Job offer email templates: the emails before, with and after the offer letter
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A job offer email should confirm the headline terms you agreed on the call (title, pay, start date, work location and manager), say what the candidate needs to do to accept and by when, name any conditions still to clear, and tell them not to resign until those conditions are cleared. It should match the offer letter exactly and promise nothing the letter does not. The eight templates below cover the verbal offer recap, email-only offers, contingent offers, revised terms, deadline extensions, internal candidates, agency offers and confirming acceptance.
The letter itself, with the legal cautions, is in the offer letter template, along with a short cover email for sending it. The call that comes before all of this is in the offer call script.
What every offer email includes
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Job title and manager | Confirms what the candidate is accepting |
| Pay, stated as in the letter (annual salary or hourly rate), and pay frequency if hourly | The number candidates reread most; it must match exactly |
| Start date and work location or arrangement | The two terms most often misremembered from a call |
| Conditions still open (background check, references, right to work) | Avoids a candidate treating a conditional offer as final |
| How to accept, and the deadline with a time zone | A clear action and date |
| Who to call with questions | A direct number, not a shared inbox |
Everything else, such as benefits detail, bonus plan rules and equity terms, belongs in the letter or attached plan documents, where the wording has been reviewed.
Before and alongside the letter
1. Recap after a verbal offer
Subject: Your offer for [Role]: summary of our call
Hi [First name],
Thank you for your time on the phone today. I'm delighted we're
offering you the [Role] role, and here's a summary of what we
discussed:
- Role: [Title], reporting to [manager name]
- Pay: [$ annual salary / $ per hour]
- Start date: [date]
- Location: [office / hybrid, (n) days in (city) / remote]
Your written offer letter will follow from [name / e-signature
platform] by [day]. It will have the full details, including
benefits.
The offer is conditional on [a background check / references],
which we'll start once you accept. Please don't resign from your
current role until I confirm those are complete.
Any questions before then, call me on [phone].
[Your name]Send this within a few hours of the call. If you negotiated, the recap is where misunderstandings show up early, while they are still easy to fix.
2. Email-only offer for hourly or high-volume roles
Subject: Job offer: [Role] at [Company, location]
Hi [First name],
We'd like to offer you the position of [Role] at [location].
- Pay: [$ per hour], paid [weekly / every two weeks]
- Schedule: [shift pattern, e.g. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.]
- Start date: [date]; first day, report to [name] at [time,
address]
- Status: [full-time / part-time]; [overtime-eligible (non-exempt)]
To accept, [click here / reply "I accept"] by [day, date, time,
time zone].
This offer depends on [a background check / drug test, if lawful
for this role / proof of right to work on your first day]. We'll
send the next steps once you accept.
Questions? Call or text [name] on [number].
[Your name]For hourly roles, schedule and overtime status matter more than anything else. State them exactly as in the written terms, and check any state pay notice requirements; the offer letter template covers those.
3. Contingent offer, spelling out what happens next
Subject: Your conditional offer for [Role]
Hi [First name],
Your offer letter for [Role] is attached. As we discussed, it's a
conditional offer. Before your start date is final, we need to
complete:
1. [Background check]: you'll receive a separate disclosure and
authorization form from [provider]. Please complete it by [date].
2. [References]: I'll contact the people you named once you accept.
3. [Other lawful condition, e.g. licence verification]
This usually takes [n] business days. I'll tell you as soon as
everything is complete, and that's the point at which it's safe to
resign.
To accept, sign the letter by [date, time].
[Your name]The background check disclosure must be a separate, stand-alone document, not a paragraph in this email. The background check notification emails and the FCRA process cover how to send it.
When terms or timing change
4. Revised offer after negotiation
Subject: Your revised offer for [Role]
Hi [First name],
Thank you for talking it through with me. I'm glad to confirm the
revised terms:
- Pay: [new amount] (previously [old amount])
- [Other changed term, e.g. start date: (new date)]
Everything else in the original offer stays the same. A revised
letter is attached [or: will follow from (platform) today] and
replaces the earlier version.
Please sign by [date, time].
