Job offer: what to include, template and examples for Ukraine and the UK

A job offer is the written proposal an employer sends a candidate after successful interviews. It sets out the role, start date, pay and other terms of the future employment. Its legal weight depends on the country: in Ukraine an offer does not create an employment relationship, while in the UK an accepted unconditional offer already forms a contract.

This guide covers what to include, a template you can copy, examples for different roles, how to handle negotiation and the mistakes that cost companies candidates.

Is a job offer legally binding?

Ukraine

In Ukraine, employment begins when the employment contract is signed and the hiring order is issued, and the employer notifies the tax authority before work starts. The offer plays no part in this chain. The candidate can turn down an accepted offer without legal consequences, and the employer can formally withdraw it, although the reputational cost is far higher than the legal one. If the offer and the order differ, the order and contract prevail.

United Kingdom

In the UK, an offer and acceptance form a contract. If the offer was unconditional, or all its conditions have been met, withdrawing it is a breach of contract. Damages are usually limited to what the candidate would have earned during the contractual notice period, which is why many offers include a short notice period during probation.

Most UK offers are conditional: subject to right to work checks, satisfactory references, proof of qualifications and, for some roles, a DBS check. If a condition is not met, the employer can withdraw the offer, provided the reason is genuine and not discriminatory. Employers must also give a written statement of employment particulars on or before day one.

What to include in a job offer

Job offer template

Examples by role type

Office-based role

Focus on day-to-day details that affect the decision: office address, hours, commute, parking, meals and how many office days a hybrid pattern involves. For Ukrainian offices, add how the team works during air raid alerts and power outages: candidates almost always ask, and it is better to answer up front.

Remote role

Add three points an office offer does not need: overlapping hours with the team, who provides equipment, and how documents are signed remotely, for example with an electronic signature.

Senior leadership role

The offer is longer and almost always precedes a separate service agreement. Add the scope of authority, long-term incentives, confidentiality and restrictive covenants, and termination terms on both sides.

How to present an offer so it gets accepted

• Call first, then email. The candidate should hear the offer and be able to ask questions straight away.
• Explain the number. Not just the figure but the logic: level, team band, next review.
• Give a realistic deadline. Two or three working days is normal. “We need an answer today” reads as pressure.
• Send it in writing the same day. Verbal agreements without an email are the most common source of misunderstanding.
• Stay in touch until day one. The time between acceptance and start is when candidates most often receive counter-offers.

When the candidate negotiates

Negotiation is a normal part of the process. Agree the band for the role and the maximum you can go to before the offer goes out.

• If the request is within the band, agree and send an updated written offer straight away.
• If it is above the band, look for non-salary levers: a review after six months, extra holiday, a learning budget, flexible hours.
• If the gap is large, say honestly that it is outside the band. An inflated offer breaks the pay structure and comes back as a problem inside the team.

Common mistakes

How to keep offers under control

With a few offers a month, email works. With dozens, wording drifts and replies get lost. In the Recruit module, an offer is built from a template that fills in the candidate, vacancy, hiring manager and sender details automatically, so no required point is missed.

Each offer has its own status: draft, sent, viewed by the candidate, accepted, declined or cancelled. That answers the most frustrating question in recruiting, “did they even open it?”, and gives real offer acceptance rates by team and vacancy. More on the concept in our glossary entry on the offer letter.

Frequently asked questions

What is a job offer?

A written proposal of employment with specific terms: role, start date, pay, working pattern and benefits. It is sent after interviews and before hiring paperwork.

Can an employer withdraw a job offer?

In Ukraine, formally yes, because there is no employment relationship yet. In the UK, only if a condition is not met; withdrawing an accepted unconditional offer is a breach of contract.

What is a conditional job offer?

An offer that depends on checks such as right to work, references, qualifications or a DBS check. It becomes unconditional once those checks are complete.

Should the offer state salary as gross or net?

It should always say which. In the UK, salary is usually stated as a gross annual figure. In Ukraine, a monthly figure is common, and gross or net must be stated explicitly.

How long should a job offer stay open?

As long as it says. Two or three working days is typical for individual contributor roles and up to a week for leadership roles.