The hiring process is exhausting!

After tons of interviews, you finally find the right person to be part of your squad. And you want to make them an offer they can’t refuse. As satisfying as this moment is, it can also be a stressful one too. How you present yourself and your offer in the job offer letter will make or break the deal.

83% of organisations have been ghosted by candidates.

To make sure that you’re not next on that list, you need to craft a job offer letter that appeals to the candidate and is a reflection of your company’s attitude and culture.

You might think that the hard part was selecting the right candidate and now is the easy part. You couldn’t be more wrong!

If you get the job offer letter wrong, you’re back to the drawing board.

Here are a few recruitment tips before we discuss how to draft that elusive job offer letter—

  • Decide which candidate you want to onboard fast. You’ll miss out on quality candidates if your recruitment workflow processes are slow and lengthy
  • Move fast and make an offer over the phone first. It will help you ensure if they’re still interested and haven’t accepted a position elsewhere
  • You can send the letter in PDF format by email or send it by courier overnight
  • Have your lawyer on board, so you’re aware of all legal considerations while making the offer

What to include in a job offer letter?

You extend a job offer to a potential employee after going through an extensive hiring process. At this point, the hiring manager is aware of who has met the recruitment prerequisites and why he wants to hire the chosen candidate. You can’t say the same for the candidate. The job offer letter is meant to emphasise the organisation’s details of what value it can offer to meet the potential employee’s expectations.

To write a letter that will be signed in an instant, include the following details—

  • Job title
  • Job description
  • Starting date
  • Probation period
  • Work schedule
  • Reporting structure
  • Salary structure – it should clearly mention the gross and net salary including all the fixed and variable components, along with health insurance, gratuity, and bonuses
  • Leave structure – mention all annual, sick, and casual leaves
  • Employee benefits
  • Anything such as a medical certificate that they need to submit before joining your company

Writing a personalised job offer letter

A job offer letter is actually nothing but a sales pitch.

You have to sell your offer, so make sure for every position that you want to fill you write an offer letter that matches your candidate’s personality.

A generic letter with the details of the position and salary just won’t cut it. Identify your candidate’s work personality from the notes taken during the hiring process and draft a creative job offer.

For instance, if you’re hiring a candidate for a creative position like a graphic designer you don’t need to be too formal. On the other side of the coin, If you’re hiring someone to the C-suite, you shouldn’t use an informal tone. You’ve met the person a couple of times, put yourself in their shoes and imagine how to write a job offer letter that would read to them and elicit excitement for the role.

Project your employer brand

Use the introduction to get to the point – that they’ve been successful in impressing you and you would like to offer them a job.

Be enthusiastic but remain professional. You want to hire them so make them feel like you value them for their past experiences and background. The reader should feel pleased with themselves and also know that you await their response.

A job offer letter isn’t just a formality. Whether you want someone to build a mobile app or manage your supply chain, you have to sound like you truly want this person on board and also that they would be lucky to enter such a mutually beneficial partnership.

Confirm that this is an official exclusive employment and give them a bit of time to consider your job offer. You could ask them to respond at their convenience or give them a deadline, depending on how soon you need to fill the position.

What should you avoid in a job offer letter?

Check with your legal team and avoid mentioning implications regarding termination.

Don’t tell them that terminations will be subject to prior notice because that can change.

The letter should also not contain promises about promotions and bonuses. In short, anything that isn’t confirmed should not be part of the job offer letter. Pay raises and promotions are all dependent on performance and a number of other factors.

You also shouldn’t include job duration or job permanency. Try to avoid statements that suggest you’re hiring them for a specific period (be it long or short). Just be careful of any language that could be grounds for legal complications in the future.

In final words

Make sure your call direct line number is mentioned on the letter so that you can be contacted in case there is a need for clarity. A follow-up call wouldn’t go amiss either here.

A job offer letter brings good news, if you keep it upbeat and welcoming, it’s hard to go wrong. While you need to communicate all the legal aspects and agreements that need to be signed, try not to include them in the initial correspondence.

Make sure you start off on a congratulatory note and end on one too.

This letter is your final hurdle to hiring dream employee(s) for your client, so give it your best shot and you’ll find that they want to be a part of your client’s team just as much as you want them to be.

Written by—

John Allen – Director, SEO, 8×8

John Allen is the Director of SEO for 8×8, a leading communication platform with integrated contact center, voice, video, dialer systems, and chat functionality. John is a marketing professional with over 14 years of experience in the field, and an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs across SEM, SEO, and a myriad of services. This is his LinkedIn.