Formal Job Offer Letter Format | 12+ Free Templates

A Job Offer Letter furnishes the new employee with the conditions of the offer, benefit details, reimbursement, and job description (amongst other details).

An employer typically searches for the best candidate who will suit the ethos and personality of the company and other workers through a recruitment process. Once a suitable candidate is found, a verbal job offer could be extended to the employee in person or over a phone call, or via email. In this article, we have provided samples and templates of job offer letters along with a how-to-write guide. But first, let us truly understand the need for a job offer letter.

The employee is expected to read the terms and sign the offer afterward if the terms are suitable. If not, the employee could reject the offer or present a counter offer of demands. Once signed, it signifies that the employee has accepted all terms and it is legally binding. Generally, a written job offer letter must follow whichever used notification process.

Job offer letter has other appellations, any of which can be used by an employer but with the same meaning. Such names are:

• Letter of employment
• Offer of employment
• Employment offer
• Employment letter
• Offer letter
• Employment offer letter

Why Should I Use an Employment Offer Letter?

An employment offer letter is vital in that it clarifies all information for the prospective employee and communicates the rights and obligations of each party to the other. In simple terms, it clears confusion and makes for an easy working relationship even before the commencement of the job. It is also vital when an employee wishes to negotiate some terms (benefits, vacation days) or resign in the future.

Having an employment offer letter serves an employer for many reasons, such as:

• It conveys the offer of a job to the prospective employee.
• It details the job description and clarifies all obligations of the employee contained therein.
• It communicates the obligations of the employer to the employee.
• It communicates the applicable rights and benefits to the employee.
• It also specifies other conditional requirements that a prospective employee has to meet (background checks, medical examinations etc.).

A job offer letter could be verbal or written. For a verbal offer, the offer is given orally to the candidate in person (probably immediately after a selection stage, i.e., interview) or over a phone conversation. Inversely, a written job offer is a printed offer tendered to the candidate either in hard or soft format. A written job offer is more formal and contains the terms and conditions of the job offer. You can download the freshly crafted job offer letter templates from below.

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Job Offer Letter Vs. Employment Contract

An employment contract is usually a legalese document between an employee and an employer, agreeing to the terms and conditions of a job offer while detailing its key elements. It is usually a lengthy written, implied, or oral agreement binding on both signatories. A job offer letter, on the other hand, does not require that much formality. It features a less detailed and less demanding job description and job responsibilities.

Like a job offer letter, an employment contract details compensation, benefits plan, rights and obligations of the employee/employer, and start date. However, a dissimilar feature of the employment contract from the job offer letter is that the employment contract typically states termination procedure, termination date, and option for renewal if applicable.

An employment contract is mainly used in temporary job positions, time-bound positions, short-term openings, and high-level positions requiring a longer duration from the employee or key resources from the employer (which the employer will typically utilize).

An employment contract guarantees both the employee and employer active engagement within the confines of the agreement, while a job offer letter operates an at-will employment protocol. At-will employment law states that an employee works at his or her discretion and an employer/employee could terminate an employment status at any time, with or without notice or cause – excluding discriminatory grounds.

The essential components of a job offer letter template needed for a smooth working relationship are described below:

Job title

All job offers should generally contain the name of the job position on offer to the employee. It gives the employee basic details about the work.

Job description

A job offer letter should also feature a job description. A job description goes a step farther than the job title as it gives a detailed depiction of the expected activities and responsibilities of the employee. It also details the purpose of the job, its scope, goals and objectives, supervisor or supervisee, working conditions, and any special requirements of the job.

Furthermore, a job description states the employment status, such as a full-time/part-time or permanent/temporary status, and the number of working hours required. A full-time position is differentiated from a part-time position based on the workable weekly hours. Generally, a full-time position is marked by 30 – 50 weekly workable hours, with 40 hours being typical.

A position with shorter hours is marked as a part-time position. A permanent job position offers the employee an indefinite job offer (within reason) and associated benefits, while a temporary position is usually seasonal and/or definite without associated benefits.

Starting date of employment

Starting day of employment is the official first day and date when an employee commences operation for the organization. It is usually the date communicated in the job offer letter and is the formal date when rights and obligations become eligible for both parties. Typically, it is the first working day of a month or week, but employers can pick a favorable date.

Employment contingencies

Employment contingencies are extra conditions an employer requires the prospective employee to meet before finalizing the employment. Such conditions demonstrate an employee’s capabilities to fulfill the job requirements or to ensure the safety of stakeholders.

