

You sent a job offer letter, but the candidate ghosted you? Don’t let them get away! Learn how to write a simple, effective job offer letter that works like bait.
You spent months finding the right candidate for the job, but you’ve finally met the one. The perfect candidate—intelligent, easy-going, and with realistic expectations.
But once you email them the job offer, they fall silent. No reply nor answering the phone. Sigh
Time to resume the search. And to learn how to write a job offer letter that candidates won’t turn down in a million years.
This guide will show you:
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Michael Honeykey
Head of Recruitment
7th Continent Inc.
13 Castle Road
Ghosthead, RI
05/16/22
Robert Delacore
283 Middleway
Providence, RI
Dear Robert,
7th Continent Inc. is thrilled to offer you the full-time position of Administrative Assistant. The anticipated start date is June 6th, 2022, depending on the successful completion of the background check.
As the Administrative Assistant, your responsibilities will include preparing correspondence, preparing and editing periodic reports, responding to routine queries, and scheduling board meetings.
You will report directly to the Head of Administration, Mariana Fallway, at 13 Castle Road, Ghosthead, RI. Working hours are from 8 a.m.—4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The base salary for this position is $35.80 per hour. Payments are made monthly by direct deposit, starting on June 30. In addition, you will be eligible to receive a 14% monthly bonus based on your performance.
7th Continent Inc. provides an attractive benefits package, which includes private medical insurance, 401(k), and 10 days of paid annual leave.
Your employment with 7th Continent Inc. will be on an at-will basis, meaning that either party can terminate employment at any time without cause or notice. This letter is not a contract and does not indicate the employment terms or duration of your work period.
If you wish to accept this offer, please confirm by signing and returning this letter by May 23rd, 2022.
Sincerely,
Michael Honeykey
Head of Recruitment
Candidate Signature: _______
Candidate Printed Name: Robert Delacore
Date: _______
You know how to write job descriptions and perform interviews. Now, don’t let the best candidates go to other employers. Start by reading everything you need to know about the job offer letters:
Talking to Nathalie, ambitious accounts receivable specialist, was an absolute pleasure. She answered all situational interview questions perfectly. She even used the STAR method instinctively to talk about her achievements. And she’s perfectly qualified for the job. It’s no wonder she passed all recruitment stages. Now, it’s time to give her the job with a job offer letter.
A job offer letter is sent to applicants who successfully went through the recruitment process and are selected to join the company. The job offer letter serves as a written confirmation of the offer and includes basic information about the position and further steps the applicant must take.
The job offer letter can be sent by post or via email. If the candidate accepts the job, they must sign the letter and return it to the recruiter within a specified period.
Are you an applicant who wants to decline a job offer? We’ve got a better guide for you. Read here: Decline a Job Offer by Email
The contents of a job offer letter are important—after all, you don’t want to scare the perfect candidate away after weeks of recruitment. That’s why your letter must include the following information:
That is the absolute minimum—I will provide more details about each point in the following chapters.
Don’t be a nightmare for job applicants. Learn more: Can Recruiters Avoid Becoming a Job-Hunting Nightmare?
Writing an offer letter for a job isn’t as exciting as sending anonymous notes to that colleague who parked in your spot again. Though you are free to write them in any way you like, even using a slightly menacing tone, it’s important to write job offer letters using only professional HR terminology.
Follow these steps to write a simple offer letter for a job:
Many applicants go through several face-to-face or phone job interviews with a handful of people. Listing your company's contact details will help them recognize you easily.
Remember to include these in the job offer letter:
You may also include additional information, such as the candidate's phone number and email address.
The same person could apply for different positions within the company. Specifying the offered title in the job offer letter helps avoid confusion. Additionally, you can mention the department name as well as who is their direct supervisor.
Is this a full-time or a part-time job? Is it a temporary or permanent position? Those things really matter to job applicants. Include them in the job offer letter to ensure everyone is on the same page.
That sounds like an obvious thing, right? But, sadly, it’s often omitted in job offer letters by mistake. Come on, show that HR is human, and you don’t expect the applicant to remember every single thing you said during the interview.
Clarifying when the period of employment starts is crucial. You also need to mention if it’s a fixed-term contract with a predicted end date, even if you covered that during the recruitment process.
Let’s be honest—this is the part that makes a job candidate’s heart beat faster. Maybe you’ve already negotiated the salary during the interview. It doesn’t matter! Always specify the offered remuneration in a job offer letter. Mention if it’s an hourly-paid wage or a fixed weekly/bi-weekly/monthly salary, as well as when and how it is paid.
