What is included in an offer letter?

A job offer letter can be customized based on your desired level of formality and how much detail your company wishes to include. For a professional touch, use your company’s official letterhead. You can organize your job offer letter how you see fit, although consider including basic information, such as:

• Job title
• Base salary
• Start date
• Employment contingencies, such as background checks, drug screenings, reference checks, I-9 forms, etc.
• At-will statement

If you wish to go into further detail, consider including additional information, such as:

• Description of job responsibilities
• Manager/supervisor name and title
• Workplace location and expected working hours
• Additional compensation potential, such as bonuses, profit-sharing, stock options, etc.
• Employee benefits, such as insurance coverage, 401(k), paid time off, etc.
• Offer letter expiration date

Even though an offer letter is not a legally binding agreement, consult with a lawyer to have them review your final offer letter template and verbiage to avoid potential legal implications.

Standard job offer letter template

Dear [Candidate Name],

[Company name] is delighted to offer you the [full-time, part-time, etc.] position of [job title] with an anticipated start date of [start date], contingent upon [background check, drug screening, etc.].

As the [job title], you will be responsible for [brief mention of job responsibilities and expectations].

You will report directly to [manager/supervisor name and title] at [workplace location]. Working hours are from [hours of day, days of week].

The starting salary for this position is [dollar amount] per [hour, year, etc.]. Payment is on a [weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.] basis by [direct deposit, check, etc.], starting on [date of first pay period]. In addition, you will be eligible to receive [discuss additional compensation potential].

[Company name] offers a comprehensive benefits program, which includes [medical insurance, 401(k), paid time off, etc.].

Your employment with [company name] will be on an at-will basis, which means you and the company are free to terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice. This letter is not a contract indicating employment terms or duration.

Please confirm your acceptance of this offer by signing and returning this letter by [offer expiration date].

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]

[Your Printed Name]
[Your Job Title]

Candidate Signature: ______________________________

Candidate Printed Name: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

Simple job offer letter template

Dear [Candidate Name],

With great pleasure, I would like to extend the following employment offer.

Position: [Job title]
Start date: No later than [date]
Salary: [Dollar amount] per [hour, year, etc.]

This employment offer is contingent upon the successful completion of [background check, drug screening, reference check, I-9 form, etc.]. This offer is not a contract of employment, and either party may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause.

Sincerely,

[Your Signature]

[Your Printed Name]
[Your Job Title]

Candidate Signature: ______________________________

Candidate Printed Name: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

Casual job offer letter template

Dear [Candidate Name],

Congratulations! [Company name] is excited to call you our new [job title].

We’ll focus on wrapping up a few more formalities, including the successful completion of your [background check, drug screening, reference check, etc.], and aim to get you settled into your new role by [start date].

Keep reading to learn more about this opportunity and—hopefully—answer any lingering questions you may have.

[Company name] will start you out at [dollar amount] per [hour, year, etc.]. You can expect to receive payment [weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.], starting on [date of first pay period].

As the [job title], you’ll report to [manager/supervisor name and title] at [workplace location] from [hours of day, days of week]. Your daily responsibilities will include [brief mention of job duties and responsibilities].

You’ll be a regular employee of [company name] and will be able to participate in benefits such as [medical insurance, 401(k), paid time off, etc.]. You’ll also have access to some awesome perks, including [additional offerings, such as game room, snack bar, etc.]!

Please keep in mind, this employment offer is in no way a legally binding contract. As an at-will employee, both you and [company name] are able to terminate employment for any reason at any time.

[Company name] looks forward to bringing you on board! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at any time and we’ll be more than happy to help you.

Best,

[Your Signature]

[Your Printed Name]
[Your Job Title]

Candidate Signature: ______________________________

Candidate Printed Name: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

Internal job offer letter template

Dear [Candidate Name],

Congratulations on your promotion to [position title] with the [department name] at [company name].

[Company name] will start your salary at [dollar amount] per [hour, year, etc.]. Paychecks will be distributed [weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.], starting on [date of first pay period].

As this is a new position within the company, you are expected to complete a [week, month, etc.] of training with the [department name] [manager, supervisor, etc.].