For example, a customer service position will probably require a medical examination to ascertain the proper working conditions of the auditory and visual organs. A school will probably conduct a background check on intending faculty members to guard against employing a criminal or a registered sex offender.

Work schedule

A job offer letter should disclose the required working hours and days in a week. It further states if the work is shift-based and its procedure. A typical working hour is 8 hours/day, 5 days/week, and 4 weeks/month. Any unique working schedule pertinent to the employer or role should be contained in the offer letter.

Reporting structure

The reporting structure is the pattern of the “chain of command” in an organization. It is an organized reporting process concerning relationships between the gradient levels of authority in a company. The reporting structure communicated in an offer letter intimates the employee to the due process and clears confusion or mistakes.

Salary

This is the fixed financial compensation agreed on by both parties for services rendered. It is the employee’s right and the employer’s obligation and can be reviewed based on the company’s performance, structure, or contractual agreement. The salary is usually communicated as an annual sum in the job offer letter.

Probation period and its duration

The job offer letter should detail any probationary needs, if applicable, and the timeframe (typically three months) as agreed by both parties. Employers use probation periods to ascertain the suitability of their hire, and unsuitable hires can be summarily dismissed.

Paid time off

Paid Time Off, also known as PTO, is a benefit given to an employee to be absent from work without financial deductions for a specified duration. This benefit covers sick leave, leave of absence, and vacation days. Details of the PTO should be contained in the offer letter.

Benefits information and eligibility

Benefits plan differs across employers; some employers operate a generalized benefits plan while others utilize a graded benefits plan. The offer letter should contain the employer’s benefits information and eligibility criteria where applicable. Examples of benefits include health insurance, pension plan, business travel insurance, and automobile privileges, amongst others.

Privacy policies

This statement in the job offer letter intimates the employee on his or her privacy rights and what constitutes the personal information the employer collects. The employer states the collection, storage, and sharing protocols. An employer might need to disclose such information to intending investors, partners, and other third-party affiliates to propagate the company’s legal activities.

Termination conditions

An employer also details the circumstances that could legally end an employee’s activities in the company and the procedure after that in an offer letter. The nature of the employment dictates the applicable termination process.

At-will statement

This is a statement in a job offer letter stating that the employee works indefinitely at will with the company, without any contractual commitment, and that the employer or employee can terminate the employment at a moment’s notice, with or without cause.

Acknowledgment of offer and confirmation of acceptance

It is prudent for an employee to submit a written acknowledgment of the job offer, reiterating all the job details within a given timeframe. A job offer letter is usually followed by the employee’s stance: rejecting, accepting, or presenting a counter offer.

If the job offer details are satisfactory and encompass all discussed elements, the employee formally confirms the acceptance of the job offer in the letter. Acknowledgment of offer and acceptance confirmation could be executed simply by signing and returning a job offer letter within the permissible timeframe.

Additional details

Additional details that may also be included in a job offer letter are:

• Description of job responsibilities: This description of all tasks the employee is expected to carry out while executing its duties.

• Manager/supervisor name and title: The names and titles of all direct managers or supervisors the employee will be reporting to can also be featured in a job offer letter.

• Workplace location and expected working hours: The offer letter should generally contain information about the worksite and the expected working hours. This is usually a physical street address where an employee is anticipated to carry out its duties and the required number of hours per day in a week.

• Additional compensation potential: Additional compensation refers to the value of all tangible/intangible benefits an employer offers the employee, excluding the base working salary. This could be information regarding over-time benefits, remunerations for working remotely, childcare services, or applicable benefits.

• Offer letter expiration date: An employer can stipulate the length of validity of the offer in an offer of employment. Generally, an employee should be aware that an offer is time-sensitive.

A job offer letter template is a pre-build format of a job offer letter that an employer can use to write and send quick job offers. Using a job offer letter template can help save time to write the letter every time from scratch. It enables the writer to make necessary changes in the context to finish any type of job offer letter. Moreover, it is a good idea to use a job offer letter template to have a constant format that adds up to build a company’s brand image.

Template 01

Template 02

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Samples and Examples

We know that it is hard to craft a perfect job offer letter without any errors and flaws. That is why we are providing you with exemplary samples and templates that will help you to understand the sentence structure and tone of the letter:

Other templates of job offer letter include: