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Did you know it takes an average of 68 days to fill a vacant position in Australia? If you think you've found the right candidate for the job, you'll have a much better chance of landing them with a clear and effective offer of employment letter. Take a look at how to put together a job offer letter in a few easy steps.
A job offer letter is a formal document sent by an organisation to a preferred candidate selected for employment. It contains key terms of prospective employment, including expected work hours, responsibility, salary, benefits, desired start date, and other relevant information. The preferred candidate usually has a set period to review the employment offer letter before making a decision about whether to accept, decline, or negotiate new terms.
An offer of employment letter should be used when you have selected a preferred candidate to join your organisation. This usually occurs after you have reviewed resumes, conducted interviews, and followed up with references.
The offer of employment letter can be a formal or informal document inviting a candidate to join the company. The letter allows you to document the acceptance of your job offer. It gives the candidate the opportunity to ask questions or negotiate new terms before joining the company.
Typically, an offer of employment letter includes:
A job offer letter is often viewed as an informal offer of employment that documents an acceptance of your offer. It may or may not be legally binding, depending on how it is structured.
On the other hand, an employment contract is a legal document that explicitly states the conditions of employment. Unlike the job offer letter, the employment contract is a binding document between the employer and employee. It includes detailed information on the conditions of employment and creates a formal contract between both parties. Typically, employment contracts are signed after the offer of employment letter has been signed and returned.
A job offer letter is effective if you want to document the acceptance of your employment offer and set generally agreed terms for a start date, salary, work hours, and other important details. It can also be used to negotiate terms of employment. Once these have been worked out, you can formalise the agreement in an official employment contract.
With so many online templates to choose from, you can begin crafting your offer of employment letter in a few minutes without having to see a lawyer. That being said, it is recommended that you seek out legal advice when outlining key employment provisions, such as your termination policy, confidentiality requirements, and other legally-binding statements. You also need to decide if you want your job offer letter to be an official employment contract (see Offer of employment letter vs. employment contract for more information).
The first thing you should include in your offer of employment letter is the company name and job title at the top of the page. You then want to address the applicant directly and congratulate him or her for being selected.
After those formalities, you can insert information about the job, start date, compensation, benefits, and other relevant information about the job This is usually followed by a response deadline and a place for the applicant to sign their name and date.
Offer of employment letter template from Indeed
Many online templates can help you get started with your job offer letter. Here's a summary of websites that provide clear and concise templates:
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