How to write an offer letter when hiring for your small business

Not quite, but you’re almost there.

First, you need to communicate your intention to hire this person, making sure they know they have been selected. You need to make sure they understand the details of the position and verify that they are 100% interested in joining your team.

This is usually done with a job offer letter. But you can’t just fire out a quick email. You need to take your time and craft a high-quality job offer that helps you finally hire the candidate of your choice.

Why is an Offer Letter So Important?

Just because you have interviewed a person, even multiple times, does not mean they are guaranteed to join your team. According to Robert Half, a temp-staff placement company, roughly 28% workers say they have backed out of a job offer after initially saying yes. They may have received a stronger opportunity, gotten a better offer from their current employer, or even heard bad things about the company.

Whatever the reason, a good job offer letter can cement the candidate’s interest in your small business. It will help them become re-enthused about your job and the opportunities it will bring, and could be the difference between joining your team or moving on.

With so much time, energy, and money invested in finding a good candidate, you need to do everything to reel them in. This should include a meticulous, thorough, thoughtful, well-planned job offer letter.

Want to know how to write an employment offer letter? Keep reading to find out!

How Do I Write a Job Offer Letter?

A good job offer letter essentially acts as a review of the position. Before signing an official and legally-binding contract, a job offer letter allows the candidate (and yourself) to review the details, including responsibilities of the job, expectations, salary and bonuses, initial probationary periods, and benefits, among many other details.

How to Write Job Offer Letter: The Process

First, you should extend a verbal job offer to the candidate. Contact them over the phone and let them know they have been selected for the position. This is, of course, an exciting moment for you and the new employee, but you should take a moment to confirm their interest. Make sure they will take the job. Assuming the answer is yes, let them know that a formal job offer letter will be coming to their email. (An email job offer letter is largely the accepted practice, there’s no real need to mail it, as it will slow the process.)

In the job offer letter, you should essentially review the job description. Include a clear statement of your offer, with the official company name. The goal is to give the candidate all the information they need while building excitement for the opportunity. Provide as much information as possible without overwhelming the candidate and you’ll have the best results.

In many cases, the job offer letter will be sent as an email attachment, usually in the form of a PDF. The letter should include a nice introductoin, a congratulations, and a review of the process so far. (Example: “As discussed over the phone…”)

The letter should then outline all the details of the job, including the title and specific responsibilities and expectations. You may also want to include a statement about a probationary period, which usually lasts about 90 days. This period, which acts as a paid trial period, allows you to get to know the candidate, all while the new employee gets to know you. This is not legally required, but it is a common practice for many employers.

It should then include a request to review the details within the letter and, if they accept the offer, sign and return the PDF.

Towards the end, write an invitation to contact you at any time with questions or concerns. Finish with a positive statement, something about how excited you are and how you feel this opportunity will be great for you and your company.

End with your signature and your job offer letter is ready to send!

These is the basic process for how to email a job offer, and, when done right, it should increase your chances of officially hiring a top-quality job candidate.

Now that you know how to write job offer letter, you should start looking for candidates. With snagajob.com, you’ll have access to a huge list of motivated job seekers. Create your profile, post your opportunity, and watch the candidates come rolling in today!