About Appointment Letters

Appointment letters are the formal record of someone joining an organization in a defined capacity, and they set the expectations that everything else flows from. A well-written appointment letter answers four questions clearly: what the role is, when it begins, what the compensation and reporting structure look like, and what the conditions of the appointment include. Vague appointment letters cause more downstream conflict than almost any other internal document; people remember what was promised, and the letter is the thing they remember it from. The templates in this category are written so that nothing important is left implicit. If a clause does not apply, delete it cleanly rather than leaving placeholder language. Recipients should read the letter once and know exactly what they are agreeing to.

For more on how to write a letter in this category — the conventions, the pitfalls, and the specific rules of tone that apply — see our full Appointment Letters writing guide.