Email template · Offers
Job offer email
In short
A job offer email formally offers a candidate the role and usually carries the offer letter. It names the job, pay, start date, manager and any contingencies, explains how to accept and by when, and gives a contact for questions. Below are templates for a standard offer, a verbal offer follow-up, an hourly hire and an internal move.
When to send it: Send the written offer within 24 hours of the verbal offer, ideally the same day. Call the candidate first for salaried roles; for high-volume hourly roles, the email or text can be the first contact.
Job offer email: 4 versions
Standard offer with letter
SubjectYour offer from [Company]: [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], I'm delighted to offer you the position of [Job Title] at [Company], reporting to [Manager Name], [Manager Title]. Everyone you met was impressed, and we'd love to have you on the team. The headline terms: - Base salary: [Salary] per year, paid [Pay Frequency] - [Bonus / Commission: Bonus Details] - Start date: [Start Date] - Location: [Work Location / Remote / Hybrid schedule] - Benefits: [Benefits Summary], starting [Benefits Start] Your full offer letter is attached [or: is ready to review and sign here: Offer Link]. This offer is contingent on [background check / proof of eligibility to work in the US / references]. Please let us know your decision by [Offer Deadline]. If you have questions about anything in the offer, call me at [Phone Number] or reply to this email. I'm also happy to set up time with [Manager Name] if that would help. We're really looking forward to working with you. Best regards, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Follow-up to a verbal offer
SubjectFollowing up on our call: your [Job Title] offer
Hi [First Name], Thanks for your time on the phone today. As promised, here is your written offer for [Job Title]. To recap what we discussed: [Salary] base, start date of [Start Date], reporting to [Manager Name]. Everything is set out in the attached letter, including benefits and the [contingency] step. You can review and sign here: [Offer Link]. It would be great to have your answer by [Offer Deadline]. If anything in the letter doesn't match what we talked about, or you have questions, call me directly at [Phone Number]. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Hourly / high-volume hire
Subject[First Name], you're hired: [Job Title] offer inside
Hi [First Name], Congratulations, we'd like to offer you the [Job Title] position at our [Location] site. Pay: [Pay Rate] per hour Schedule: [Shift Days and Times] Training starts: [Class Start Date] at [Start Time] Report to: [Supervisor Name] To accept, sign your offer here by [Offer Deadline]: [Offer Link] After you accept, we'll send your new hire paperwork and [background check / drug screen] instructions. Questions? Reply here or text [Text Number]. [Your Name] [Company] Recruiting Team
Internal move
SubjectYour offer for the [Job Title] role
Hi [First Name], I'm pleased to confirm we're offering you the [Job Title] role on [Team Name], reporting to [Manager Name]. Your new base pay will be [Salary], effective [Effective Date]. [Any changes to schedule, location, bonus plan or exempt status.] Your benefits and service date stay the same. The letter with full details is here: [Offer Link]. Please sign by [Offer Deadline]. [Current Manager Name] knows about the offer, and we'll agree a transition date together once you accept. Congratulations, this is well earned. [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Subject line ideas
- Your offer from [Company]: [Job Title]
- Job offer: [Job Title] at [Company]
- [First Name], we'd like you to join [Company]
- Your written offer for [Job Title]
- Following up on our call: your offer letter
- Offer letter attached: [Job Title]
- Welcome aboard, pending your signature
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. Great news: we're offering you the [Job Title] role at [Pay Rate]. Your offer is in your email. Review and sign here by [Offer Deadline]: [Offer Link]. Questions? Just reply. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Company], [Manager Name], [Manager Title], [Salary], [Pay Rate], [Pay Frequency], [Bonus Details], [Start Date], [Work Location], [Benefits Summary], [Benefits Start], [Offer Link], [Offer Deadline], [Class Start Date], [Shift Days and Times], [Supervisor Name], [Your Name], [Title], [Phone Number]
Call first, then email (for most roles)
For salaried and professional roles, the best sequence is a phone call to make the offer, then the email within hours. The call lets you hear the candidate's reaction, answer questions and catch objections early ("I was hoping for closer to 95") before they harden. The email turns the call into a document they can review, show a partner and sign.
