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In this article, we’ll help you do just that. We’ll cover:

• What is a job offer letter?
• What should you include in a job offer letter?
• Job offer letter template
• Job offer letter FAQ

Note: If you haven’t read our 10-step recruitment guide you can get a complete overview of the entire recruitment process here.

Let’s get into it.

What is a job offer letter?

A job offer letter — also called an employment offer letter — is a congratulatory email or physical letter sent to the chosen candidate to confirm that they’ve been offered a job.

Before you send out the official job offer letter, you should contact the candidate to offer them the job. It’s up to you how to do this — most hiring managers call the candidate or send them an email with the offer.

Whether you deliver the job offer via phone or email, you must follow up the offer with an official job offer letter welcoming the candidate to the company and confirming the details of the job offer. It’s also common practice to include a background check and a drug test as requirements for employment in the job offer.

Want to know more about choosing the right candidate? Check out step 8 in our 10-step guide: “Candidate Selection: How to Make a Hiring Decision”

What should you include in a job offer letter?

A job offer letter serves two purposes. The letter should:

1. Congratulate the candidate on being selected for the position and welcome them to the company.
2. Briefly outline the details of employment, including the job title and a description of the role and responsibilities, salary and benefits, work hours, location, and special requirements — this is the part which the candidate must either accept or decline.

The details and length of a job offer letter depend on the role and the industry. For example, a job offer letter for a management position is generally more detailed than one for an entry-level job.

As a rule of thumb, you should only include information necessary for the candidate to make a decision regarding the offer. You can always discuss the odds and ends when it’s time for the candidate to sign the contract.

Tips for writing a job offer letter

A job offer letter can easily end up sounding dry and impersonal. For that reason, it’s a good idea to put some effort into personalizing the letter to get the candidate excited about the offer.

For example, you can address the candidate by name and use a friendly tone throughout the letter. Just make sure to be clear and concise about the responsibilities and expectations for the position. You can also include a few details about your company culture and values to remind the candidate that your org is a great place to work.

Note: Showing candidates how they fit into your org has never been more important. Want to make your job offers even more attractive? Set up your company page and let The Org help you get the best talent on board.

Finally, before we move on to the job offer letter template, we want to emphasize that you should always make sure to customize the letter to fit your org and the position you’re hiring for.

For example, when you write the job offer letter, consider the following:

• Should your tone be formal or informal?
• Are you hiring internally or externally?
• Is the position part-time or full-time?

Our template is intended as inspiration for your job offer letter. In the end, it’s up to you to decide how to write a job offer letter that best represents your org — and no one knows your org as well as you do.

That being said, let’s get to the job offer letter template.

Job offer letter template

Date

Dear Candidate,

We are pleased to offer you the position of Position at Company. We believe that your skills, experience, and qualifications will be valuable assets to our team, and we are excited for you to join us.

As discussed in the interview process, the terms of your employment are as follows:

• Position: Position
• Job title: Job Title
• Salary: Salary per year, paid on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly basis.
• Benefits: Benefits package, including health insurance, 401k plan, paid time off, etc.
• Start Date: Start Date
• Work Schedule: Work schedule, including hours and days of the week
• Probationary Period: If applicable, length of probationary period and what it entails
• Location: Work/office location
• Reporting Structure: Who the candidate will be reporting to and the chain of command

As a condition of employment, you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United States, as well as complete a background check and any other pre-employment requirements outlined in this letter.

This letter of offer is made on an at-will basis, which means that either you or the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice.

Please sign and date this letter in the space provided below to confirm that you accept the terms of this offer and return a copy to us by Offer Expiration Date.

We look forward to welcoming you to the team and to a productive and successful future together.

Sincerely,

Job offer letter FAQ

Want to know more about job offer letters? We’ve answered a few frequently asked questions for you.

Is the job offer letter legally binding?

Although the candidate is supposed to sign the job offer letter, the employment offer is generally not considered legally binding. For the most part, the legal aspect of the agreement is settled when the candidate signs the employment contract.

The offer letter should be seen as a preliminary offer of employment subject to the completion of specific pre-employment requirements (drug tests, background checks, ., etc.)

However, there are situations where the employment offer letter can be legally binding — for example, if the offer includes specific terms and conditions, such as confidentiality or non-compete agreements.

To make sure that you fulfill your legal obligations, you should always consult your company’s legal team (or lawyer) and let them review the job offer letter before you send it.

When is the best time to send a job offer letter?

The best time of day to send a job offer letter is sometime between midday and EOD. As for which day of the week is the best — that’s an ongoing discussion. Some recruiters believe that Friday is the best day, as this gives the candidate the weekend to go through the offer and return with a decision on the following Monday.

Others hold that , their argument being that sending the offer letter early in the week gives the candidate time to return with a counteroffer before the end of the week. This also allows you to discuss further details and negotiate the salary and benefits without having the process interrupted by the weekend. Tuesday can also be a good option if your chosen candidate is currently employed, as it gives them time to discuss the offer with their current employer.

Whichever day you choose, keep in mind that the sooner you get the offer out, the better. The candidate might receive other offers of employment — and if you wait too long, you risk losing them to a competitor. If you’re sure you’ve found the perfect fit for your org, aim to send the job offer letter within 20-40 hours of concluding the final interview.

How do I know if my job offer letters are good?

Your offer acceptance rate is a good indicator of whether your job offer letters are doing their job. Your offer acceptance rate (OAR) is the percentage of your job offers that are accepted. This rate can vary depending on factors such as industry, the current job market, and the level of competition within the field.

If you want to know how competitive your org is on the job market, look no further than your offer acceptance rate:

• A high OAR indicates that your recruitment efforts are fruitful or that your offer is competitive, as the majority of candidates offered a job at your org choose to accept.
• A low OAR indicates ​​that your org is having difficulties finding qualified candidates or that your offer isn’t competitive enough.

Your offer acceptance rate can also be affected by your hiring process. Factors such as how long it takes you to make an offer, your communication with candidates throughout the process, and the overall candidate experience can greatly affect how likely candidates are to accept an offer from you.

This makes it important to track your OAR, as it can be a good indicator of the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts.

Key takeaways

A job offer letter, also called an employment offer letter, is an email or a physical letter sent to your chosen candidate to confirm that they’ve been offered the job you’re hiring for.

When writing a job offer letter, you should:

• Congratulate the candidate and welcome them to your org,
• Briefly outline the details of employment for the candidate to sign, and
• Customize the letter to fit your org and the role, and personalize the letter to the candidate — you can use our job offer letter template as inspiration.

Putting some effort into your job offer letters can not only improve your offer acceptance rate, but also increase your chances of hiring the right person. Just remember to keep the letter clear and concise, and consult with your legal team before you send it. And finally, don’t wait too long before you send it — you might miss your chance to get the best talent on your team.

Ready to write that letter? Great! Let’s move on to the final topic in our 10-step guide: how to write a rejection letter.