Job Offers from HR's Personal Email: Are They Legit and When Is It Okay?

Validity of Offers Sent from HR's Personal Email

Is an offer sent from HR's personal ID valid? Under what circumstances can HR use their personal ID instead of the official one?

Thank you.

Validity of Job Offers Sent from Personal Email IDs

Job offer emails sent from a personal email ID without being authorized by the company will be considered null and void.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

If there is no signature on that letter, then it is not valid. However, if there is a signature, it is valid even if it came through a personal email address.

I think you should question the recruiter directly about whether there was any specific reason for sending the offer letter from a personal ID. Typically, a professional organization (small or large) has official IDs; hence, there is no reason to use personal IDs for official communication. However, there can be exceptions if the official email server is down or the recruiter is on leave but needs to send the offer urgently and is unable to access their office ID from home. In such rare situations, it might be sent from a personal ID. Nevertheless, a copy should also be sent to the office ID to ensure there is an official record.

Hope my inputs were useful.

Regards,
Gia

It is better to ask HR to send the hard copy through courier. If you are in the same location, it is advisable to visit the office, collect the hard copy, and acknowledge it there. Then, if the offer complies with your expectations or the discussions you had, wait until you receive an official document before proceeding further, such as resigning from your current organization.

Regards,
Kamesh

If the offer is on the company's letterhead, duly signed by the authority, and scanned to you as an attachment, though it is from a personal ID, it is valid. This may be due to the reasons stated by Gia above. Of course, you must ask for a hard copy, even if it is from the company's ID, since this is a very important document. An email ID in the name of the company can also be easily created by anyone. If the offer is an email communication directly from a personal ID, it is not valid at all.

I had a situation where I received a telegraphic order of appointment requiring me to send acceptance and join at the earliest. I requested a hard copy and informed the prospective employer that I would be able to respond only after receiving it. You can follow suit.

Regards,
S.K. Johri