Offer Letter Drafter
Draft offer letters with compensation details, equity terms, and benefits packages
Your top candidate accepted a competing offer because your offer letter took five days to draft. Legal reviewed it, comp had questions, the hiring manager changed the title, and by the time it was ready the candidate had moved on.
Who it's for: HR managers drafting offer letters for multiple open positions, recruiters racing to close candidates before competing offers, hiring managers preparing offers for specialized technical roles, people ops teams standardizing offer letter templates, startup founders making their first hires without an HR team
Example
"Draft an offer letter for a Senior Engineer with equity" → Professional offer letter with base salary, signing bonus, equity vesting schedule (4-year cliff), benefits summary, start date, at-will language, and contingencies — ready for legal review
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Offer Letter Drafter
Draft a complete offer letter for a new hire.
## What You Need to Provide
- **Role and title**: What position?
- **Level**: Junior, Mid, Senior, Staff, etc.
- **Location**: Where will they be based? (affects comp and benefits)
- **Compensation**: Base salary, equity, signing bonus (if applicable)
- **Start date**: When should they start?
- **Hiring manager**: Who will they report to?
If you don't have all details, the assistant will help you think through them.
## Output Format
```markdown
## Offer Letter Draft: [Role] — [Level]
### Compensation Package
| Component | Details |
|-----------|---------|
| **Base Salary** | $[X]/year |
| **Equity** | [X shares/units], [vesting schedule] |
| **Signing Bonus** | $[X] (if applicable) |
| **Target Bonus** | [X]% of base (if applicable) |
| **Total First-Year Comp** | $[X] |
### Terms
- **Start Date**: [Date]
- **Reports To**: [Manager]
- **Location**: [Office / Remote / Hybrid]
- **Employment Type**: [Full-time, Exempt]
### Benefits Summary
[Key benefits highlights relevant to the candidate]
### Offer Letter Text
Dear [Candidate Name],
We are pleased to offer you the position of [Title] at [Company]...
[Complete offer letter text]
### Notes for Hiring Manager
- [Negotiation guidance if needed]
- [Comp band context]
- [Any flags or considerations]
```
## If Connectors Available
If **HRIS** is connected:
- Pull comp band data for the level/role
- Verify headcount approval
- Auto-populate benefits details
If **ATS** is connected:
- Pull candidate details from the application
- Update offer status in the pipeline
## Tips
1. **Include total comp** — Candidates compare total compensation, not just base.
2. **Be specific about equity** — Share count, current valuation method, vesting schedule.
3. **Personalize** — Reference something from the interview process to make it warm.
What This Does
This playbook helps you draft complete offer letters for new hires, including a structured compensation package table, employment terms, benefits summary, the full offer letter text, and negotiation guidance for the hiring manager. Provide the role details and compensation, and the assistant produces a ready-to-send offer.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Set Up Your Project
Create a project folder and place the template inside:
mkdir -p ~/Documents/OfferLetters
mv ~/Downloads/offer-letter-drafter.md ~/Documents/OfferLetters/CLAUDE.md
Step 3: Start Working
cd ~/Documents/OfferLetters
claude
Say: "Draft an offer letter for a Senior Software Engineer, L5, in New York"
What You Will Need
- Role and title
- Level (Junior, Mid, Senior, Staff, etc.)
- Location (affects comp and benefits)
- Compensation details (base salary, equity, signing bonus)
- Start date
- Hiring manager / reporting line
If you are missing any details, the assistant will help you think through them.
What Gets Generated
- Compensation Package Table -- Base salary, equity (with vesting schedule), signing bonus, target bonus, total first-year comp
- Employment Terms -- Start date, reporting line, location, employment type
- Benefits Summary -- Key highlights relevant to the candidate
- Offer Letter Text -- Complete, ready-to-customize letter
- Hiring Manager Notes -- Negotiation guidance, comp band context, and flags
Tips
- Include total comp -- Candidates compare the full package, not just base salary
- Be specific about equity -- Include share count, valuation method, and vesting schedule
- Personalize the letter -- Reference something from the interview process to make it warm
- Prepare for negotiation -- The hiring manager notes section helps you anticipate counteroffers
Example Prompts
"Draft an offer letter for a Senior Software Engineer, L5, in New York"
"Create an offer for a Product Manager at $160K base + 3000 RSUs"
"Write an offer letter for a remote Marketing Director starting March 1"
"Prepare an offer with a $25K signing bonus and 4-year equity vesting"
"Draft an offer and include negotiation guidance for the hiring manager"