{"id":"hr-offer-email-candidate","audience":"hr","category":"writing-emails","track":"writing","technique":"grounding","title":"Write an offer email that matches the approved terms","free":false,"task":"You're emailing a verbal offer follow-up to a candidate before the formal letter goes out. Write it in under 110 words, plain text, with the offer itself in the first sentence, the exact approved salary and start date, and the corrected response deadline. Describe the bonus exactly as approved, without guaranteeing it, say the formal offer letter will follow, and leave PTO, holidays and hybrid details for that letter.","materialLabel":"Approved offer details (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"Offer approval - Jordan Lee, Senior Payroll Analyst (Cedar Freight)\n\nApproved by: Mara Diaz (VP Finance), Mar 3\n- Base salary: $86,000/year. (Jordan asked for $90k; final approved number is $86k.)\n- Start date: Monday, April 13.\n- Bonus: eligible for the annual discretionary bonus, target 8% of base. NOT guaranteed; depends on company and individual performance.\n- PTO: 15 days per year plus 10 company holidays.\n- Hybrid: 3 days in the Dallas office.\n- Response deadline: Mar 10. CORRECTION from Mara: give him until Mar 13, he's traveling.\n\nFrom recruiter notes:\n- Jordan is excited but nervous about leaving his current job mid-quarter.\n- Don't mention the other finalist.\n- Formal offer letter comes from HR via e-sign within 2 business days. Wording in the letter is final; email should not add terms.\n\nSender: Hana Ito, Talent Acquisition.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":110},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Burying the offer","why":"The AI opens with long thanks and praise before the news.","fix":"Add: \"First sentence: we're offering you the role.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"5 sentences, each under 18 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Wrong numbers","why":"Both deadlines and the asked-for salary are in the notes, and the AI may mix them up.","fix":"Add: \"Say 'eligible for a discretionary bonus, target 8%'. Leave PTO, holidays and hybrid days for the letter.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Over-promising the bonus","why":"The AI writes 'an 8% bonus', which reads as guaranteed.","fix":"Add: \"Say 'eligible for a discretionary bonus, target 8%'. Add no other terms.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Formatting the email","why":"The AI adds bold and bullet lists, which look like a contract.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, short paragraphs.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Puts the offer first","patterns":["first sentence","lead with","start with","offer first"]},{"label":"Uses the approved numbers","patterns":["86","april 13","approved"]},{"label":"Uses the corrected deadline","patterns":["march 13","mar 13","correct"]},{"label":"Words the bonus carefully","patterns":["discretionary","not guaranteed","target"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Offer emails must match the approval exactly. Tell the AI what goes first, the exact numbers, the corrected deadline and how to word the bonus.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence (after a short greeting at most) extends the offer for the Senior Payroll Analyst role","States $86,000 base salary, a Monday April 13 start date and a response deadline of March 13 (not March 10)","Describes the bonus as discretionary with an 8% target (not guaranteed), says the formal offer letter will follow by e-sign, and does not list PTO, holidays or hybrid office days (or any other terms) or mention the other finalist"]}