An appointment letter is the first official document exchanged between an organization and new employee upon hire. While writing an appointment letter isn’t difficult, it should still include several key pieces of information so both parties start off on the same page. Remember that if you don’t include necessary information and stick to being formal, you could give your new hire the wrong impression of the job, your expectations, and your company.
While striking the right balance between being too informal and professional is tricky, it is possible. Use our appointment letter format to create an interesting, readable letter that showcases exactly what your new employment arrangement entails.
Appointment Letter Format
Below you’ll read a letter Janet Eames, who heads the HR department of a budding marketing firm, has written. Recently, the organization decided to hire a new graphic designer George Fiskers, who will begin employment in two weeks. In this letter, Dr. Eames officially notifies Mr. Fiskers of his employment status. She also outlines some of the requirements of his new position.
Dear George Fiskers,
Congratulations! We want you to know that you are Innovative Solutions’ newest graphic designer. During the interview process, your ideas, visions for our company, and qualifications impressed us. We were also intrigued by your former work in a graphic design role and look forward to you crafting similar designs and products for our growing company.
As we discussed recently, your first day will be on January 8th. Please report to HR before you meet with your department head. At that time, we will complete the paperwork related to your new position. Please bring the following with you on your first day:
• At least two forms of identification (please contact me directly if you need guidance)
• Your parking ticket from the garage (we will validate upon arrival)
• A comfortable pair of shoes for touring our facilities and the warehouse
• A few selections of your previous work to show others in your new department
After you meet with HR, we will direct you to your new department. More specifically, Alec Meyers (your department head) will take over and guide you throughout the rest of the day.
We want to say again how excited we are for you to join our team. We look forward to the great contributions you will make to our company. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you on January 8th.
Thank you,
Janet Eames
Is This a Good Appointment Letter Format? Let’s Check
1. Does the writer use solid, professional greeting in the letter?
She does! While this appointment letter format uses the new hire’s full name, the writer could have also used “Mr. George Fiskers.” Both options are acceptable, but refrain from simply using someone’s first name without mention of the last. You should also make sure to include a greeting. Even the simplest salutation sets the tone for the rest of the letter.
2. Are the instructions for the first day of employment clear?
Definitely! In the first part of the letter, the writer clearly outlines what the new hire should do once he arrives. The writer also lists what he should bring with him on his first day of work. As you write your own appointment letter, make sure you include clear instructions regarding what newly appointed employees should do once they arrive on their first day and what they should bring with them. This can reduce anxiety and ensure any important paperwork or processes occur on time.
3. Does the letter outline what will happen on the employee’s first day of work?
Yes. The letter writer says Mr. Fiskers should go straight to the HR office to do paperwork and conduct other employment-related processes. Then he will meet with the head of his new department once he fills out all of the paperwork.
4. Does this letter express enthusiasm for the new hire?
It definitely does. Following the professional greeting, the letter starts off with “congratulations” and continues to express enthusiasm. Appointment letters should showcase some level of excitement for new team members and what they bring to the organization. As you write your letter, be careful to show optimism, but refrain from being too over the top.
5. Does the letter outline what the new employee should do if he has questions?
Yes! A few times throughout the letter, the author states he should contact her if he has any questions. As you write your appointment letter, make sure you include information about what new employees should do if they have any questions about their start date, their first day, or their employment in general.
The Most Important Appointment Letter Format Takeaways
As you can probably see from our appointment letter format, there are several things your letter should include. For example, it requires a proper greeting and information about what newly hired staff should do on their first day of employment. The letter should also show excitement for the additional team member and everything he or she brings to the organization.
Make sure you fully proofread for any grammatic or formatting mistakes before you send the correspondence off to the recipient. Remember, observing these best practices for writing an appointment letter will help you establish a beneficial relationship between your organization and new hire from the very start.
