templates (6 email and letter examples included)

What is the job offer letter?

It’s a formal written invitation sent by an employer to a candidate, a potential employee, selected for employment. A job offer letter can be used whether the candidate has applied for that job or not. Such letter provides important information regarding the employment offer.

What information is included in a job offer letter?

Curious to know what makes a good offer letter? Find below a list of the specific components, that you need to consider:

• Job title and job description
• Employment type: part-time, full-time, remote or in the office.
• Reporting structure: especially the name of the supervisor of the position, but also all managers of the department.
• Starting Date of Employment: extremely important for the candidate. He/she may be still working, so they need to give the two-week notice.
• Salary, bonuses and benefits information and eligibility: the amount of pay, health benefits, dental plan, pension plan, national holidays, paid time off, etc.
• Pay dates: monthly, weekly, etc.
• Hiring contingencies: you, as the employer, can decide if you ask the candidate to undergo additional steps like passing a background check, a pre-hiring drug test or a reference and security check.
• Offer expiration date: you cannot keep your position blocked until the candidate makes a decision. So the key is to enter an expiration date of the offer: usually 3-5 business days are granted. Even if the answer is negative, you can resume the process of interviewing.
• Acknowledgment of offer and Confirmation of acceptance: before ending the letter, you need to inform the potential employee which action from his part is considered as acceptance of the job offer. Some employers ask that the candidate sign the received letter and return it to the company. Others may consider signing the letter only as a first step to employment and require further discussions or negotiations.

When drafting a job offer letter, it’s essential to take into consideration the candidate you are approaching. An assessment of their financial expectations, personal references or any facts related to their experience and skills can be of help and will result in a tempting job offer.

A written job offer letter or email?

While it is standard practice to use a formal job offer letter, some organizations prefer to deliver an informal email to the candidate. This is suitable for companies that have a more relaxed culture and appears to be a growing trend.
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However, our advice is to follow a simple timeline: 1. Make the offer via phone or email and 2. Send a formal letter, offering the job position and describing the main employment conditions.

Tips for writing the perfect job offer letter

The job offer letter is one of the first exchanged communications with the potential new employee. This is why you should make it a priority to design a great job offer. The job offer speaks for your company, your company’s culture and you, as a manager or direct supervisor.

Here are some best practices to rely on:

• Be professional. Even though the job offer is not an employment contract, it is a formal document, therefore you should not take it lightly and leave it to chance. Use your company logo in the header of the letter and then clearly state the basic information: Company name, address, date, and the name and address of the potential employee. We also recommend you begin with: Dear Candidate name” and express your pleasure to offer him/her that free position.
  After including all the information presented in the previous section (job title, description, start date, etc), end the letter with a reassurance that any question the candidate has, you can be of help.
• Be succinct. There is no need to incorporate long information from the employee handbook about the company’s policies. Just state the compensation he/she will be entitled to and the most attractive benefits. Also, the job description should be concise, as the employment contract is the document that will cover this.
• Be clear. This letter contains basic but essential information, so there should be no uncertainty about any of it. You should clearly state the start date, the paying amount of benefits.
• Be genuine. If during the interview, you have discussed with the candidate some specific terms, they should be reflected in the letter.
• Write the letter yourself. Do not delegate this task to the HR department. This is recommended so that you are familiar with its contents.
• Review the job offer.If your company does not have a legal department, you can hire an attorney to review the letter, to make sure its content is clear for both parties, without any traps that may be legally binding.

Examples of job offer letters

You now have all the information you need about the job offer. But there is one thing left: sample templates of job offers from the employer point of view that you can use as a model!

How to accept a job offer?

Generally, the acceptance of the offer is displayed when the candidate signs and returns the letter to the employer.

As a candidate, when receiving a job offer letter, you have a few options:

1. Accepting the offer on the spot - but not before considering all the factors involved, because it’s an important decision.
2. Taking some time before responding - no more than a few business days. Also, if the offer has an expiration date, make sure not to miss it.
3. Negotiating employment terms - this is possible in some cases, depending on what was discussed during the interview and on the nature of the position. For example, an entry-level position is not very flexible, due to standard salary ranges.

Find below two examples of job offer acceptance letters. The first one includes a thank you note and states appreciation remarks. It confirms in writing the acceptance, the terms and conditions of employment including the starting date.

How to decline a job offer?

If the job offer does not fully convince you and you are wondering if refusing/rejecting the job offer it is the best option, here are some aspects to consider:

• Is the salary what you expected? If not, can you negotiate?
• Do they offer a decent benefits package?
• Do you believe you will integrate easily into the company? Will you benefit from a good work-life balance?
• Is this job exactly what you need in terms of long-term plans? Is there an opportunity for promotion?

If you are sure that the job is not a good fit for you, you can turn down the offer, but make it in a polite, professional and candid way. You never know, in some years, your opinion may change. Many small industries are very tight, so the word goes around.

Job offer vs. Employment contract

Two big questions arise when it comes to contracts and job offers:

YES, as long as the candidate accepts the job and signs the letter, the offer is legally binding. It demonstrates that the employer and the future employee have reached an agreement, even though there are some conditions to be met, such as a background check.

Many people view these 2 formal documents as identical, but that is not the case. While a job offer letter describes in broad lines what the job would involve and what is to be expected from the employee, the employment contract lays out the entire role and responsibilities the position entails and detailed conditions to be met by both parties. Both documents are formal and must be signed by the potential employee.

Conclusion

A well-written job offer letter speaks for the reputation of your company. This is why employers should take the time to develop and design the perfect letter to help them attract the needed employees. With our range of letter samples, you are all covered! Make sure to follow out tips and tricks and download a template right away.