How To Write A Job Offer (And What Needs To Be On It)

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Job offers can take a variety of forms, but sending a job offer email is the preferred method in business today. This allows for immediate communication and keeps a documented trail of correspondence, which offers protection on both sides of the agreement.

Whether you’ve made a job offer before or this is your first time, it’s a good idea to go over what needs to be in the offer and what you should include. This will ensure that you’re giving your prospective employee the information they need and that you’re protecting your company, too. Keep reading to learn more.

Key Takeaways

• A job offer takes many forms, but a written offer is preferred for legal reasons. An email job offer is most common today.

• A job offer is a form of business communication and should be written in a professional manner with an eye toward being very thorough.

• Key elements of a job offer will differ for each position and sometimes for each individual.

• Most job offers must include the job title, duties, compensation, benefits, key dates, contingencies, management, contact information, and other details that relate to the specific job.

What Is a Job Offer

A job offer is sometimes called an offer of employment, and it tells someone that you’d like to hire them. In its most basic sense, a job offer lets someone know that you want to hire them and what you want them to do, and it usually contains information on how they’ll be compensated.

Most job offers are more detailed than that and are designed to provide key information to both parties and create an agreement or meeting of the minds as to what the job is and what is required from everyone.

How To Make a Job Offer

A job offer can be made in a number of ways, from a simple verbal offer to a very formal series of documents that need to be reviewed carefully, have conditions met, and then must be signed by several parties.

The type of job offer often depends on the position being offered. If you hire your neighborhood high school kid to mow your lawn, a verbal offer is probably enough. Hiring a new CEO for a Fortune 500 company is going to require a lot more paperwork and legal wrangling.

In most situations today, hiring someone with an email of the job offer is not only good enough but also an optimal approach. This gives you the opportunity to reach them instantly with additional documents or attachments that are necessary, and it provides a written record of the transaction.

How to Write a Job Offer

A job offer is legally binding once both parties have agreed to it and signed it. Even before the offer is signed by both parties, it has some legal significance so it is not something that should be taken lightly. It’s not necessary for the employment offer to be in writing, but it’s a good idea. This way, there is no confusion, and you can easily track key pieces of the agreement.

Remember, a job offer is a key piece of business correspondence. Even if your relationship with the prospective employee is lighthearted, it’s best to keep the job offer very professional and succinct. Even simple pleasantries can be misconstrued and lead to potential legal problems.

For instance, saying “I look forward to a long professional engagement” can just be a polite statement from an employer but the employee can see it as a promise of employment for the foreseeable future.

There are some key pieces of information that need to be in each job offer, and then there are specific points that will relate to that particular job and individual.

What Needs to Be on a Job Offer

Every job offer will be a bit different as each position has unique requirements, and oftentimes, individuals negotiate their own terms of employment. That said, there are some key elements that should be included in every job offer.

• Job title and description. Start with the basics and list what the job title is and what that means.

• Job duties and responsibilities. Make sure you detail what the regular job duties are and what other responsibilities will be a part of the job sometimes.

• Compensation. Whether pay will be hourly, salary, commission based, etc., make sure to detail how the employee will be compensated, how much, and when.

• Benefits. Most employers offer some benefits package that goes above and beyond pays. Detail these benefits clearly, so the prospective employee knows what to expect.

• Supervisor name and/or title. Typically, the individual’s immediate supervisor is listed in the job offer, sometimes just the title of the person above them is listed, and in other situations, the entire company management structure is broken down, so there’s no confusion.

• Job type and hours. It’s important that the job offer spells out whether the job is full-time or part-time or if it’s seasonal or permanent and if the employee will be exempt or non-exempt from overtime.

• At-Will employment. Most employees are termed at-will, which means they can be terminated or quit their job at any time, and there might not be advance notice or any reason.

• Conditions of employment. If you require your employee to meet any contingencies, these need to be spelt out in the offer. Typically, there is also a date by which they must meet the conditions for employees to be valid. If they don’t meet your conditions, the job offer is rescinded, or it’s no longer valid.

  Common conditions include passing a drug screening, reference checks, background checks, and proof of education or certifications required to perform that job.

• Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. Most jobs have some form of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that the employees have to sign and agree not to share company information with outside sources.

  There might also be a non-compete clause attached to the job offer that prevents the employee from leaving and taking key clients or working in direct opposition to the company.

• A statement that a written offer takes precedence. It should be stated that the job offer letter will supersede any oral discussions that previously occurred. This protects the employer from anything they inadvertently said or any non-documented verbal discussion.

• Instructions for accepting the offer. In most cases today, the offer is an email, and responding to the email is the accepted response whether you’re declining the job or taking it. But it’s still good to indicate how you’d like the next steps to go.

• Key dates. Usually, key dates are included in the instructions portion of the offer and let the applicant know when they need to formalize acceptance.

• Contact information for both parties. It’s best to outline the specific names, positions, and contact information of all people involved in the job offer. This might even include legal personnel if it’s a higher-ranking position within a company.

Remember that each hire may have some nuances that are different and must be included in the job offer. The above list is not inclusive for all positions but is meant as a guideline to help you hit the highlights.

What Not to Include in a Job Offer

While there are some details that must be included in a job offer, there are also some things you don’t want to say in your job offer email.

• Termination details. Most employees are hired at will, meaning they can quit or they can be terminated for any reason, at any time, without notice. It does not require notice or suggest that the employee will receive notice — this is a direct conflict with the definition of at-will employment.

• Promises of future promotions, raises, or bonuses. Most companies have a structure in place for earning bonuses or promotions, but nothing is promised. It is okay to detail your policy for earning a bonus, but it’s not okay to guarantee or promise that the individual will receive that bonus.

• Statements about job permanency. While you may want to have this employee with your company forever, your feelings today might not be the same in a year, and you might have to terminate their employment. Keep all statements about long-term or permanent employment out of the job offer to prevent any future conflict.

• Personal correspondence and colloquialisms. A job offer is a business document, and it can become a part of someone’s professional file. Keeping it professional is the best approach. Too much familiarity can be seen as favoritism and may play into a discrimination suit if seen by others.

How To Write a Job Offer FAQ

1. Do I need to have a job offer in writing?

   No, a job offer doesn’t need to be in writing, but it’s in your best interest to have it written down. Job offers aren’t legally required to be in writing, but having the information in writing clears up any areas of confusion and can prevent future legal action against you.

2. Is an email an acceptable way to make a job offer?

   Yes, emails are an acceptable way to make a job offer, and they’re often the preferred method. Email is very convenient because it’s immediate and it keeps a written record of correspondence. Even an email signature can suffice for an actually written one when it comes to legal documents.

3. Is a job offer legally binding?

   A job offer is not legally binding unless it is signed and agreed upon by both parties. If you make a job offer and the individual doesn’t accept the job, your connection is completed, and the offer is no longer valid.

   Likewise, if you make a job offer that has contingencies in it and the individual doesn’t follow through, then the job offer is also rescinded.

4. What if a job offer is met with a counteroffer?

   If your job offer is met with a counteroffer, it makes part or all of the original offer void. For instance, you might have a prospective employee who says that they want twice the compensation you offered for the job. In that situation, you’d probably say “no, thanks” and walk away from their counteroffer and your job offer is no longer in play or valid.

   Another situation could be the future employee saying yes to your offer, but they need a certain week off for a pre-planned vacation. This is a counteroffer that can be included in the original offer, and all other elements of the offer may remain the same. But they don’t have to; this could be a deal breaker for you, too. Counteroffers restart the negotiation process.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.