Appointment Letters vs Offer Letters: Difference and Comparison

Employers always deliver two letters to the employee when they get hired. The first one the employee, receives is an offer letter, followed by an appointment letter.

Key Takeaways

  1. An Appointment Letter is a document confirming a person’s appointment to a particular position. In contrast, an Offer Letter is a document that offers a job to a person.
  2. An Appointment Letter follows an Offer Letter, while an Offer Letter is the first communication in the hiring process.
  3. An Appointment Letter includes details such as the start date, salary, and benefits, while an Offer Letter may include information about the job responsibilities and company culture.

Appointment Letters vs Offer Letters

An offer letter is the one given after all rounds of interviews, while an appointment letter is issued to a candidate only once the offer letter is accepted. Offer letter conveys the company’s interest in offering a job role, while an appointment letter gives a detailed contract of employment.

Appointment Letters vs Offer Letters

An Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate accepts the offer letter. In short, it acts as a contract between the company and the employee.

An offer letter is the first and foremost official thing a company sends after selecting a candidate for a designation. The candidate is asked to acknowledge the offer letter further.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonAppointment LettersOffer Letters
Time of ReleaseIt is released as soon as the candidate acknowledges and accepts the offer letter.It is the first letter issued when the candidate clears all the rounds of interviews.
ConnotationIt includes all the additional details related to the job and the roles and protocols explained.It is nothing but a letter sent by the company to offer a post for a given designation.
DisclosuresAn appointment letter confirms the designation of an employee under a company based on specific terms and conditions.An offer letter discloses the offered salary, post, designation, and other details.
Confirmation of letterAn appointment letter is a final confirmation after a candidate acknowledges the offer letter.It is not an accurate sign of confirmation, as the post can be transferred to someone else if the candidate doesn’t accept the letter within the given time limit.
Employee StatusThe appointment letter shows the employee’s status when they join the company to complete the formality.Either side can turn in an offer letter.

What are Appointment Letters?

When a company releases the appointment letter, it includes all the details related to the job, and the roles and protocols explained in it. Not every company issues an appointment letter to the hired candidate as proof of contract.

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An Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate accepts the offer letter. In short, it acts as a contract between the company and the employee.

The company releases the appointment letter as soon as the candidate submits all the credentials asked on the offer letter and seeks verification of the documents. An appointment letter shows proof of the company hiring the candidate under its code of conduct and protocols.

appointment letters scaled

What are Offer Letters? 

An offer letter is the first and foremost official thing a company sends after selecting a candidate for a designation. The candidate is asked to acknowledge the offer letter further.

As soon as the candidate clears all the interview rounds of the company, they are served with an offer letter to acknowledge. It is nothing but a letter sent by the company to offer a post for a given designation.

An offer letter also mentions the last date of acknowledgement on it. If the candidate denies or somehow doesn’t accept the offer letter, the same post is appointed to another person in due time.

offer letters

Main Differences Between Appointment Letters and Offer Letters

  1. On the other hand, it is not an accurate sign of confirmation as the post can be transferred to someone else if the candidate doesn’t accept the letter within the given time limit.
  2. The appointment letter shows the employee’s status when they join the company to complete the formality. Either side can turn in an offer letter.
Difference Between Appointment Letters and Offer Letters
References
  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939456/
  2. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/lqr55&div=36&id=&page=

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023

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24 thoughts on “Appointment Letters vs Offer Letters: Difference and Comparison”

  1. This information is bound to be helpful for many. It’s presented in such a digestible format. A must-read for anyone interested in the topic.

    Reply
  2. This is a clear and precise breakdown of the differences between appointment letters and offer letters. I appreciate the valuable insights.

    Reply
  3. Honestly, I think this article should be shared widely. Its clarity and depth are hard to come by in many similar write-ups.

    Reply
  4. I appreciate the detailed comparison provided in this article. It’s a valuable resource for anyone involved in hiring and employment.

    Reply
  5. This article provides an excellent comparison of appointment letters and offer letters. Very well written and easy to understand.

    Reply

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