Offer Letter Email Template: Offer, Follow-Up, Acceptance and Decline of Counter

An offer letter email template is the short message that carries your formal offer to a candidate. The email gives the headline terms, attaches or links the letter, sets a reply date and keeps the tone warm. This guide gives word-for-word versions of the offer, a follow-up, an acceptance reply and a polite decline of a counter.

Why the email matters as much as the letter

Most guides on offers focus on the letter itself, the document with the terms. That document matters, and our page at /offer-letter-template covers it. But the candidate does not first meet the offer as a document. They meet it as an email, usually after a phone call, and the email shapes how the offer feels. A cold message with an attachment and no context can make a good offer feel like paperwork. A warm, specific one with a clear reply date makes the candidate feel wanted and tells them exactly what to do.

There are four emails in the sequence, and most hiring teams write each from scratch under time pressure. That leads to inconsistent tone, missing details and avoidable confusion. Having four reviewed versions ready lets you move quickly while staying careful. Remember that an email is not a contract by itself, and the rules on offers, written terms, notice and signatures differ by country. Check local law, and ask whoever advises you whether your letter and email wording are suitable. The templates below use plain, friendly language and square brackets for fields you fill in.

Before you send anything: the call comes first

A good offer email follows a phone or video call. Call the candidate first, say you would like to make an offer, give the headline terms (title, pay, start date) and ask when you can send the details. Candidates find a call far more personal, and it lets you hear their reaction and catch problems early, such as a pay expectation that does not match. Only then send the email. It should contain nothing that surprises them.

Before you send, check four things.

• The terms in the email match the letter exactly. Check pay, title, start date and any conditions.
• The approval you need inside your company is done. Never send an offer that someone senior has not signed off.
• The reply date is realistic. Three to five working days is common, and a candidate with other processes may need a little longer.
• Any conditions, such as references or a background check, are stated plainly. See /blog/contingent-offer-letter-how-to-word-background-check-conditions.

If you track your offers in a spreadsheet, add the sent date and the reply-by date so the follow-up is never forgotten. For the wider process, see /blog/how-to-make-a-job-offer-and-handle-negotiation.

Template 1: the offer email

Use this after the phone call. Subject line options: "Your offer from [Company]" or "Offer: [Job title] at [Company]".

Subject: Your offer from [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you again for your time on the phone today. I am delighted to confirm our offer for the [Job title] role in the [Team] team.

Here are the main terms we discussed: - Job title: [Job title] - Start date: [Date] - Salary: [Amount and currency] per [year] - Working pattern: [Days, hours, location] - Reports to: [Name and title]

The full offer letter is attached, with everything in writing, including [leave, benefits, notice, any conditions]. Please read it through, and do ask me anything that is not clear.

If you are happy to accept, please reply to this email by [date] or [sign using the link/return the signed copy]. If you would like to talk anything over first, I am free on [times] and happy to arrange a call with [hiring manager].

We really enjoyed getting to know you, and the team is excited about the prospect of working with you.

Best wishes, [Your name] [Title, phone number]

Why it works. It names the call, so the email feels like a continuation. It lists terms in a short block, so the candidate does not need to open the attachment to see them. It sets a reply date and offers a call, which invites questions rather than silence.

Template 2: the follow-up email

Send this if you hear nothing by the day after the deadline, or sooner if the candidate said they would reply earlier. Keep it light. Silence usually means the candidate is thinking, comparing, or has questions they are shy to ask.

Subject: Checking in on your offer from [Company]

Hi [First name],

I hope you are well. I wanted to check in on the offer we sent on [date] for the [Job title] role.

If you have any questions about the terms, the team or the next steps, I would be glad to talk them through. If you need a few more days to decide, just let me know and we can agree a new date.

We would very much like you to join us, and I am happy to help with anything that makes the decision easier.

Best wishes, [Your name]

Why it works. It does not pressure the candidate. It offers more time, which often surfaces the real concern. If a second follow-up is needed, try a call instead of a third email. If a candidate stops replying completely, see /blog/what-to-do-when-a-candidate-ghosts-after-accepting-an-offer, which also covers the period before acceptance.

Template 3: the acceptance reply

Send this as soon as the candidate accepts. A prompt, warm reply sets the tone for the whole start, and it is also where you give next steps so the gap between acceptance and day one does not go cold.

Subject: Welcome to [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your reply. We are thrilled that you are joining us as [Job title], starting on [date].

Here is what happens next: 1. [Name] from [team] will email you by [date] about [paperwork, contract, right-to-work or similar checks]. 2. We will send you your start details by [date], including where to go, who to ask for, and what to bring. 3. If you have a notice period, please let us know your last day with your current employer, and tell us if we can help in any way.

If anything changes before your start date, or if you have a question, you can reach me directly on [phone or email].

Welcome to the team. We are looking forward to it.

