Email template · Staffing agency (client and candidate)
Placement confirmation email
In short
A placement confirmation email is sent by a staffing agency once a candidate accepts an offer. One version goes to the client to confirm start date, salary, fee and guarantee terms; another congratulates the candidate and confirms start details. Below are four templates, subject lines, an SMS and what to put in each so invoicing and day one go smoothly.
When to send it: Send both versions the same day the candidate accepts the offer, after the client has confirmed it in writing. Send a short start confirmation to the candidate again two to three days before day one.
Placement confirmation email: 4 versions
To the client (direct hire)
SubjectPlacement confirmed: [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
Hi [First Name], Great news: [Candidate Name] has accepted your offer for [Job Title]. To make sure our records match yours, here are the details: Start date: [Start Date] Reporting to: [Hiring Manager Name] Location: [Work Location] Base salary: [Annual Salary] Placement fee: [Fee Percentage]% of first-year base salary, [Fee Amount] Invoice date: [Invoice Date, e.g. on start date] Payment terms: [Payment Terms] Guarantee period: [Guarantee Period], per our terms of business dated [Terms Date] If anything above differs from the offer letter, please let me know today so we can correct it before the invoice goes out. I'll check in with you and [Candidate First Name] after the first week. Thanks for the partnership on this one. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
To the candidate
SubjectCongratulations, [First Name]: you start [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], Congratulations on your new role as [Job Title] at [Client Company]. You earned it, and it's been a pleasure working with you. Here's what I have for your start: Start date: [Start Date], [Start Time] Where: [Work Location or Video Link] Ask for: [First-Day Contact] What to bring: [Items to Bring, e.g. documents for Form I-9 from the list of acceptable documents] Before you start: [Pre-start Steps, e.g. complete the background check consent and new hire forms] [Client Company]'s HR team will send your onboarding paperwork directly. If anything from them looks different from what we discussed, call me first. Please resign from your current job in writing and keep it short and positive. If your employer makes a counteroffer, call me before you respond so we can talk it through. I'll check in after your first week. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
To the client (contract or temp-to-hire)
SubjectStart confirmed: [Candidate Name] on [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], [Candidate Name] is confirmed to start as [Job Title] on [Start Date] at [Work Location]. Bill rate: [Bill Rate] per hour ([Overtime Bill Rate] for overtime) Expected duration: [Assignment Length] Timesheet approver: [Approver Name] Conversion: [Conversion Terms, e.g. no fee after 520 hours worked, otherwise per our terms] PO number: [PO Number, if required] Please confirm the timesheet approver so we can set up weekly approvals before the first week closes. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
Start-week confirmation to candidate
SubjectAll set for [Start Date]?
Hi [First Name], Just checking you're all set for [Start Date] at [Client Company]. Have you received the onboarding forms and finished the [Pre-start Steps]? Reminder: arrive by [Start Time] at [Work Location] and ask for [First-Day Contact]. Reply if anything's unclear, or call me on [Phone Number]. Have a great first day. [Your Name] [Agency Name]
Subject line ideas
- Placement confirmed: [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
- Congratulations, [First Name]: you start [Start Date]
- Start confirmed: [Candidate Name] on [Start Date]
- Offer accepted: [Job Title] details for your records
- All set for [Start Date]?
