Writing A Joining Letter: Format + 5 Free Samples

Providing a joining letter to an employer is a prerequisite before you start a new job. This blog discusses the best format for writing a joining letter, exclusive tips, along with five free samples. 

Have you recently landed a new job? Congratulations are in order!

As exciting as it is to start working for a new organization, there are some preliminary requirements you need to keep in mind. Make sure all the documents have been submitted to HR and you’re aware of the onboarding process and the timings for the first day at work.

Before you dive into your first day, you should provide one more formality: A joining letter. It’s a document that formally marks the beginning of your employment with the company.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to write a joining letter. We will discuss the best job joining letter format along with its necessary elements and 5 free samples.

What is a Joining letter?

A joining letter is a formal letter or email sent by a new employee to the employer to confirm the starting of employment. It approves the job role from the employee’s side and other terms as discussed during hiring.  

The joining letter forms a part of the official documentation trail of the employee in the organization and serves as proof of acceptance for the job. It is usually directed toward the Co-Founders, hiring manager, and department head.

Joining letter format

Key components of a joining letter

Joining letters are usually brief documents that contain only some key information and are not written at length. The most important components of a joining letter are:

1. Date: Mention the date when the letter or email is sent.
2. Subject: State the subject as ‘Joining Letter’ for the job role.
3. Formal salutation: Include a formal address like ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, ‘Hello’, or ‘Greetings’. 
4. Acknowledgement of the offer letter: Add the offer letter as a reference. 
5. Acceptance of the offer letter: Write that you accept the offer letter with respect to the reference. 
6. Job role: Mention the job role that you accept according to the offer letter. 
7. Joining date and time: Mention the date and time as previously agreed on. 
8. Acceptance of terms: If any specific terms were included in the offer letter, acknowledge that you accept them and mention their details.
9. Gratitude & enthusiasm: Show enthusiasm about your excitement to contribute to the team and express gratitude for the opportunity.
10.  Closing: Close with a formal salutation like ‘Regards’, ‘Respectfully’, or ‘Yours sincerely’.

Importance of Joining Letter in the Hiring Process 

While the offer letter starts your employment journey, a joining letter marks the official confirmation of your joining. It’s not just mere paperwork – but an essential link bridging the gap between the candidate’s intent to join the organization and a sign to begin the next steps of the onboarding process. 

Here is why joining letters are crucial in the hiring process: 

Offers formal confirmation and clarity: 

The letter serves as an official confirmation of the candidate’s acceptance of the job role. It removes misunderstandings and reiterates the essential details like date of joining, job title, department, location, etc., ensuring both the candidate and the organizations are both on the same page. 

Builds engagement and trust among candidates: 

A joining letter often serves as a symbol of commitment assuring both the candidate and the organization of the offer being accepted. This crucial step helps foster trust, seamless communication, and collaboration in the hiring process, creating an engaging experience. 

Facilitates documentation and compliance: 

From both a legal and documentation perspective, a joining letter marks the commencement of a smooth new hire journey, aligning internal audit trials and documentation process with statutory requirements. It also includes certain essential clauses that help uphold the company’s policies and culture. 

Reduces drop-off rates: 

Candidate ghosting is the worst nightmare of a hiring manager – a joining letter helps avoid it by acting as a soft commitment from the candidate’s end. This helps filter out non-serious candidates and reduces last-minute drop off rates. 

Ensures structured onboarding plan: 

A joining letter acts as a green signal for companies to start the onboarding process. With confirmation in hand, HR teams can ensure their onboarding plan remains seamless and avoid costly mistakes. 

In short, a joining letter is a foundational document that helps organizations integrate their new hires seamlessly into the new work culture and environment. In the next section, let’s discuss 5 templates of a joining letter. 

5 joining letter samples and templates

1. Joining letter for new employee

2.  Joining letter after a leave

3. Internship joining letter

4. Joining letter after maternity leave

5. Joining letter for transferred employee

How to write a joining letter: 6 Tips

Writing a joining letter is not a daunting task. However, there are some key points to keep in mind so that you don’t miss out on any information as it is an official document. Here are the important steps to write a joining letter:

Follow a good format

Before you start writing a joining letter, choose a good format as a reference to take inspiration from. It’s not a casual letter and hence needs to follow a formally accepted template. The above formats and samples should help you achieve this. 

Have a professional tone

You’re directing the joining letter to senior management (Co-Founders), the hiring manager and your department head. Hence, having a professional tone is a necessary element of your joining letter. Avoid using jargon or casual language and include only the necessary information.

Show clear acceptance 

You must declare your acceptance of the job role right at the beginning of your joining letter. Include a reference to the appointment letter or offer letter for clearer communication. Also, write the decided date of joining and time in the same paragraph.

Express appreciation

The last part of the joining letter should include gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity provided to you by the employer. Write about your appreciation towards the company and how you’d like to contribute your skills and knowledge to its growth.

