At the end of the recruitment process, it will be time for the company to offer the job to the best qualified candidate(s). Depending on the company policy, an employer or his hiring manager will make an official offer probably through a formal written document to the job candidate. Some companies prefer to make a verbal job offer where the hiring manager calls the selected candidate to let them know that they have been offered the position. But in cases where companies prefer to send them letters of employment offer, this can be done through email or in writing. But what is a job offer letter? It is basically a formal written confirmation of the offer.

If therefore you will be offering the job via email or phone, it should always be followed by a formal job offer letter. This should confirm the details of the offer of employment including the job description, work schedule, reporting structure, salary and benefits and paid time-off among other important details. You should give the candidate a chance to either accept or reject the offer. If they accept, they should sign the letter of employment offer and return it as a formal acceptance of the position.

What are some of the dos and don’ts when writing a job offer letter?

• Do not use statements that may suggest just how long the employment could last in your job offer letter. You may give the job’s starting date but avoid such statements as ‘You have a long career here’ or “You’ll be able to grow here”. Such statements only give the candidate a job security that you cannot guarantee so early.
• You may give the job description on the letter but you shouldn’t describe the job responsibilities as yet. Some companies just give the new employee a contact name of a person they should talk to once they report on duty for guidance and orientation purposes.
• It is important to let the new hire know beforehand some organization policies and procedures that they may be subjected to, which will determine if they will continue working in the company or not. You could mention some job offer eventualities such as signing a nondisclosure agreement or undergoing a mandatory drug test right before they start working.
• When citing the expected salary in the offer of employment letter, just mention what the employee can be paid after each pay period, not an annual figure. This way, it will not appear as if you were offering a one-year long job by the courts in case things don’t work out as planned.
• If there is a signed copy of the letter, keep it in the file. Alternatively, they can keep the letter you sent them, and you can keep a copy in your files. Keep note of everything you promise if the offer is done orally.

The only way employers can kelp employment terms in writing is to write a job offer letter. Even though there are many ways in which employers can offer a job to a successful candidate, a written offer is formal and a lot more detailed.