Offer decision email
Recruiters and hiring managers
Send this before the decision date, not the morning the offer expires. Restate the date you agreed. Do not renegotiate in this email, and do not add new perks as a surprise.
Subject. Where you landed on the offer
Hi — the offer is with you, and the date we agreed is Friday. I am not changing it in this note.
If you are in, I will send the paperwork today. If you need the time we already promised, take it. If you are declining, tell me so the team can move.
Where did you land on the offer?
- I'm in
- I need until Friday
- I'm declining
In Gmail these are buttons. The recipient clicks one. The answer comes back to the thread. They do not install anything.
Before you send. Change Friday to the date on the offer. If the deadline has passed, do not pretend it has not. Ask whether the offer is still something they want open.
Why this gets more replies
Declining an offer in prose is uncomfortable, so candidates vanish on Friday afternoon. A decline button is faster for them and kinder to the team that is holding other finalists. The middle button only works if Friday really is the date you offered. Do not use it to invent a new deadline.
FAQ
What if they are negotiating?
They will not use these buttons for a counter. That still arrives as a reply they write. The buttons are for the three states that do not need a counter: in, on time, or out.
Should the hiring manager send this, or the recruiter?
Whoever owns the offer with the candidate. One of you. Two versions of this email on the same day is pressure, not process.
Free for 50 sends a month. The other person does not install anything.