Job offers, inductions and new starts templates
Use our sample job offer letters, induction plans, and contract of employment to welcome and start a new member of your staff.
The final stage of the recruitment process involves choosing the successful candidate and making them a job offer.
You will need to consider whether you wish to make a job offer that is conditional on satisfactory references and right to work checks. If your job offer is accepted, you should arrange an induction plan for your new starter and consider the terms of your contract of employment.
Specific Employers' Handbook guidance
For further guidance on job offers, inductions and employment contracts see the following sections of the Invest Northern Ireland Employer's Handbook:
For sample documents to help you conclude your recruitment exercise fairly and efficiently, see relevant sections below.
Job offers
The initial job offer may be made by telephone. This should help you quickly establish if the individual wants to accept the job you are offering.
If that is the case, you should follow up with a formal letter of offer, and include details of any conditions attached to the job offer, eg satisfactory references. To help you do this, you can download and use our sample job offer letter and reference check form:
- sample letter of job offer to successful candidate (DOC, 12K)
- sample reference check form (DOC, 12K)
Contract of employment
The moment a candidate unconditionally accepts your offer of a job, a contract of employment comes into existence. To help you draft a contract of employment suitable to your business needs and the role in question, download and use our sample contract of employment, as well as staff policy documents to be included in it:
- sample contract of employment (DOC, 46K)
- sample sickness/absence notification and pay procedure (DOC, 27K)
Even if you do not issue a written contract of employment, you are under a legal duty to provide most employees with a written statement of main employment particulars within two months of the start of their employment with you.
Induction
You should aim to introduce, familiarise and integrate your new employee into your business as quickly as possible. Early induction will not only provide new-starters with the information they need to settle in, but will also provide them with the knowledge and skills that will help them contribute to your business right from the start.
To help you devise your staff induction activities, download and use our sample induction plans:
See induction programme: what to include.
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