[Company name] looks forward to continuing a positive working relationship with you. If you have any questions, please reach out to HR or contact us directly.

Best,

[Your Signature]

[Your Printed Name]
[Your Job Title]

Signature: ______________________________

Printed Name: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

Part-time/contract to full-time offer letter from job

Dear [Candidate Name],

[Company name] is offering to extend your current employment status from part-time to full-time, as of [date].

If you choose to accept our offer, please review the terms and conditions of your new employment contract below:

• Position: You will be working as a [position] and reporting to the [department name] manager.
• Working hours: [days/week or weekends] [hours 9am-5pm, 7am-3pm, etc.]
• Compensation: Your [hourly, weekly, bi-weekly] salary will be [salary amount].
• Benefits: As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the following employee benefits: [health insurance, 401k, PTO, etc.]

To accept our offer, please sign and date this full-time offer letter as indicated below and email it back to us by [date].

Feel free to contact the HR department [contact information] if you have any questions, or you can reach out to your supervisor directly.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Signatures:

Internship position offer letter sample

Dear [Candidate Name]

[Company Name] is pleased to offer you an internship position in our [department name] department, with an effective start date of [start date].

As an intern, this is not a paid position, which means you will not receive wages or be eligible for benefits such as [unemployment, health insurance, PTO, sick pay, etc.] However, [company name] may consider you for a paid position in the future based on your performance throughout your internship.

Throughout your internship, you may be given access to confidential information belonging to [company name]. Upon acceptance of this offer, you agree that you will keep all [company name] information private and confidential.

We look forward to working with you. Please feel free to reach out to us directly if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Signatures:

Job Offer Letter Template for PDF & Word

Check out our job offer letter template to help you create an offer letter for your next hire.

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.

FAQs about job offer letters

Is a job offer letter legally binding?

Once a job offer letter is accepted by the candidate, it may be considered legally binding. If the letter specifically states that acceptance of the offer does not constitute a binding agreement, the document may not a legally binding contract. Verbal job offers that are accepted by candidates may also be considered legally binding if they’re followed up with a written offer letter by the employer. 

Offer letters must be carefully crafted and reviewed by HR departments and in-house counsel if necessary to ensure there’s no liability on the employer’s end in the event the offer is rescinded. Reasons for rescinding a job offer include failure of required drug tests, budget cuts, discovering the candidate has already signed a non-compete agreement with a different employer and issues following background checks.

While all these reasons for rescinding a job offer are valid, the offer letter may need to contain verbiage that indicates the offer is invalid if these conditions aren’t met. This could protect the employer in the event a candidate states there was a legally binding contract and attempts to take legal action. In many cases, jobs are considered “at will,” and employees and employers can terminate the working relationship whenever they choose. However, an offer letter serves as documentation that a working relationship has been formed, and a candidate may claim misrepresentation if specific stipulations are not properly outlined in the offer letter.

How long does it take to write an offer letter?

The length of time it takes to write an offer letter for a job depends on several factors. A simple or casual job offer letter written directly by an employer can take a few minutes to a few hours. Employment offer letters prepared by HR departments that contain specific information about employee contracts and benefits may require additional time to prepare, possibly a few days or longer. The sooner an offer letter can be drafted and reviewed prior to presentation to the candidate, the better. In most cases, the time between the interview process and presenting an offer letter lands somewhere between a few days and two weeks.

Job offer letters may also require extra time to create if the document contains legal jargon that must be reviewed by the company’s legal team or internal counsel. Legal clauses that state conditions of employment may require extended review times. In some cases, contracts, non-disclosure agreements and other corporate documents are included in offer letter packages, and all these documents must be carefully reviewed before presenting to job candidates.

How do you calculate job offer acceptance rate?

To calculate a job offer acceptance rate, divide the total number of job offers within a specific date range by the total number of accepted offers. The percentage calculation depicts the average amount of applicants who’ll accept your job offers.

An example of a job offer acceptance rate is: When 10 job offers are provided within one year and all 10 candidates accept the offer, you have a job offer acceptance rate of 100%. If only six candidates accept the job offers, you have an acceptance rate of 60%.