Draft an Offer Letter

You turn a hiring decision into an offer that is accurate to the cent, consistent with what was approved, lawful for the country, and warm enough that the candidate says yes. An offer is a legal and financial commitment: one wrong number, a vague equity line or an unlawful condition can cost the company money or the candidate's trust. So you draft, you check, and the owner approves and sends. Nothing leaves without that approval.

When to use

• "We want to offer Priya the analyst role, draft the offer."
• "Write the offer letter for our new office manager."
• "Help me prepare for the offer call tomorrow."
• "The candidate asked for 10% more, what are our options?"

What you need

• The approved terms, in writing, from the person with authority (see the list in references/offer-letter-template.md). If anything is missing, ask with clarify. Never fill a gap with a guess.
• The approved pay band for the role and, if the owner allows you to see it, the pay of peers in the same role and level (for the equity check).
• The company's offer template and employment contract template if they exist. An offer letter usually sits alongside a contract; it does not replace one.
• Country and, in the US, state of employment. This decides what must be in writing and when.
• Access: HR or payroll systems through a connected app or the agent's own browser signed in by the owner; otherwise work from files the owner provides. Store drafts where the owner keeps HR documents, not in shared chat.

Method

1. Collect the terms in one table. Title, level, manager, start date, location and working pattern, hours, employment type, base pay and pay frequency, bonus or commission (with the plan rules), equity (number, type, vesting, as approved), benefits, probation, notice period, holiday, conditions (right-to-work check, references, background check), offer expiry date. Every cell has a source: who approved it and when.
2. Check against the band and peers. Confirm base pay is inside the approved band.
   • If the owner has shared peer data, compare with people in the same role and level.
   • Flag any gap above about 5 per cent that is not explained by documented, job-related factors (experience, location, performance history).
   • Pay gaps that track sex or another protected characteristic are a legal risk under equal pay law in many countries; raise it, do not resolve it yourself.
3. Check the country's rules. Use web_search on official government sources and list what you found, with links and the date checked.
   • Typical points: what written terms must be given and by when (for example, the UK requires a written statement of main terms by day one of employment; the EU Directive 2019/1152 sets deadlines for essential information; check the national rules); whether employment is at-will (US) or needs notice; probation limits; minimum holiday; minimum wage; right-to-work checks and when they must be completed; rules on background and criminal record checks (many places restrict when and how these happen).
   • Mark every legal point "to be confirmed by a qualified HR professional or employment lawyer" unless the owner has a reviewed template.
4. Draft the verbal offer script. From the template: open with the decision and the enthusiasm, the headline terms, what happens next, the expiry date, and a question about anything that would stop them saying yes. The owner usually makes this call; you prepare it.
5. Draft the written letter. Use the template.
   • Plain English.
   • Figures written once, exactly, with currency and period ("GBP 52,000 per year, paid monthly").
   • Equity described exactly as approved, never with a promised value.
   • Conditions stated clearly, and only lawful ones.
   • Link to the contract and policies rather than restating them.
6. Prepare negotiation options, not decisions. If the candidate counters, set out the options within the approved band (base, sign-on payment, start date, review date, title within level, learning budget) with the cost of each, for the owner to choose. Never agree anything yourself.
7. Build the approval card. Use show_card: the term table with sources, the band and peer check, the legal checklist with what still needs a qualified review, and the draft letter. Ask the owner for an explicit go-ahead.
8. After approval. If the owner asks you to send, use the route they name, then set a reminder with cronjob for two days before expiry. Log the offer status (sent, accepted, declined, expired) in the HR tracker.
9. Prepare the handover. On acceptance, draft the handover to onboarding: start date, equipment, accounts, manager, buddy (see the onboarding skills).

Judgement calls

• The candidate asks for more than the top of the band: give the owner options and their cost. Moving the band is the owner's call, and it affects pay fairness for peers.
• A counter-offer from the current employer: no pressure tactics. Give the owner the facts and a respectful script.
• A start date before the right-to-work check can be completed: not allowed in many countries. Flag it and propose a later date.
• A hire in a country where the company has never employed anyone: the company needs a lawful way to employ there. Stop and ask the owner before drafting.
• Promises made during interviews ("we'll review your pay after six months"): either put them in the letter with approval, or have the owner correct them before the offer. Never leave them unwritten.

Output

• offer-<candidate-id>/terms.md: the term table with sources.
• offer-<candidate-id>/offer-letter.md: the draft letter.
• offer-<candidate-id>/call-script.md: the verbal-offer script and likely questions with answers.
• offer-<candidate-id>/checks.md: band and peer check, legal checklist with sources, open items for qualified review.
• An approval card for the owner.

Approval card layout:

Offer: <candidate ID>, <title>, <level>
Base: <amount> (band <min to max>, sits at <x>% of range) · Peer check: <ok / gap of x% flagged>
Bonus / equity: <as approved by <who>, <date>>
Start: <date> · Offer expires: <date>
Conditions: <list>; lawful in <country>: <checked, source>
Qualified review of template: <done by, date / pending>
Decision needed: approve / edit / hold

Checks before you finish

• Every number in the letter matches the term table exactly (check with search_files for each figure).
• Base pay is in band; any peer gap is flagged with the reason or marked unexplained.
• Equity wording matches the plan and approval; no promised value or price prediction.
• Conditions are lawful in the country and applied the same way to every hire.
• Expiry date is a real, reasonable date (commonly 3 to 7 days; follow the owner's practice).
• The letter has not been sent; the owner has the approval card.

Pitfalls

• Copying last time's letter. Old names, old numbers and old legal terms survive. Start from the term table every time.
• Promising equity value. "Worth 200k at our next round" is a promise you cannot keep. State the number and terms only.
• Unlawful conditions. Medical questions, blanket criminal record checks or pregnancy-related conditions are unlawful or restricted in many places. Check and get qualified review.
• Exploding offers. A 24-hour deadline damages trust and acceptance. Give reasonable time.
• Negotiating by yourself. You present options; the owner decides.
• Treating the letter as the contract. Make clear what the binding document is and when it will be signed.

See also: structured-interview-kit for the decision that comes before, and onboarding-plan for what comes after.