How to Write a Job Offer Letter That Won’t Take All Your Time 19 Oct 2018

You’ve spent a lot of time and effort finding the best candidate for the job. You may be thinking that all you need to do now is give them a quick call to congratulate them. But there’s one more step to telling the applicant they got the job.

You have to let them know all of the details of the job. What’s the right way to inform them regarding compensation, work hours, and contingencies for employment?

Writing a job offer letter or email is a great way to explain the specifics of the job. It also legally protects you and the job applicant.

A sentiment study by MRINetwork found that the majority of job offer letters are sent out three to six weeks after the interview. This is too long according to recruitment advisers who encourage businesses to send out job offer letters quickly before the candidate accepts something else.

Let’s make sure you can send out your letters quickly. In this article, you’ll learn why you should write a job offer letter, what to include in it, and how to do it quickly.

Why Should You Write a Job Offer Letter?

One reason to write a job offer letter is that it explains the details of the job before the candidate has to make a decision. This helps the applicant decide if the job is right for them.

It can also help the job applicant determine what arrangements they need to make before accepting a job. For example, imagine that someone got a job, but then found out—through the job offer letter—that they would have an earlier start date than they thought they would. They may need to make changes to their schedule to accommodate the start date.

A job offer letter also serves as the legal basis for the job, making it the foundation for any negotiation. By setting clear expectations for the job applicant while explaining the benefits, it gives you and the applicant legal protection. By including an at-will statement, it also allows you to fire the job applicant at any time, and lets the job applicant quit whenever they want.

Not only does a job offer letter give you legal protection, but it also ensures the applicant feels comfortable and confident, which may help them stick around.

What’s In a Job Offer Letter?

Here are the main points to include in a job offer letter.

• Salary information. This should have the salary offer, how many times per month you give wages, what day you pay wages, the method of payment, and information regarding bonuses.
• Benefits. This section should include insurance information, vacation days, and any other benefits your business offers.
• Start date. Put the start date for the job.
• Work hours. This includes what hours and which days the applicant is expected to work. If they have the option to work remotely or they do not have set hours, then that information should be put in this section.
• Contingencies for employment. This section is for any conditions that must be met for the applicant to be officially hired, such as passing a background check or drug test.
• At-will statement. An at-will statement allows you to fire the applicant at any time for any reason. It also gives the job applicant the right to quit at any time.
• Deadline for accepting or declining the offer. This should also have instructions for how to decline or accept the job.
• Your contact information. Put your preferred method of contact.
• Documents. This section would have any additional documents that need to be signed for the applicant to work there, such as a confidentiality agreement.

Source: The Balance Careers

How to Create an Effective Job Offer Letter Quickly

Now that you know what details to include, it’s time to put it together in a letter or email. Here are some simple guidelines to follow to ensure that you can send your letter to the job applicant quickly.

• Decide if you need to send a letter or an email. The easiest way to decide this is to ask the job applicant which format they’d prefer.
• Use a positive tone. Having a positive tone for the offer starts the employer/employee relationship on a happy note and lets the applicant know that you’re excited to work with them.
• For emails. If you send the job offer in an email, then there are some basic ways to quickly get it to your job applicant. The first step is to have a subject line that clearly states what the email is about. Ideally, you’ll want to have your company’s name in the subject line along with the fact you’re offering a job. You can put the offer letter in the main body of the email or attach it as a PDF file, depending on how long it is. If any documents go with the job offer, then you can attach them to the email. Finally, explain what the job applicant is supposed to do to accept the job offer, such as having to print out the email, sign it, and then fax it to your office.
• For letters. If you decide to write a letter, then make sure you send it quickly, since it will take longer to reach them. Ensure that you have the right address and that you’ve included instructions for accepting the offer, such as signing the letter and sending it back.
• Lawyer up. Before you send that letter or email, have your lawyer look it over to ensure it’s worded correctly.

You’ve Sent the Job Offer, Are You Done Hiring?

In this article, you’ve learned why you need to send a job offer letter or email, what is included in a job letter, and how to write one. But now that you’ve sent the offer, you still need to hire. How can you streamline your hiring process?

Download Trusted Employees’ free ebook Supercharge Your Hiring Process. This 11 step checklist will help you jumpstart your hiring.