For high-volume hourly hiring, calling every hire is not realistic and often not necessary. A clear offer by email and text, with a signing link, gets most acceptances within a day. Keep the call for candidates who go quiet or who have competing offers.
What the offer email should say
The email summarizes; the offer letter is the formal record. Make sure the two match exactly, because a mismatch between email and letter is a common source of disputes.
- Job title and manager.
- Pay: base salary or hourly rate, pay frequency, and any bonus, commission or shift differential.
- Start date and, for hourly roles, the first shift or training class.
- Location and work arrangement: onsite, hybrid or remote.
- Contingencies: background check, drug screen where lawful for the role, Form I-9 verification, references, licensing.
- How to accept and the deadline.
- A named contact for questions.
Keep the email to what a candidate needs to decide. Benefits detail, handbook links and policies belong in the letter or in onboarding. If the offer depends on a background check, the contingent job offer email explains that step in more detail.
Deadlines and reminders
A deadline of three to five business days is standard for salaried roles, and 24 to 48 hours is normal for hourly roles with a fixed training class. Shorter deadlines on senior offers feel like pressure and often backfire. If the deadline is approaching with no answer, a friendly offer reminder email usually gets a reply or surfaces the real issue, such as a counteroffer or a question they were embarrassed to ask.
Using e-signatures for the letter helps more than you might expect: candidates can sign from a phone the same evening, and you know the moment it is done. Generating the letter and email together from a single set of job offer details removes the copy-and-paste errors that cause wrong salaries or start dates.
Legal and fairness notes
In the US, most employment is at will, and offer letters and emails should avoid language that implies guaranteed employment for a fixed term ("your annual salary for the next two years") unless that is intended. Do not ask for salary history at offer stage in states and cities that ban it. Pay ranges disclosed in job postings, required in a growing list of states, should be consistent with the offer. Contingencies such as background checks must follow the FCRA and any state or local fair chance laws; several require that criminal history only be considered after a conditional offer. Requirements vary by location, so have HR or counsel review the offer letter template once and reuse it.
After the candidate accepts
Reply the same day with an offer acceptance confirmation email that confirms the start date, explains what comes next (paperwork, checks, equipment) and introduces whoever will be their onboarding contact. The days between acceptance and start are when candidates reconsider, so regular contact matters as much as the offer itself.
Mistakes to avoid
- Email and letter disagree on salary, title or start date.
- No deadline, so the offer drifts while the candidate interviews elsewhere.
- Burying the pay in paragraph four.
- Sending a PDF that needs printing and scanning. Many candidates, especially hourly ones, only have a phone.
- Copying the wrong candidate's details from a previous offer. Use merge fields and check before sending.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a job offer email?
Open by offering the named role, then list pay, start date, manager, location and any contingencies. Attach or link the offer letter, give a clear deadline and explain how to accept. Close with a named contact for questions.
What is the email to send an offer letter?
It is a short cover email that confirms the offer and points to the attached or linked offer letter. It should summarize the key terms, state the deadline and make signing easy, ideally with an e-signature link.
How long should a candidate get to accept a job offer?
Three to five business days is typical for salaried roles. For hourly roles tied to a fixed start class, 24 to 48 hours is common. Give a specific date and time rather than a number of days.
What should a verbal offer follow-up email include?
Thank them for the call, restate the key terms you discussed, attach or link the written offer and give a deadline. Invite them to flag anything in the letter that doesn't match the conversation.
Is a job offer email legally binding?
It can create obligations depending on wording and state law, which is why most employers state that employment is at will and contingent on listed checks. Have your offer template reviewed by HR or counsel.
Should salary be in the job offer email or only the letter?
Both. Putting pay in the email body is clearer for the candidate, as long as it matches the letter exactly.