Another part that quickly catches the applicant’s attention. Nowadays, the list of benefits can be pretty long and even surprising at times, with companies offering taco Thursdays, pawternity leave for pet owners, and getting paid in cryptocurrencies. No matter what’s offered by your business, remember to list at least the most important elements in the job offer letter.
Benefits that you should mention in an offer letter for a job include:
You can mention additional benefits in a separate document that details the job.
Remember that a job offer letter can serve as a contractual agreement. You can avoid this by including a statement that the employment is at will, meaning that it can be terminated by either party at any time and for any or no reason, for example, with a two-weeks notice letter. Otherwise, you can be accused of wrongful termination if the employer decides to end the business relationship with the employee.
Do you want to wait for a reply forever? Probably not. That’s why it’s good to include the expiration date of the job offer letter. After the date passes and the candidate doesn’t reply, you can send the offer to other candidates or resume the recruitment process.
After reading the job offer letter, the candidate should respond to accept or decline the offer. A short reply with hell yeah!!! isn’t enough, though. It’s best to include spaces in the letter that the candidate can simply fill in with their full name and signature. They can print the letter, sign it, and scan it afterwards. Alternatively, you can use one of the PDF solutions that offer an electronic signature that is more environmentally friendly. They can also write a job acceptance letter by themselves.
Most job offer letters include additional information that depends on company policy. It’s best to add at least some things from the list below to ensure the candidate is adequately informed about the conditions of employment.
Common additional information in an offer letter for a job includes:
Including such additional information can help to avoid future misunderstandings between the staff and the employer.
Catch up with resume trends and learn what to expect from candidates. See here: What Should a Resume Look Like in 2023
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Need a job offer letter template to fill out? You’re lucky! Just scroll down and complete the information in the brackets.
[Your Full Name]
[Your Position]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
MM/DD/YY
[Candidate’s Full Name]
[Candidate’s Address]
Dear [Candidate’s First Name],
[Company name] is [thrilled/pleased/delighted] to offer you the position of [job title]. The position is [full-time, part-time, etc.]. The anticipated start date is on the [start date], depending on [job contingencies].
As the [job title], your responsibilities will include [description of duties].
You will report directly to [manager title and name, work location]. Working hours are [hour–hour], [days of the week].
The base salary for this position is [$X] per [hour/week/month/year]. Payment is on a [weekly/bi-weekly/monthly] basis [in cash/by direct deposit], starting on [date]. In addition, you will be eligible to receive [bonus system/additional benefit].
[Company name] offers a benefits program that includes [description of benefits].
Your employment with [Company name] will be on an at-will basis, meaning that either party can terminate employment at any time with or without cause or notice. This letter is not a contract and does not indicate the employment terms or duration of your work period.
If you wish to accept this offer of employment, please confirm by signing and returning this letter by [date].
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Job Title]
Candidate Signature: ______________
Candidate Printed Name: _____________
Date: ____________
See? This couldn’t get easier. Just fill out this simple job offer letter template and send it via email or post.
Pro Tip: Hoping to receive a prompt response from the candidate? Remember to call them before sending the job offer letter. Announcing the offer by phone can give you an overview of their reaction and prepare them to receive the email. Without a phone call, the applicant might not notice your letter, which may easily land in the junk mail folder.
You’re worried about the legal implications of job offer letters, but you don’t want to consult Jeff from Legal. However, it’s worth checking the verbiage of a job offer letter with in-house counsel.
Why?
Because most job offer letters are legally binding unless they include a clause saying the letter doesn’t serve as a binding contract. Tricky, isn’t it?
If you want to avoid creating contractual implications with a job offer letter, you should:
It’s worth consulting Legal for specifics.
Speaking about the legality of things… Do you always ask proper questions during job interviews? Check here: Illegal Job Interview Questions
Writing a job offer letter can be a quick and easy experience if you follow these steps:
Time to send job offer letters that will work like McDonald's leftovers on trash pandas.
Thanks for reading my guide! Now, over to you:
Let me know in the comments below!
How to send a resume through email? What subject to write in an email with your job application? Check our guide with 12+ email samples to send with a resume.
Once you’ve submitted your job application, don’t just sit and wait. Employers expect you to follow up! This guide will show you how to do it right, beat your competition, and land that dream job. Use our sample resume follow-up email, see a follow-up phone call script and learn the most effective follow-up hacks and tips.
You’d do a better job than all those applicants. But that new employer doesn’t know it—yet. Prove it with a letter of intent that knocks their socks off.