[Your name]Always send a full revised letter, not just the email. Two letters with different numbers, both signed, is a problem that is entirely avoidable.
5. Extending the decision deadline
Subject: Re: Your offer for [Role]
Hi [First name],
Of course. I've spoken to [hiring manager], and we're happy to
extend your deadline to [day, date, time].
If there's anything that would help you decide, such as a call with
[manager or a future teammate] or more detail on [benefits / the
team's plans], tell me and I'll set it up this week.
[Your name]If the candidate asks for more time, ask what they are weighing. A competing offer or a counteroffer changes what you should do next; the counteroffer conversation script covers the second.
Internal and agency offers
6. Offer to an internal candidate
Subject: Your offer for [Role]
Hi [First name],
Congratulations again. Following your conversation with [hiring
manager], here are the details of your move:
- New role: [Title], reporting to [manager]
- New pay: [amount], effective [date]
- Move date: [date], agreed with [current manager]
Your updated terms are attached. Please reply to confirm by [date].
Your current manager [knows / will be told by (name) on (date)], so
please don't announce it to your team until then.
[Your name]7. Agency: relaying the client's offer
Subject: [Client] offer: the details
Hi [First name],
As we discussed, [Client] has offered you the [Role] position.
Here's what they've confirmed in writing:
- Pay: [amount]
- Start: [date]
- Location and hours: [details]
- Conditions: [background check / references]
The formal offer letter will come directly from [Client]'s HR team.
Please read it carefully and check it matches the above; if anything
differs, tell me before you sign.
They'd like an answer by [date]. Call me with any questions.
[Your name]Only relay what the client has confirmed in writing. If you pass on a verbal number and the letter says something different, the candidate will blame you, and they will be right to.
After acceptance
8. Confirming acceptance and next steps
Subject: Welcome to [Company], [First name]
Hi [First name],
Thank you for signing. We're delighted you're joining.
What happens next:
- [Conditions: the background check is underway; I'll confirm when
it's complete, and then it's safe to resign.]
- [Onboarding: (name) will email you about first-day details and
paperwork by (date).]
- [On your first day, please bring documents for Form I-9; the list
is in the attachment.]
I'll stay in touch until your start date. Call me any time on
[phone].
[Your name]Keep in touch between acceptance and the start date. A short check-in every week or two reduces the chance of a late counteroffer or a candidate quietly accepting somewhere else. If the candidate turns the offer down instead, use the offer declined response emails.
What not to put in an offer email
- "Permanent position" or "a job for life". In an at-will state, words like these can be argued to change the terms; the offer letter template explains the at-will wording.
- Pay or bonus predictions. "You'll probably get a raise at six months" or "the bonus usually pays out in full" become promises in writing.
- Terms not in the letter. If it is agreed, add it to the letter. If it is not agreed, do not mention it.
- Pressure. "We need an answer by the end of the day or we'll go to the next candidate" rarely gets a better yes; it gets a rushed no.
- Personal questions. Health, family plans or immigration history do not belong in an offer email. Right-to-work verification happens through Form I-9 after acceptance, on its own timeline.
Questions people ask
Should a job offer be made by email or phone?
For most roles, make the offer by phone and send the email the same day. The call lets you hear the candidate's reaction and answer questions; the email puts the terms in writing so there is no confusion about what was said. For high-volume hourly roles, an email-only offer is common and works if it is clear and easy to accept.
Is a job offer email legally binding?
It can be treated as evidence of what was promised, so an offer email should state the same terms as the offer letter and nothing more. Avoid words like 'permanent' or promises about future pay, promotion or bonuses that are not in the letter, and have counsel review your standard wording.
How long should a candidate have to accept an offer?
Three to five business days is common for professional roles, and shorter for hourly roles where candidates decide quickly. Give a specific date and time, and be willing to extend once if the candidate asks for a good reason, rather than setting an exploding deadline that pushes them to say no.
Should the candidate resign as soon as they accept?
Not until any conditions, such as a background check or references, are cleared. Say this in writing in the offer email so the candidate does not resign from a job on the strength of an offer that is still conditional.