How to Write an Appointment Letter: Format, Sample & Template

In general, the candidate successfully joining the company as an employee will receive an appointment letter on their first day or within the first week of work. Appointment letters are usually issued after the offer letter in order to give them a detailed description of the position offered.

As an HR personnel, you need to know how to write a letter of appointment since this shows professionalism, improves employer branding, and helps retain new hires. 

In this article, we will show you the standard format of an appointment letter as well as expert tips to write one.



As the name suggests, a job appointment letter confirms the appointment of a candidate to a particular job and their acceptance of it. This document is officially given out by the company after the selection process is completed and the candidate has accepted the offer letter.

To make sure the letter clears everything about the job, it should include crucial details such as: 

• Responsibilities & Duties 
• Starting date
• Working hours
• Probation
• Salary
• Benefits
• etc. 
  

For employers, the letter of appointment plays an important part in the hiring process and employer branding. A comprehensive company appointment letter demonstrates your professionalism and transparency, which may influence the final decision of the candidate.

Besides that, this legal document constitutes a formal contract of employment for the candidates if they’re officially hired. In case of any discrepancies that may arise in the future, it is also accepted in a court of law.

Though these two documents are both sent to the candidate after a successful interview, they serve different functions. 

First of all, candidates get an offer letter after they've cleared all rounds of interviews. Once they've accepted the terms and conditions of the offer, the HR department will issue the official appointment letter to them.

Another key difference is that the general purpose of offer letters is to offer a candidate a job and to spell out the details regarding that role. Appointment letters meanwhile work like a detailed contract of employment. For that reason, the appointment letter, along with salary details, should also provide further information about employee benefits, a code of conduct, as well as company policies. 

The appointment letter format should follow a formal business letter because it's a legally binding document. 

In this paragraph, you will learn about the letter of appointment’s format which includes 6 main sections: 

1. Letterhead
2. Greeting 
3. Introductory paragraph
4. Body paragraph(s)
5. Sign-off
6. Signatures of both parties

1. Letterhead

At the top of the appointment letter for employees, you’ll need to include the following information: 

• Company information: logo, name, and address 
• Issuance Date
• Candidate's information: Full name and address 

2. Greeting

“Dear [Name of the candidate]” and “Greetings, [Name of the candidate]” are the most common ways, especially for a basic appointment letter. Note that you should address them by their first name instead of their last name. 

Avoid using informal salutations such as:

• Hi
• Hey
• Morning/Afternoon/Evening…
  
  

3. Introductory paragraph 

In the opening paragraph, it’s essential to include a congratulatory note and the recipient’s official job title. 

4. Body paragraph(s)

Here comes the most important section in a job appointment letter where you'll have to be concise and clear in providing the receiver with all necessary details regarding the job, including:

• Job title
• Duties and responsibilities
• Starting date
• Probationary period
• Job location
• Working hours
• Leave policy
• Salary
• Benefits
• Additional terms and conditions

📝 Note: Depending on their job role and your organization, you can remove or add any sections in the employee’s appointment letter. 

💡 Reminder: To close the letter of appointment, make sure you’ll ask the recipient to sign the document and send it back before the deadline. 

5. Sign-off

Since the letter of appointment format follows a formal business letter, you should include proper sign-offs such as:

• Sincerely,
• Best regards,
• Cordially,
  

6. Signatures of both parties

Now that we may already know how to write an appointment letter, let's take a look at the example of a basic appointment letter below.

Looking to write a letter of appointment for new employees? Feel free to use our ready-to-use appointment letter format in word below.

— Originally written by May Luong —