Employers always deliver two different letters to the employee as soon as they get hired. The first one that the employee receives is an offer letter, followed by an appointment letter. Both these letters are quite different from each other in several aspects.
Appointment Letters vs Offer Letters
The main difference between appointment letters and offer letters is that the former is given after delivering the offer letter to the hired employee. An appointment letter is proof of the hiring of the candidate for a particular designation with all the credentials mentioned in it.
An Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate gives their acceptance on the offer letter. In short, it acts as a contract between the company and the employee. It acts as proof of the employment of a candidate when hired by a company. Also, it assures the job from the company to the candidate.
An offer letter is the first and foremost official thing sent by a company after the selection of a candidate for a designation. The candidate is asked to acknowledge the offer letter further. It is nothing but the announcement of the selection of a candidate from the company’s side.
Comparison Table Between Appointment Letters and Offer Letters
| Parameters of Comparison | Appointment Letters | Offer Letters |
| Time of Release | It is released as soon as the offer letter is acknowledged and accepted by the candidate. | It is the first letter issued when the candidate clears all the rounds of interviews. |
| Connotation | It includes all the additional details related to the job with all the roles and protocols explained. | It is nothing but a letter sent by the company to offer a post for a given designation. |
| Disclosures | An appointment letter confirms the designation of an employee under a company based on certain terms and conditions. | An offer letter discloses the offered salary, post, designation, and other details. |
| Confirmation of letter | An 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 Status | The appointment letter shows the employee status as soon as they join the company to complete the formality. | An offer letter can be turned by either of the sides. |
What are Appointment Letters?
When a company releases the appointment letter, it includes all the additional details related to the job with all the roles and protocols explained in it. Not every company issues an appointment letter to the hired candidate as proof of contract. It not only is a sign of job assurance but also discloses all the basic disclaimers about the company and its work code of demeanor.
An Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate gives their acceptance on the offer letter. In short, it acts as a contract between the company and the employee. It acts as proof of the employment of a candidate when hired by a company. Also, it assures the job from the company to the candidate.
As soon as the candidate submits all the credentials asked on the offer letter, the company releases the appointment letter and seeks verification of the documents. An appointment letter shows the proof of the company hiring the candidate under its code of conduct and protocols. When the candidate accepts the appointment, then he/she is officially a part of that company.
What are Offer Letters?
An offer letter is the first and foremost official thing sent by a company after the selection of a candidate for a designation. The candidate is asked to acknowledge the offer letter further. It is nothing but the announcement of the selection of a candidate from the company’s side. The format of an offer letter depends on the company that releases it.
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. The offer letter consists of all the superficial data about the designation offered to the candidate.
An offer letter also mentions the last date of acknowledgment 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. Also, an offer letter is only given when the company finds the applicant suitable for their company. It acts as the first proceeding towards the hiring of a candidate after their selection in the final interview round.
Main Differences Between Appointment Letters and Offer Letters
- An appointment letter is released as soon as the offer letter is acknowledged and accepted by the candidate. On the other hand, an offer letter is the first letter issued when the candidate clears all the rounds of interview.
- The former includes all the additional details related to the job with all the roles and protocols explained in it, whereas an offer letter is nothing but a letter sent by the company to offer a post for a given designation.
- An appointment letter confirms the designation of an employee under a company based on certain terms and conditions. An offer letter discloses the offered salary, post, designation, and other details.
- An appointment letter is a final confirmation after a candidate acknowledges the offer letter. 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.
- The appointment letter shows the employee status as soon as they join the company to complete the formality. An offer letter can be turned by either of the sides.
Conclusion
The offer letter and appointment letter are sent by the company as corresponding documents to the applicant selected for a particular designation. An appointment letter is proof of the hiring of the candidate for a particular designation with all the credentials mentioned on it. On the other hand, An offer letter is the first and foremost official thing sent by a company after the selection of a candidate for a designation.
An Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate gives their acceptance on the offer letter, whereas an Appointment Letter is issued after the candidate gives their acceptance on the offer letter. As soon as the candidate submits all the credentials asked on the offer letter, the company releases the appointment letter and seeks verification of the documents.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939456/
- https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/lqr55&div=36&id=&page=