How a job offer letter gets a “yes”
Searching for candidates takes time and work. You spend weeks reading resumes, interviewing, and deliberating. By the time you’re at the offer stage, you’ve put a lot of effort into the hiring process. Make your hard work pay off by writing a job offer letter that encourages a “yes” from the candidate. There are three principles to follow when writing a powerful offer letter: 1. Send the offer promptly. When you send the offer promptly, you make the candidate feel valued. Plus, you also close the time gap during which they can take other interviews and accept other offers. 2. Generate excitement and provide transparency. The offer letter should be aspirational so a candidate understands why they should accept the offer. Be sure to save the nitty-gritty details for the employment contract, which is a separate document. At the same time, the letter needs to be transparent. This is the time to review the core elements of the job, such as the salary and employment terms, to make sure everyone is on the same page. 3. Be succinct and professional. Keep your offer letter to a single page. While there’s room for emotional language and branding, you want the offer to be succinct and limited in scope. Don’t overwhelm the candidate or come across as disorganized. Clear communication demonstrates that your company is professional and reputable. These steps give candidates a positive impression of your business and excite them about the opportunity.How to write a great job offer letter
Following the principles of writing a great offer letter is easy once you understand the industry standards. Taking into consideration things like timeline and content requirements. With this guidance, you’ll be able to quickly create and send an offer letter that encourages a candidate to say yes.Timeline
Ideally, you should send the offer by the end of the day that you make a verbal offer. Being prompt will close the time gap during which candidates can take other interviews and consider other offers. It also shows the candidate that you prioritize their offer and care enough about their role to send the letter quickly. Here’s a sample timeline where the letter is sent promptly, but the candidate still has ample time to consider the offer:- You extend a verbal offer on a Friday.
- You send the offer letter by EOD Friday.
- The candidate has time to consider the opportunity over the weekend.
Content
Beyond timeliness, the content of a job offer letter is critical. To motivate candidates, the letter needs to be both exciting and transparent. The candidate is looking for an official statement that confirms the job details discussed during interviews so they know exactly what they’re agreeing to. Along with the basic details of the role, using positive, emotional language is also important. Committing to a new job is a big decision, so candidates may need to hear words of encouragement and excitement before accepting. Here’s what you should include in your letter:- Congratulations. Start the letter with emotional yet professional language. Tell the candidate you are excited about working with them so they’ll feel happy about accepting your offer.
- Employment status. Say whether they will be working full time or part time and whether the role is a permanent or contract position.
- Income. Indicate the yearly salary or hourly pay rate. For contract positions, identify the alternative payment method for the role, such as corp-to-corp terms.
- Start date. Mention when the new hire will be starting their job.
- Signature. At the bottom, leave lines for the candidate’s and the hiring authority’s signatures.
- Benefits. List the major benefits of the role, such as health benefits and a 401(k), to get the candidate excited about the position. You can also attach a benefits document that outlines the perks in more detail.
- Office location. State where the office is located. This detail might seem obvious, but it’s helpful to make it clear if there are multiple locations. It’s also a good idea to specify the location if you and the candidate had a discussion about working remotely or if the candidate will need to relocate for the role.
- Offer letter deadline. Many companies include a deadline for returning the signed letter to keep the process moving forward.
- Impact statement. An impact statement indicates how the role will benefit the company. Outlining the positive impact of the role shows candidates how they are valued, motivating them to accept the offer.