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Finding the right person for the job isn't an easy feat, and takes a lot of time and effort. No matter the role, recruiters are always on the lookout for the best of the best. Ultimately, companies want employees that will stay for a long time and be loyal to their brand.
You've posted your job listings on countless job boards (possibly 25,000 with a single click, if you use job board integrations), went through internal screening and interviews, and finally decided that this is the candidate you want. Now what?
The most exciting part of the hiring process is likely the moment where you tell a candidate that they have made it through the interview(s) and are deemed the right fit for your company. This is often communicated through a letter (or email), more commonly known as a job offer letter. This letter should be succinct, to the point, and informative.
There are two main sections in a job offer letter: (1) a reiteration of the job description (2) the employee benefits they can expect, inclusive of their salary what the new hire gets in case they decide to accept the offer. The way this letter is written letter is crucial because it determines whether the candidate eventually takes up your offer.
The Offer Letter Isn't Mandatory but It Gives Results
As an employer, you have no obligation to send such letters to hire new candidates – it's nothing more than a simple formality. By doing so, you're reinforcing (thus providing more legitimacy to) the verbal offer, and showing a little sign of goodwill by making it official.
It's an excellent way to highlight the newly established relationship between you and the candidate and to make a strong impression.
However, prior to the offer letter, it's best to make a verbal offer to preface the situation and give the candidate a heads up before confirming it with a job offer letter. It would be unappealing and unprofessional to just inform your new hire that they have been offered the job only via email. Furthermore, you could also run a risk of the candidate accepting another offer in the time it takes to prepare and send out the offer letter.
In this case, we recommend a physical letter, or at least a formal document attached to the email, as it will add an air of professionalism to the entire situation.
Important Things to Cover in a Job Offer Letter
The way the offer letter is written is important, as your new hire needs to clearly understand the terms offered and what they can expect when they take up a job in your company. This is where defining the role and job scope comes in handy. With that in mind, here are some important things that your job offer letter should cover.
Job title
Define the role by stating the job title, with a short description of what you expect from your new hire. This should be in line with the job description uploaded on job boards, reflecting any changes that were brought up during the interview.
Compensation
Every employee wants to know how much they will be compensated paid for their work. In this section, you need to be very specific about their salary on both the annual (if relevant) and hourly level. The latter is extremely important, especially when you're recruiting new hires for your QSR, as they are likely to be paid on an hourly basis. Additionally, you should also be clear about commissions, bonuses, and any other wage-related benefits your organization may have.
Try to describe in detail the payment process and structure. Your chances of hiring a quality employee greatly increase if you're specific about this aspect, and your employees will definitely appreciate it if you explain their pay, down to the tiniest details.
Additionally, being specific also helps you avoid unnecessary complications and misunderstandings. You can also decide to honor the 10 percent rule, as your new candidates will appreciate that their new paycheck is 10 percent higher than before. However, these should all have been discussed during the negotiation for pay, with the final amount reflected in the offer letter.
Pay schedule
Another crucial part of your offer letter is the pay schedule. Be clear and specific about how often your employees will get paid and the exact amount they can expect.
Go into details about the benefits
If you're giving any benefits, and it's highly recommended that you do, be specific about them too. Transparency is a sign of being legitimate and honest, which your employees appreciate. Detail all the benefits and how they can utilize them.
Schedule
A working schedule and opening hours are mandatory as well. Every employee wants to know their schedule upfront so that they can organize their time. A weekly schedule, restaurant location, and the start date of their employment would suffice.
This is also a section where you should cover logistics, the details about the expiration of the offer, who the manager and contact person for any questions will be, and so on.
Use a formal but cheerful tone
You don't want to intimidate your employees, you want to support and acknowledge them. You can accomplish this easily by being formal but cheerful at the same time. Express how the candidate will be a great addition to your team, to make them feel welcome. After all, this is an exciting time for both parties. Convey that to your new hire by emphasizing how important they are to you and your brand. Make them feel wanted and you'll win them over.
Simplify the process with Workstream
Did you know that with Workstream, you can even send an automatic notification to applicants when their stage is set to "hired"? They will be alerted with a link to their offer letters, HR documents, W-4s, and more. Use job offer letter templates, collect and store electronic signatures or even trigger alerts if paperwork is incomplete, to make the onboarding process an even more seamless one.
Follow the above steps and you would've done what you can. Once the offer letter has been sent over, the final decision is in their hands, and you're one step closer to a new addition to your team!
Even when they send in their signed offer letter, it is just the beginning! Remember to follow up with mobile training, utilize payroll platforms for improved efficiency and preserve all HR documents for future use.
There are many more things you can do to make the recruiting and onboarding process a painless and fuss-free one, for both the recruiters and the candidates! Schedule a chat with us to find out more.
