Job Offer Letter Template: Free Wording, Clause Guide and Generator

What an offer letter is, and what it is not

An offer letter is the document where a company formally offers a candidate a job. It confirms the main terms the two sides already discussed: title, start date, pay, who the person reports to, and any conditions that must be met before the job begins. It is usually one to two pages.

It is not always the same thing as an employment contract. In many places the offer letter is a summary and a full contract or terms of employment follows, or the letter itself is treated as part of the contract once accepted. In other places a written statement of terms must be provided within a set time after the person starts. Which of these applies depends on your country, so treat this page as a drafting guide, not legal advice.

The practical rule: do not put anything in an offer letter that you are not prepared to be held to, and do not leave out anything you told the candidate verbally that matters to them, such as a signing bonus or a remote-work arrangement.

Every section a good offer letter has

• Company name, date, and the candidate's full name and address or email.
• A warm one-line opening that makes the offer clear: you are offering the job.
• Job title, department, and the manager the person will report to.
• Employment type: full-time, part-time, fixed-term, contractor or internship.
• Start date and normal working location, including any remote or hybrid arrangement.
• Pay: amount, currency, whether it is gross, and the pay period.
• Bonus, commission, equity or other variable pay, described accurately.
• Benefits: holiday or paid time off, insurance, retirement contributions, other perks.
• Probation or trial period, if you use one, and its length.
• Conditions of the offer: reference checks, right-to-work checks, background checks where lawful, signed confidentiality terms.
• At-will or notice terms, depending on country.
• Acceptance deadline and exactly how to accept.
• Name, title and signature of the person making the offer, plus a signature block for the candidate.

Word-for-word offer letter template

Copy the text below into your own document and replace everything in [brackets]. Delete any line that does not apply to your role.

• [Company name] | [Company address] | [Date]
• Dear [Candidate first name],
• We are delighted to offer you the position of [Job title] at [Company name]. This letter sets out the main terms of the offer.
• Role and reporting line: You will join the [Department] team and report to [Manager name], [Manager title]. Your role will include [two or three main responsibilities], and these may change as the business needs change.
• Employment type: This is a [full-time / part-time at X hours per week / fixed-term until DATE] position.
• Start date: Your employment will begin on [Start date], subject to the conditions below.
• Location: You will work from [office address / remotely from your home in COUNTRY / hybrid, X days per week in the office].
• Pay: Your salary will be [amount and currency] per [year / month / hour], before tax and deductions, paid [monthly / twice monthly / every two weeks] in arrears.
• Bonus and other pay: [Describe any bonus, commission, signing payment or equity, including conditions. Write 'None' if not applicable.]
• Benefits: You will be entitled to [number] days of paid holiday per year, [health or medical cover details], [retirement or pension contribution details] and [other benefits]. Full details are in [policy document or handbook].
• Probation: The first [number] months of employment are a probationary period, during which either party may end the employment with [notice period] notice, to the extent allowed by local law.
• Conditions: This offer depends on [satisfactory references / proof of your right to work in COUNTRY / a background check where permitted by law / signing our confidentiality and intellectual property agreement]. If any condition is not met, we may withdraw this offer.
• Notice and termination: [Describe the notice either side must give, or, where employment is at will, state that employment is at will and can be ended by either party at any time, as permitted by local law.]
• Other terms: This letter, together with [employment contract / handbook], is the full agreement about your employment and replaces earlier discussions. Changes must be in writing and signed by both sides.
• Acceptance: Please confirm your acceptance by signing and returning this letter by [Reply-by date]. If we have not heard from you by then, the offer will lapse.
• We are excited about the prospect of you joining us. If you have any questions, contact [Name] at [email or phone].
• Sincerely, [Name], [Title], [Company name]
• Accepted: I accept this offer on the terms above. Name: [____] Signature: [____] Date: [____]

Clause-by-clause explanation

Each line in the template exists for a reason. Knowing the reason helps you edit it without breaking it.

