How to create effective employment offer letters

Good news! During these times of challenging recruitment, a viable applicant seems interested in your business. What’s the next step to set the hook? A job offer letter serves many purposes. It should enhance the candidate’s interest in the opening and protect your company against claims that it misrepresented the employment opportunity. The letter also must be substantial enough to allow the applicant to resign from current employment. In other words, it must sell the job.

Tips for getting started

The offer letter should be organized as a story beginning with the more global considerations and then followed by the terms that naturally fall in place. Notably, it should be positive. Too often we see letters begin with a message similar to “you are employed at will and can be terminated at any time.” Some letters continue the buzzkill with multiple repetitions of the at-will-status warning.

Instead, the natural order is an introduction welcoming the applicant and expressing enthusiasm for the individual’s interest. Next follow the name of the position, the reporting date, and a reference to the supervisor to whom the new hire will report. A description of the expected work schedule is included completing the initial employment landscape.

What to say about compensation, benefits