Best wishes, [Your name]

Why it works. Candidates who have accepted can be contacted by other employers during their notice period, so keeping in touch matters. Our checklist at /blog/pre-boarding-checklist-between-offer-and-first-day covers what to do in that gap. Also tell the other finalists promptly; see /blog/when-to-send-rejection-emails-and-how-much-feedback-to-give.

Template 4: polite decline of a counter

Sometimes a candidate asks for more than you can give. Replying well keeps the relationship intact and may still win the hire. Before you send this, be sure you have genuinely reached your limit, and have considered other ways to meet their need, such as a start-date review, a learning budget or a title change. Our guide at /blog/how-to-negotiate-job-offers-with-candidates covers the thinking.

Subject: Re: Your offer from [Company]

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your message and for being open about what matters to you. I have talked it through with [Name/hiring manager].

Unfortunately we are not able to increase the salary beyond [amount], because [short, honest reason, such as the range for the role or fairness to colleagues in similar positions]. What we can offer is [alternative, for example a pay review after six months, extra leave, a training budget, a revised start date].

I realise this may not be the answer you hoped for, and I understand if you need time to think. Could you let me know by [date]? I am happy to talk it over by phone at any time.

We would still love to have you on the team.

Best wishes, [Your name]

Why it works. It thanks the candidate, gives a reason without a lecture, offers something real, and gives them a clear date. Do not promise anything you cannot deliver, such as a future raise you have not approved.

Which email, when: a quick decision table

Use this table to pick the right message.

Timing matters. A candidate who waits several days for an answer to a counter often starts to wonder how much they are wanted. Fast, kind replies, even when the answer is no, improve your chances of keeping a good relationship.

A worked example of the full sequence

Here is a short, invented example with all numbers as illustration only. A small design studio offers a designer 42,000 a year with a start in six weeks. The recruiter calls on Monday, sends Template 1 within the hour, and sets a reply date of Friday. By the following Monday there is no reply, so the recruiter sends Template 2, offering extra days. On Tuesday the candidate writes back asking for 46,000. The studio's range for the role tops out at 44,000. The recruiter sends Template 4, offering 44,000 with a salary review after six months and a conference budget. The candidate accepts on Wednesday. Template 3 goes out within an hour, with the start details and the name of the person who will email the paperwork.

Nothing in this sequence is complicated. What made it work was speed, warmth, specific alternatives and clear dates. Notice also what the recruiter did not do: no threats of deadline expiry, no vague hints about other candidates, and no promise of future pay without approval.

Common mistakes in offer emails

Avoid these.

• Sending the email with no call first. The candidate may be surprised by the terms.
• Different terms in the email and the letter. Whichever the candidate reads last will be treated as true.
• No reply date, which leaves the offer open and your other finalists waiting.
• Pressure language, such as "this offer expires in 24 hours", unless you truly cannot wait. It hurts goodwill and acceptance.
• Attaching a large file with no summary. Put the headline terms in the body.
• Using the email as a contract. Make clear what is conditional, and keep the formal terms in the letter.
• Forgetting to tell other finalists once the offer is accepted.
• Writing an offer without internal sign-off.
• Copying the same wording for every role without checking it fits. A part-time or contractor offer needs different terms; see /blog/offer-letter-samples-for-different-jobs-full-time-part-time-contractor-intern.

Signing, records and privacy

After acceptance, you will want a signed copy. Many teams use an electronic signature, which is often valid for offers, but rules differ by country and by type of contract, so check local law. Our article at /blog/are-electronic-signatures-valid-for-job-offers explains the issues. Keep a record of who approved the offer, when it was sent and when it was accepted. That record protects both sides if a question ever arises.

An offer email also contains personal data: the candidate's name, pay and start date. Send it to the address they gave you, not a shared mailbox. Do not forward it beyond the people who need to know. Offer terms for one candidate should not be quoted to another. After the hire, follow your retention policy for the correspondence; see /blog/candidate-data-retention-policy-for-recruiters for a starting point.

Where Rezumz fits

Rezumz is an AI hiring workspace for small and mid-size hiring teams. On a candidate, the Offer letter and signature section lets you draft the letter, ask an approver to approve it, then send it. The candidate reads it and accepts by typing their name, or declines with a reason. You get a printable record of who approved it, when it was sent and when it was signed. People make every decision.

Its electronic signature is a simple one, a typed name and a confirmation. It does not verify identity, and some countries or contracts need a stronger kind, so check local law. Rezumz does not replace the personal phone call or your own judgement on wording, and it is not meant for large enterprises needing deep HRIS or payroll links or one-click multiposting. It suits small and mid-size teams, with Team for 4 or more recruiters. Prices: a free plan with 2 free candidate analyses; $29 a month, $199 a year, $499 lifetime (limited); Team at $79 a month or $699 a year for up to 10 teammates. See /pricing and try /demo.