This job offer letter template covers everything a candidate needs to say yes with confidence: role, pay, start date, benefits, contingencies and the terms of employment. It's free to copy and edit, and it includes at-will language you can keep or remove depending on where the employee works. Below the main template you'll find a version for hourly roles and a short cover email to send the letter with.
Job offer letter template
When to use it
Send the written letter after the candidate has accepted a verbal offer, or at the same time if your process skips the call. The letter is the record both sides rely on, so every number should match what the hiring manager or recruiter said out loud.
Before the first use, have an employment lawyer review your version for each state or country where you hire. Rules on pay frequency, overtime status, restrictive covenants and at-will employment differ by location, and a template built for one office can be wrong for the next.
How to customize it
- Fill in every bracket or delete the line. A letter that still says "[Not applicable]" looks unfinished and invites questions.
- Write the overtime status explicitly. Exempt or non-exempt should be decided with HR or counsel based on duties and pay, not the job title.
- Describe equity exactly as your plan documents do, and say it is subject to approval if the board hasn't granted it yet.
- List only real contingencies. If you don't run background checks for this role, remove that line rather than leaving it as a threat.
- Put a clear response date with a time zone. "By Friday" means different things in different cities.
- Link or attach the benefits summary instead of copying plan details into the letter, so the letter doesn't go stale when plans change.
Variations
For hourly or shift-based roles, replace the compensation and position sections with this shorter block.
And a short cover email to send the letter, so it doesn't land as a bare attachment.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting the letter and the verbal offer disagree. Even a small gap in start date or bonus target damages trust in week one.
- Promising job security in friendly language, such as "a long future with us," which can conflict with the at-will statement.
- Making the offer contingent on a medical exam that only some new hires in the same job take. The EEOC says a post-offer exam is allowed only if everyone entering that job takes it.
- Treating any criminal record as an automatic withdrawal. The EEOC says employers should consider the offense, the time since it happened and the nature of the job.
- Offering different pay for substantially equal work without a documented, job-related reason. The EEOC notes the Equal Pay Act covers all forms of pay, including bonuses and benefits.
Laws on offers and employment terms vary by state and country, so treat this template as a starting draft and get a legal review before you send it. This is not legal advice.
Automating this with Carolina
Carolina, NTRVSTA's AI Head of Talent, handles the steps around the offer inside your existing ATS and calendar: candidate messages and status updates, scheduling the offer call, and a morning digest in Slack or Teams that keeps your team current on the pipeline. You can ask it in plain English, for example "which offers expire this week?"
It never sends or changes an offer on its own. Offers and compensation changes always wait for a person, whatever guardrail you set for other actions. Plans start with a free Starter tier for one open role; see pricing.
Working through the offer stage? Use the verbal offer script before this letter, the offer follow-up email while you wait, the reference check template beforehand, and the new hire welcome email once they sign. To track results, see offer acceptance rate.
Questions
What should a job offer letter include?
At minimum: job title, manager, start date, work location, pay and pay frequency, whether the role is exempt or non-exempt from overtime, a benefits summary, any contingencies such as a background check, the at-will statement where it applies, and a date to respond by. Anything you promised verbally should appear in writing.
Is a job offer letter a contract?
It depends on the wording and on the law where the employee works. Letters that promise a fixed term, guaranteed bonuses or limits on termination can be read as contractual. That is why the at-will statement, where applicable, and a legal review before you use the template matter.
How long should a candidate have to accept an offer letter?
Three to five business days is common for most roles. Senior candidates or people relocating may need a week. Very short deadlines tend to push candidates toward other offers rather than speed up a yes.
Want to see the offer stage run with a person in control at every step? Book a 20-minute demo, or try a sample interview yourself.
