Appointment Letter Format

When and how to use this letter

Issue the appointment letter after the offer is accepted but before the joining date, so the candidate has written confirmation of every term. The letter and the offer letter serve different purposes: the offer proposes, the appointment confirms. Make sure the two agree on designation, salary, and joining date — contradictions between them are a classic source of day-one disputes.

Include the essentials every appointment letter needs: designation, effective date, work location, reporting line, compensation with breakup, probation period and confirmation terms, notice period during and after probation, and working hours or leave references. Attach the salary annexure and reference the code of conduct so the letter stays concise while remaining complete. Have the candidate sign and return a duplicate — an unsigned appointment letter is just a draft.

Send it as a signed PDF on company letterhead, and keep the original signed copy in the personnel file. One non-obvious tip: add a clause making the appointment subject to document and reference verification. It gives you a clean exit if a fake degree or false experience surfaces later, without a messy termination process.

On the joining day, walk the new hire through the letter's key terms rather than assuming they read it. Confirm probation review dates in advance and calendar them, because probation that silently lapses without a confirmation letter creates ambiguity about the employee's status. File the signed copy before the first payroll run so salary processing never depends on missing paperwork.

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