Offer Letter Template for Download
Congrats! You’re ready to bring on a new employee. Do you have a plan to properly communicate with the candidate about a position on your team? Here’s a free offer letter template that’s easy to use and share.*
It's easy to download and customize our offer letter template!
What Is An Offer Letter?
An offer letter (also known as an employment letter or job offer letter) is a formal written communication sent a job candidate by an employer. This communication is a confirmation of the position, compensation, and start date of the offer for employment.
Offer letters are typical sent after an interview or series of interviews with a candidate who is approved by the hiring manager — but before a background check, drug test, or other hiring contingencies have been met.
Offer Letter Components
What makes a good offer letter? Let’s take a look at the specific components!
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Header
This is the standard information you would include on almost any written professional communication. Company name, address, date, and the name and address of the candidate
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Brief Job Description
The official job title is what matters most here. For some organizations, it may be beneficial to also include high-level job responsibilities or the name of the candidate’s supervisor.
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Compensation
List the exact amount of pay and how frequently the candidate will receive payment. You may want to include health, retirement, or other benefits here, such as vacation time.
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Employee Start Date
While this is something that a candidate may request to be changed, it is important that you provide the expected start date in the offer letter.
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Offer Expiration Date
Ask a recruiter, and they will tell you that hiring is sales. It’s a good idea to include an expiration date on the offer, so that the candidate is forced to make a decision, and you know sooner than later if you need to interview additional candidates.
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Hiring Contingencies
If your organization conducts background checks, drug tests, or other endeavors that may disallow the candidate from joining your team, this should be highlighted in the job offer.
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Employment Relationship
Every U.S. state except Montana abides by “at-will employment” rules, which means an employer can terminate an employee at any time. If hiring for an at-will position, it should be mentioned in the offer letter.
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Closing
Let the candidate know you are excited about the possibility of working with them. Provide contact information where you can easily be reached, and make sure the appropriate person signs the offer letter.
Acme Corporation
1111 Ridgeway Dr., 6th Floor
January 8th, 2017
Dear Mrs. Stein:
Acme Corporation is pleased to extend an offer to you for the position of Head of Communications. We believe you will be an excellent addition to our team and are very much looking forward to having you on board.
As we discussed, your salary will be $84,000 per year and will be paid on a bi-weekly basis. Additionally, we will provide full medical and dental coverage, a $200 per month transit stipend, and three weeks of paid vacation. Your starting date will be January 28th, 2017, provided you pass a background check and drug test.
Your employment with Acme Corporation is at-will and either party can terminate the employment relationship at any time.
If you choose to accept this job offer, please sign this letter and return it to us at your earliest convenience. Please note that this offer will expire on January 14th.
Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.
We look forward to welcoming you to our team!
Sincerely,
Lindsay Thompson
Vice President, Human Resources
Acme Corporation
I hereby accept the Director, Communications position.
_____________________________
Signature
_____________________________
Date
Employee Offer Letter Best Practices
A job offer letter is one of the first interactions you will have with your new employee. That's why it is imperative it is done the right way. The offer letter represents your company, your brand, and you as a manager or member of the team.
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Be Professional
A job offer letter is a formal communication that should not be taken lightly.
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Be Clear
There should be no ambiguity around compensation, benefits, start date, etc.
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Be Concise
You’ll have ample space to cover everything in detail in the employee handbooks, a nondisclosure or noncompete agreement, or other critical HR documents.
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Be Honest
If there were any terms agreed upon verbally before during the interview process, they should be accurately reflected in the employment offer letter.
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Be Certain
Before sending any offer communications, make sure that all required parties (executives, managers, HR, etc.,) have signed off on hiring this candidate at this time.
Sample Job Offer Email
Some organizations prefer to send a more informal job offer via email. While this is not particularly common, it is a growing a trend that will become more commonplace over time. This employment offer email template will help get you started!
Hi [First Name],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. We’ve all enjoying meeting you and appreciate your [unique candidate attribute] and [second unique candidate attribute].
We would like to formally offer you the position of [official job title] at [company name]. This would include a [x] annual salary, [x] health care, and [x] days of paid vacation per year. We also [include any retirement, signing bonus, or other benefits here].
We’re hoping to have you start by [date].
Please feel free to email or call me directly if you have any questions about the offer. We are so excited to have you join us!
Best,
[your name]
[your signature]
Job Offer Letter Template
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*This employee offer letter template does not constitute legal advice. Please work with a legal or HR expert, as employment laws may vary country to country and state to state.