• Start date: give a specific date, and say it depends on the conditions. Candidates often need to serve notice at their current job, so agree the date with them before writing it down.
• Pay and pay period: state the amount, currency, whether it is before tax, and how often it is paid. Mixing up annual, monthly and hourly figures is the single most common source of disputes.
• Reporting line: name the manager. It tells the candidate who decides their day-to-day work and who to contact on arrival.
• Probation: if you use one, state its length and what happens at the end. Some countries limit probation or require specific notice during it.
• Benefits: summarise, then point to the policy. Do not restate the full benefits plan, because it will drift out of date.
• Contingencies: list every check you intend to run, so none comes as a surprise. Only run checks that are lawful in the candidate's country and the role.
• Acceptance deadline: give a real date, usually three to seven working days. A deadline protects you from holding a position open indefinitely.
• At-will or notice: in some countries employment is commonly at will; in many others notice periods and termination rules are set by law or contract. Use the wording your local law requires.

Variations by role type

Country notes: check local law

Offer letters sit inside employment law, and that law differs a great deal between countries and sometimes between states or provinces. Some examples of the kinds of difference to expect, not legal rules to rely on: some places treat employment as at will by default, others require written terms of employment within a short period, others set minimum notice, probation limits or mandatory contract clauses. Rules on background checks, salary history questions, non-competes and benefits also vary.

Before you use any template, including this one, check your local rules on what a written offer must contain and what it may not contain. If you hire across borders, the law of the country where the employee works usually matters most. For executives, remote hires in another country and anything unusual, take advice from an employment lawyer.

Common mistakes

• Leaving a [placeholder] in the sent version, or sending the wrong candidate's name or salary.
• Stating pay without saying whether it is gross, net, hourly, monthly or annual.
• Promising bonuses, promotions or remote work in vague terms that the candidate reads as a guarantee.
• Adding contingencies late, after the candidate has already resigned.
• No acceptance deadline, so the offer stays open forever.
• Making changes after approval without telling the approver.
• Using a US-style at-will clause in a country where it does not apply.
• Sending the letter with no call first. A good offer is a conversation, then a document.

How to deliver the offer and handle questions

Call the candidate first. Share the headline terms, say a written offer will follow within a day, and ask if anything surprises them. This avoids a candidate learning bad news from a document.

Send the letter from a named person, with a clear deadline and a contact for questions. Expect questions about pay, start date, notice periods and benefits. Answer in writing and, if the answer changes the terms, issue a corrected letter rather than relying on email replies.

If the candidate negotiates, decide what you can move before the call, and keep a record of anything you agree. If you cannot meet a request, say so plainly and give the reason. When they accept, confirm the start date, next steps and what they need to bring on day one.

E-signatures and how Rezumz handles offers

A typed name and a confirmation tick is a simple electronic signature. It is accepted for many offer letters, but it does not verify who the person is, and some countries or contracts need a stronger kind. If you are unsure, ask a lawyer. Rezumz is not a legal adviser.

In Rezumz, open a candidate and choose Offer letter and signature. Fill in the company, pay and dates to create a draft, then edit the text. Anything still in [brackets] must be filled in before it can be sent. Ask for approval from the account owner or a teammate, who decides on the Approvals page. Editing an approved letter sends it back for approval, so what is sent is always what was approved.

Once approved, send it to the candidate's email. They get a private link where they read the letter and either accept by typing their full name and ticking a confirmation, or decline with an optional reason. The link works for up to 14 days, or until the reply-by date if that is sooner. Rezumz records who approved, when it was sent, the typed name and time of signing, and a fingerprint of the exact letter sent, and you can print the record as a PDF.

Legal disclaimer

This page and the generator provide general drafting guidance and sample wording only. They are not legal advice and do not create a lawyer-client relationship. Employment law differs by country, state and industry, and changes over time. Have a qualified employment lawyer or your local authority's guidance confirm that your offer letter meets local requirements before you send it, especially for executive, cross-border, contractor or unusual arrangements.