Recruitment and hiring letters, from the invitation to day one

Eight letters, in the order hiring happens

Four are written by the employer. The interview invitation fixes the date, time, room and panel, and gives every candidate the same task in the same words. The rejection after interview gives the decision first, names one real strength, offers a feedback call and asks before keeping the application. The welcome letter tells a new starter where to go, when, what to bring and who their buddy is, with the first day set out by time. Four are written by the candidate: a letter of interest to a company with no advertised vacancy, a salary negotiation letter that asks for one number and offers an alternative, an offer acceptance that restates the terms being accepted, and a decline that says no in the first paragraph, even after a verbal yes. A reference request asks a former manager first and then makes the reference easy to give.

What every one of them does

Each letter is one page on a letterhead, because each speaks for a sender: a company on a masthead or underline letterhead, a candidate on a monogram with their own name. Each puts the fact the reader acts on near the top, whether that is a date, a salary or a decision, and each ends with a signature block naming the person who sent it. None uses a tax identifier or a law that belongs to one country, so they read the same wherever they are sent. Where a letter touches a legal question, such as keeping a rejected candidate's details or declining after accepting, the page explains what to check where you are.

Picking one and making it yours

Start from the step you are at, not the industry. Change the names, dates and figures first, then the one sentence that does the work: the task brief, the strength named in a rejection, the salary asked for or the reason for declining. Keep the reply dates, because a letter without one tends to go unanswered.

Every page in this collection

• Decline job offer letter, written after a verbal acceptance

  A decline job offer letter says no in its first paragraph, thanks the employer and keeps the reason to one honest line. This one page letter from a marketing coordinator turns down a publisher's offer three days after saying yes on the phone, apologises for that, and confirms the contract was never signed.

• Interview invitation letter with the panel, the task and a reply date

  An interview invitation letter confirms when and where the interview is, who will be in the room and what the candidate has to prepare, then asks for a reply by a fixed date. This one page letter from a freight company invites a shortlisted planner to a second stage interview with a set presentation task.

• Letter of interest for a job that has not been advertised

  A letter of interest asks a company for a conversation about work it has not advertised, giving a reason to talk now and evidence the writer can help. This one page letter from a procurement analyst ties her request to a food company's new distribution centre and backs it with two measured results.

• Offer acceptance letter that restates salary, start date and conditions

  An offer acceptance letter confirms in writing the exact terms the candidate is accepting, so any mismatch with the contract shows up before day one. This one page letter from a senior estimator restates the role, salary, start date and manager, confirms the two conditions and the notice he has already given.

• Reference request letter to a former manager

  A reference request letter asks a former manager to act as a referee, then makes the job easy by giving the role, the dates worked together and what to mention. This one page letter from a hospital pharmacist sets out the role she applied for, the two pieces of work most relevant to it and when the new employer will call.

• Rejection letter after an interview, with a feedback offer

  A rejection letter after an interview gives the decision in the first sentence, thanks the candidate for their time and offers something useful, usually feedback. This one page letter from a veterinary practice tells a nurse she was not chosen, names the answer the panel rated highest and asks before keeping her details.

• Salary negotiation letter written after a job offer

  A salary negotiation letter names one number, gives the reasons for it and keeps the offer alive by making clear the candidate wants the job. This one page letter from a quantity surveyor asks for $92,000 against an offer of $84,000, sets out three grounds in a table and offers an alternative if the base cannot move.

• Welcome letter to a new employee with the first day plan

  A welcome letter to a new employee removes first day uncertainty: where to go, when to arrive, what to bring and who to ask. This one page letter from a dental practice gives a new dental assistant four arrival facts, a first day timetable, a short list of documents and a line from the principal dentist.