- Welcome aboard details for [Client Company]
- Confirming terms for [Candidate Name]'s placement
SMS and WhatsApp version
Congratulations [First Name], your start at [Client Company] is confirmed for [Start Date] at [Start Time], [Work Location]. Ask for [First-Day Contact]. Any questions, call me at [Phone Number]. - [Your Name], [Agency Name]
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Candidate Name], [Candidate First Name], [Job Title], [Client Company], [Start Date], [Start Time], [Hiring Manager Name], [Work Location], [Annual Salary], [Fee Percentage], [Fee Amount], [Invoice Date], [Payment Terms], [Guarantee Period], [Terms Date], [Bill Rate], [Overtime Bill Rate], [Assignment Length], [Approver Name], [Conversion Terms], [PO Number], [First-Day Contact], [Items to Bring], [Pre-start Steps], [Your Name], [Title], [Agency Name], [Phone Number]
Two audiences, two jobs
The client version is a commercial record. Its job is to get the numbers agreed in writing before the invoice goes out: start date, salary, fee, guarantee and payment terms. Most fee disputes come from a gap between the salary in the offer letter and the salary the agency invoiced against, or from a client who forgot the guarantee terms. A confirmation that the client doesn't correct within a day or two is strong evidence of what was agreed.
The candidate version is about keeping the placement alive. Between acceptance and day one, candidates face counteroffers, cold feet and other agencies still calling. A warm, specific email with start details, a clear next step and a plan for handling a counteroffer reduces the chance of a candidate who reneges on an accepted offer.
What to include for the client
- Candidate, title and start date, exactly as on the offer letter.
- Salary or bill rate. For direct hire, base salary only, unless your terms charge on total first-year compensation.
- The fee, shown as a number. At a 20% placement fee on a $75,000 base, write $15,000, not just “20%.” It removes the math, and the argument.
- Invoice date and payment terms.
- The [guarantee period](/glossary/guarantee-period/) and a reference to your signed terms of business.
- For contract and temp-to-hire: bill rate, overtime bill rate, timesheet approver, PO number and conversion terms.
Setting up the invoice from the confirmed details, rather than re-keying them later, is where most billing errors disappear; agencies that generate invoices straight from the placement record rarely chase corrections.
What to include for the candidate
Congratulate them by name and role, then give start date and time, location, who to ask for, what to bring and any steps still open, such as a background check or new hire forms. Tell them which messages will come from the client's HR team so they don't ignore them. Many agencies track those pre-start steps for each placement in an onboarding checklist so nothing slips between acceptance and day one.
Add a line about resigning well and about counteroffers. Don't bad-mouth the current employer; just ask the candidate to call you before responding to any counteroffer. If the candidate is going on your payroll as a contractor, the details belong in a temp assignment confirmation email instead, with pay rate, timekeeping and call-off procedure.
Timing and follow-up
Send both emails the day the offer is accepted and confirmed by the client. Then:
- Two to three days before start: the start-week check with the candidate.
- Day one: a short text in the afternoon asking how it went.
- End of week one: a call to both sides.
- Through the guarantee period: a client check-in email after the placement at about 30 and 60 days, and a final one before the guarantee expires.
The early check-ins catch problems while they can still be fixed: a missing laptop, a manager who's on vacation the first week, a commute that's worse than expected.
Mistakes to avoid
- Confirming terms only by phone. If it isn't written, it's disputed.
- Copying the candidate on the client fee email. Keep commercial terms separate.
- Celebrating publicly before day one, such as a LinkedIn post naming the candidate and client while they're still employed elsewhere.
- Going quiet after acceptance. The week before the start is when candidates waver.
- Using the salary from the job order instead of the final offer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a placement confirmation email?
It is the email a staffing agency sends once a candidate accepts an offer, confirming start details with the candidate and commercial terms such as salary, fee, invoice date and guarantee with the client.
What should a placement email to the client include?
Candidate name, job title, start date, salary or bill rate, the fee as a dollar figure, invoice date, payment terms and the guarantee period, with a request to flag any differences from the offer letter.
How do I write a candidate placement congratulations email?
Congratulate them by name and role, confirm start date, time, location and first-day contact, list any steps still open, and ask them to call you before responding to a counteroffer.
When should an agency send a start confirmation email?
On the day the offer is accepted and confirmed by the client, followed by a short check with the candidate two to three days before the start date.
Should the placement fee be stated in the confirmation email?
Yes. State both the percentage and the dollar amount, the invoice date and payment terms, and reference your signed terms of business.