Keep it brief

Joining letters are formal protocols and hence do not need to include too many details and information. Keep your letter concise and only include the must-have details. 

Attach the necessary documents

At the bottom of the letter, include a section to write about the documents you’ll be attaching with the letter or email. These usually include the signed offer letter and your personal documents. You can contact HR to find out what documents are required from you. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Joining Letters 

While a joining letter often seems like a formality – but if drafted poorly it leads to the wrong impression in the minds of either candidate or the new employer. 

Here are some common mistakes to avoid while drafting a joining letter: 

Common mistakes to avoid from HR’s end: 

Missing an introduction

A joining letter without a brief glimpse of the company’s culture, work style, and location, makes the entire process cold and transactional.

Failing to clearly define job role

When job title, department, role, salary, and location are vaguely stated, it reduces transparency and creates confusion and misunderstandings in the minds of the candidates. 

Skipping personalization

Using generic salutation, missing candidate’s name can make the entire process feel impersonal, leading to disengagement and early drop-off. 

Forgetting to mention next steps

Many HRs often miss adding the next steps in the letter and clear contact information, leaving the candidate confused about what to expect next. 

Common mistakes to avoid from candidate’s end: 

Being too casual or overly detailed

Candidates often treat the joining letter as an informal note mentioning personal details, leading it to become unprofessional. 

Submitting without proofreading

Avoid spelling errors, typos, or incorrect names, as this damages your first impression. 

Using an unstructured format

A poorly formatted letter makes it harder to read and understand, and at times looks careless to the employer. 

Missing attachments or required documents

Sometimes candidates forget to attach essential documents like ID proofs, certificates, and documents. 

Being mindful of these common mistakes help both HR teams and candidates to ensure staying professional. 

How does a joining letter differ from an appointment letter?

Here is a table that demonstrates the differences between a joining letter and an appointment letter:

How does a joining letter differ from an offer letter?

The following table demonstrates the differences between a joining letter and an offer letter:

Who Should Write a Joining Letter – HR or Employee? 

This question often confuses many – who is actually responsible for writing a joining letter. If you are on the same boat of confusion, here is the answer. 

The answer: It’s the company policy that decides who writes the joining letter. 

Often, a joining letter is written by a candidate in response to their acceptance of the company’s offer letter. This serves as an official confirmation and aligns the organization’s rules with the candidate’s interests. 

At times, certain company policies draft a standardized joining letter for the new hire. In those cases, the new hire reviews the contents of the letter, signs it, and returns the letter to the official source as a way of their acceptance. This often streamlines the process and reduces the constant need for back-and-forth communication. 

In both cases, a joining letter is an indispensable part of the hiring journey, that streamlines communication, and reduces misinformation, and helps both sides move forward on the same foot. 

Making employee documentation easier with Keka

By now, you know how to craft an impressive joining letter. It is the first thing you send to your employer, so make sure you get it right. All the above details will help you do so.

If you’re an HR or employer reading, the correct joining letter format will also help you understand what to expect. It confirms the acceptance of the job role from the new employee’s side so that the onboarding process can begin as planned.

The joining letter also serves as an official document for the employee’s personnel file. However, if you’re using Keka Hire, documentation is something you hardly have to worry about.

Keka’s employee document management system makes it possible for you to forget about manually collecting and storing joining letters, proof of identity, signatures, experience letters, salary slips, etc. Employees can directly upload these docs in the Keka portal and HR can view and confirm these whenever they want.

It doesn’t stop there! The portal also allows you to digitally generate and send multiple employee letters, including appointment, probation extension, transfer, and relieving letters, directly through the system.

Say Goodbye manual documentation mayhem with Keka, take a quick tour!

Frequently asked questions

How do I address a joining letter? 

You should address a joining letter with a formal salutation like ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, ‘Hi [Hiring manager’s name]’, ‘Respected Sir/Madam’, or ‘Hi/Hello’. Avoid starting a joining letter without first properly addressing the receiver. 

What should be included in a joining letter? 

A joining letter must include the date of sending, the subject of the letter, reference letters if any, proper salutation, acceptance, your job role, joining date, joining time, gratitude towards the company, a formal closing, your full name, signature and contact details. 

Is there a specific format for a joining letter? 

Yes, there is a specific format for a job joining letter. It is as follows: 

When should a joining letter be sent? 

The joining letter should be sent after you accept the position offered to you in the appointment letter. However, it should be sent before your joining date. 

Is there a difference between a job offer letter and a joining letter? 

Yes. An offer letter is written by an employer to express their intent to hire you as a candidate. A joining letter is written by you, the employee, to express your acceptance of the job role offered to you.

What happens after a joining letter is accepted?

After the joining letter is accepted by the employer, the official onboarding process shall begin from the employer’s side. It includes company orientation, handing over devices and credentials, and introducing the new employee to other employees.