When the interviews are done and the candidate is selected, you need to write out a job letter. But, what do you include in a job offer letter? In a job offer letter, you have to write a formal written document which is an agreement between the hiring manager and the candidate. Before you go ahead with preparing a job offer letter, you should ensure that you inform the candidate that they have received the position. Based on the company policy, the job offers would be made via email or in writing.
Written and Email Job Offers
Let’s distinguish between Written Job Offers and Email Job Offers and how you should work out the Job offer letter:
Written Job Offers
Whether the job offers are made phone or email, it has to be followed up by a formal job offer letter. This contains the details of the offer of employment which include the description of the job, benefits, salary, paid time-off, reporting structure and work schedule. Here, the job offer should be conditional and this means that it depends on additional step like a background check and a pre-employment drug test.
Those candidates that choose to accept the job offer should return the letter signed as a formal acceptance of the position offered. In case the offer isn’t as expected by the candidate, there is a chance that they might provide a counter offer or decline the offer altogether.
Structure of the Job Offer Letter
The following is the structure of the job offer letter:
Usually, a job offer letter would be sent by email or delivered in-person after the completion of the final interview. These job offers can also be extended over the phone but it’s important that the candidate receives the job offer an the terms of employment in writing.
Email Offer Letter
When writing an email offer letter, you need to ensure that it contains the right subject line, a few lines about the job and the email attachment of the offer letter. When it comes to the subject line, it should be under 50 characters and state what you are offering to the candidate and name of the company. Example: Your Offer from (Company Name).
Attach the important document to help the candidate decide if they should accept or decline the offer. The main advantage of sending an email offer letter is that you can attach several additional supplementary documents to help a candidate make their decision. You can add things like company policies, information on benefits and other supporting information. Also, you should avoid overwhelming candidates with documents and provide the right amount of documentation to help them determine whether they make a good fit for the company.
Offer Letter as an Email Attachment
Ensure that you send a PDF of the employment offer letter and write a brief message as the email body. You should add a celebratory tone to explain to the candidate that they can find the offer letter attached. The email attachment should be as follows:
Share a Job Offer Letter in the Email Body
You can choose to send the job offer in the body of the email. Instead of sending it as an attachment, you can simply copy and paste your full offer letter into the email. After which you can copy and paste the entire offer letter into the email. Here, the candidate will see the entire offer letter and would not have to download the attachment. It should include the job details, compensation, benefits, at-will employment, deadlines for accepting or declining the offer and your contact details.
Important Elements of a Job Offer Letter
Dates and Times
It’s important to ensure that you pay close attention to your start date. This would come across as a big no if this is not mentioned and the candidate does not show up at the right time and date. Also, things like important dates like setting up medical insurance, time off should specify so that you ensure that these formalities are met at the right time and date. Also, you need to specify the appointment, vacation, and retirement in your offer letter.
Job Description
Here, you ensure that the candidate knows about what they are responsible for and the deliverables at the time that they are signing the job offer letter. If they do not agree with the position then its probably because the responsibilities have been misinterpreted. This is why it’s critical that you record these in case the candidate’s job evolves in the future.
Remuneration
Though you might have discussed salary via email or on the phone, you need to ensure that it’s on paper too. Things like whether your compensation package meets your candidates’ expectations. Also, if your candidates’ salary is a bi-weekly paycheck and then you should calculate if it matches the yearly negotiated salary.
Bonuses
When it comes to salary, another figure that comes to mind is the bonus system. This needs to be described well and ensure that it meets your salary and the guaranteed bonuses. Also, you need to review the type of language used to describe bonuses before its sent out to ensure that candidates do not feel cheated.
Benefits
Another key factor that needs to be reviewed and discussed is the benefits that candidates can avail. This includes things like parental leave, free lunches, pet insurance and several other company perks.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
One of the most important items that a candidate would sign is the non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements. This is usually the standard practice in offer letters. Usually, this should be kept as sensitive information otherwise this would lead to firing and lawsuits. This could include product design, communications, financial reports and product design. In this way, the candidate will learn his boundaries and know how to keep his work private and ensuring that work is kept on the down-low.
Non-Compete Clause
The most overlooked yet critical components of an offer letter are the Non-Compete Clause. This contract is between two parties where parties agree not to compete with one another for a given period of time.
Non-Solicit Agreements
A non-solicit agreement is a contract in which an employee agrees not to solicit their employer’s customers for a certain period after leaving the company. This comes into force with those that are tempted to quit their job and start their own business using the customers that they have built.
At-Will Employment
An At-Will Employment suggests that an employee can be dismissed by their employer at any time and for reason at all. Though this may sound alarming, this does not mean that the company is known for firing people, this is the law of the land in the United States of America.
Arbitration Clauses
The last provision is the arbitration clauses which states that if there are any disputes between an employee and an employer then it should be settled by a neutral third party.
Almost There? File For Unemployment
If you feel that you are between jobs then you should apply for unemployment benefits based on your state. Here you can select your state and learn about how you can claim for benefits. There is a host of resources which helps you with the application, office location, phone numbers, and job training. Among other resources, you can opt for them to use your state unemployment calculator and here you can figure out the eligibility benefits that you can receive based on the number of weeks that you would receive benefits. In the best case scenario, you would be able to start a job and employee several individuals that are like minded in ensuring that they meet your needs. You should look forward to receiving a steady pay.
What’s the worst that could happen? You could still receive your unemployment benefits and your severance pay. Also, you can connect with the state through the state pages and browse through the many articles that will help you get another job.
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