Want a Candidate to Accept Your Job Offer? 12 Things to Include in Their Offer Letter
If you’re trying to attract highly qualified professionals to your company, it’s likely that they’re mulling over multiple offer letters in addition to yours. To incentivize a top job candidate to accept your offer, you have to find a way to make it stand out. To help, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) members answered the following question:
“When drawing up a persuasive offer letter to a potential new hire, what’s one unusual thing that might be useful to include, and why?”
Include these elements in your offer letter to convince the candidate you really want to come on board.
1. How the Job Will Benefit Them
“Remind them that they are not just another cog in the machine, but a valued member of the company’s broader mission. Prospective employees are expected to show what they can offer the company, but it’s equally valuable for the company to show how it can benefit the prospective employee. A truly successful hire is one that benefits both parties.” ~ Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media
2. Growth and Personal Development Opportunities
“Offer opportunities for growth and personal development. Clarify your vision for your company and the potential hire’s role in that vision. No one wants to feel like they are signing onto something where they will feel stuck for the next three decades. Make it known if you support employees pursuing advanced degrees, changing departments or trying out new things.” ~ Reuben Yonatan, SaasList
3. A Chance to Work on Projects They Care About
“Customize. There are many ways to entice potential talent to come work with you, like with the job salary and compensation, work culture and company vision. A strong tip for what to add to your offer letter would be an opportunity to work on projects best suited to the talents they possess and care about most. Offer that if you can.” ~ Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS
4. Details on Their Full Compensation Package
“Talk about all of the company benefits. When people are comparing offers, the salaries may be similar but the benefits can make a huge difference. Spell out how many paid company holidays there are, what the PTO policy is, what healthcare the company provides and any other unique benefits to make your offer letter stand out.” ~ Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.
5. A Statement About Their Job Description Being Open to Change
“I let potential hires know that their job description is ultimately a collaborative document. I’m not here to dictate what they should do; I want them to show me where they can shine and add value to the business. That’s often compelling because candidates know they’ll be set up to succeed. They’ll be playing to their strengths.” ~ Diana Goodwin, MarketBox
6. Your Company’s Awards or Industry Recognition
“I think it’s a good idea to include any awards or forms of recognition the brand and the leadership have received. This can be done in a way that’s not boastful but rather emphasizes that your business is a place where good work is done and it can reflect on the employee as well. You can add that in the beginning of the offer letter and make it a standard template.” ~ Blair Williams, MemberPress
7. Details on Your Company Retreat
“In a persuasive offer letter to a potential new hire, we like to emphasize our annual company retreat. Because we’re a remote company, the retreat is a way for everyone in the company to meet, play fun activities and get to know each other better. It gives potential hires incentive to join our company and reap the awesome benefits.” ~ Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
8. Whatever They Expressed the Most Interest in During the Interview
“During the interview process, you learn a lot about a person and understand why they want this job. It could be for a change in position, location or team. They might just want a boost in salary or benefits. Whatever they’ve expressed the most interest in during the interview process, make sure to highlight that in your offer letter. You want to show them that your company is the best fit for them.” ~ Shaun Conrad, Guitar Repair Bench
9. Added Perks and Bonuses
“Outline the long-term benefits, not just the standard compensation information. If your company offers PTO for winning annual awards or spot bonuses, be sure to mention these added perks that may get them not only committed, but also excited to step into their new role and excel right away.” ~ Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
10. Your Brand Message
“I think that creatively communicating your brand message can help you convince prospects to take your job offer. For instance, we let all of our interviewees know that our first priority is putting people first, so if they join our company they can expect that same commitment to excellence from us as an employer.” ~ John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC
11. Your Remote Work Policy
“In all of my offer letters, I emphasize the three days that team members can work remotely and that they can pick the days they want to work remotely (before the pandemic). I also emphasize the importance of work-life balance.” ~ Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
12. An Invitation to Meet Them Personally
“You wouldn’t do this in every scenario, but for certain hires, you could do well to indicate that you would like to meet with them personally, if you haven’t already. It is possible that some people are joining a business because they are particularly interested in you and what you have done as an entrepreneur. Making sure that they know they will be speaking with you soon could be beneficial.” ~ Ismael Wrixen, FE International
Image: Depositphotos.com
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