Making an offer of employment
Appointing the successful candidate
Once applications have been reviewed and interviews completed, you may have identified a suitable candidate for the role.
The successful candidate should initially be contacted by telephone and given a verbal, conditional offer of employment. This conversation also provides an opportunity to thank them for attending the interview, provide constructive feedback and explain the next steps in the recruitment process.
Once the candidate has verbally accepted the offer, this must be followed by a written conditional offer letter. The letter should confirm the main details of the proposed appointment and make it clear that the offer is subject to the satisfactory completion of all required safer recruitment and pre-employment checks.
Writing a job offer letter
Once you have selected your preferred candidate, you should confirm the job offer in writing. A clear, professional offer letter helps the candidate understand the proposed terms of employment and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
A job offer letter should clearly state whether the offer is conditional or unconditional. This distinction is important because an unconditional offer may become legally binding once it has been accepted, even if the offer was originally made verbally.
Information to Include in the offer letter:
- Consider including the following information in your offer letter:
- Your logo and setting details
- Use headed paper or include your setting’s logo, address and contact details to provide authenticity and present a professional image.
- The date
- The candidate’s full name and address
- Greeting and opening paragraph
Address the candidate formally, for example,“Dear [full name]”. Begin with a welcoming statement confirming the offer, such as: “Following your recent interview, we are delighted to offer you the position of [job title] at [organisation name].
Job details
Clearly set out the main details of the offer, including:
- Job title;
- Employment type, such as permanent, fixed-term or temporary;
- Name or job title of the manager or supervisor;
- Proposed start date
- Place of work
- Contracted hours and normal working pattern
- Salary or hourly rate and how often the employee will be paid
- Annual leave entitlement
- Pension arrangements
- Probationary period
- Notice period
- Brief explanation of the role or reference to the enclosed job description
It is advisable that the offer letter should include the job title, salary, hours, benefits, pension arrangements, annual leave entitlement, work location/s, proposed start date and details of any probationary period.
Conditions of the offer
If the offer is subject to pre-employment checks, clearly describe it as a conditional offer of employment. List each condition that must be completed satisfactorily before the appointment can be confirmed.
Depending on the role and your safer recruitment procedures, conditions may include:
- Receipt of satisfactory references
- A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, including a check of the relevant barred list where legally required
- Confirmation of the candidate’s right to work in the UK
- Verification of identity
- Confirmation that relevant qualifications meet current requirements - as defined by the Department of Education (DfE) Qualification Checker
- Verification of employment history and explanations for any gaps
- Confirmation of the person’s suitability for the role
- Completion of any other checks required by legislation, registration requirements or the setting’s safer recruitment policy
Avoid confirming an unconditional start date until all required checks have been completed. If a conditional offer is withdrawn because the candidate has not met one or more of its stated conditions, the candidate should be informed of the reason.
Benefits
To encourage the candidate to accept the offer, briefly summarise the main benefits of working for your setting. Only include benefits that the employee will genuinely be entitled to receive.
These could include:
- Workplace pension arrangements
- Annual leave entitlement
- Working arrangements
- Training and professional development opportunities
- Funded qualifications
- Any employee assistance or wellbeing programmes
- Childcare discounts
- Additional leave or length-of-service benefits
- Paid time off for example leave day for birthday
- Any other employee benefit schemes
Acceptance deadline
You may wish to include a reasonable deadline for the candidate to accept or decline the offer. This can help you manage the recruitment process and avoid losing other suitable candidates unnecessarily. For example:
“Please confirm whether you wish to accept this offer by signing and returning a copy of this letter by [date].”
The letter should explain what the candidate must do to accept or decline the offer and provide the name and contact details of someone they can approach with questions. It is recommended asking the successful candidate to confirm their job acceptance in writing.