Job offer letters

When it comes to hiring a successful job candidate, you’ll need to send the individual confirmation of their success. You can do this in the form of a letter.

Here’s how you go about letting the candidate know about the good news.

What is a provisional offer letter?

It’s a formal written document you send to a job candidate. It indicates you’re making an offer to them for employment—you can follow it up with a call to confirm the details with your new employee.

A job offer letter from employer to employee may include details such as:

1. Their start date.
2. The duties they’ll undertake.
3. Who they’ll report to.
4. Annual wage.
5. Any other perks you’re offering.

You can also use offer letters as a way to comply with your obligation as an employer to provide the employee with the five core terms of employment under the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2018. You must provide these five core terms must to the employee no later than five days of commencing employment.

If the candidate returns a signed offer letter, then the principles of contract law apply. An offer has been accepted and both parties intend to enter into legal relations making a legally binding contract of employment.

You can also send the candidate an email confirming their success during the interview stage.

If you have hired an employee on a conditional or fixed-term contract, you could provide them with a temporary to permanent offer letter, confirming the details of an offer of full-time employment.

Conditional and unconditional offers

You must remember you have to confirm the nature of your job offer. There are two types:

1. Conditional: This means a candidate must meet certain conditions before they accept the role. This may mean having to pass a physical or medical test, for example.
2. Unconditional: When a candidate accepts your offer, it’s a contract of employment between you and them.

You can state what type of offer you’re making in the communications you send out to your potential new employee.

Offer letter template

In your correspondence with your candidate you’ll need to draft up terms for your proposed employment. It’s good business practice to have the same template available that you can adapt as and when you need to.

You can follow the below example, but remember you must change it to meet your business’ requirements:

*Start template*

Dear [applicant’s name],

We’re delighted to offer you [job role] with [business name].

Please take time to review this formal offer before responding with an acceptance. This letter contains important information about the role, including your starting date, responsibilities, and wage.

We’re offering you a [full or part-time] position within our business.

You’ll be reporting to [manager’s name] from the [date]. The wage will be [amount]. Your expected hours of work are [amount].

As part of your package with us, you’ll also receive [explain any perks and bonuses your business offers].

You’ll also be eligible to [list any benefits, such as health insurance etc.][Optional - to comply with our obligations under the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, the following are your five core terms of employment:

1. The full name of the employer and employee.
2. The address of the employer.
3. The expected duration of the contract (where the contract is temporary or fixed-term).
4. The rate or method of calculating pay.
5. What the employer reasonably expects the normal length of the employee’s working day and week will be.

Please indicate to us your agreement with these terms with an acceptance letter signed and dated.

Yours sincerely,

[Manager]

*End template*

Opening email offer

You can also double up on your opening contact by sending an offer letter email to candidate sample which might look like this:

*Start template*

Dear [successful candidate’s name],

I’m pleased to inform you that your recent interview was successful and we wish extend an offer of employment to you on behalf of [your company name].

We’ve selected you as the right candidate for this role of [job position].

You’ll shortly receive a letter detailing the offer for this role. You must respond to this by [date] with a written acceptance response.

Yours sincerely,

[Manager’s name]

*End template*

Negotiating your deal

The employee’s current business may, of course, make a counter-offer and it’s not uncommon for offer letter negotiation to begin. This will aim to keep the employee in their business and will typically involve the offer of a higher wage or more perks.

This may begin a process of sparring to claim the employee’s services, so you may have to prepare to offer a better package if you’re keen to secure the individual’s services.

Need our help?

If you would like further complementary advice on offer letters from an expert, our advisors are ready to take your call any time day or night. Call us on 0818 923 923 or request a callback here.