How To Write A Letter of Recommendation For An Employee (With Examples)

Post A Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Post a Job

A letter of recommendation is known by many different names, such as a recommendation letter, a letter of reference, a reference letter, or even just a reference. As this is a letter specifically for an employee, it will likely be for another job, which would mean it could also be called an employment reference or a job reference.

Whatever you may choose to call it, the contents will be the same. A letter of recommendation is something that you write for a coworker in order to showcase their qualifications for their new position. In general, you should write one for a subordinate or protege. Ideally, it should also be someone you worked closely with and can recommend unreservedly.

Key Takeaways:

• A letter of recommendation is a missive to a hiring manager to recommend that they hire someone.

• Letters of recommendation should be concise. The standard is around a page. If you have more than you feel is important to add, then you can go over one page, but definitely don’t exceed two pages.

• You should only accept writing a letter of recommendation if you feel that you can genuinely recommend them. Also, make sure that you have time and dedication to follow through before accepting.

• Do your best to aim your letter towards the positing they’re applying for, if applicable. A personalized letter has a much higher chance of helping out the person to get hired.

What Is a Letter of Recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a business letter written on behalf of a co-worker or former co-worker to their potential new supervisor. The point of these letters is to point up your coworker’s strengths and skills, making it clear you think they’d be well suited for their new position.

Letters of recommendation should only be written for someone you can genuinely recommend. Getting a tepid letter of recommendation can be worse than no recommendation at all. It makes it seem as though you struggled to find positive things to say about the person you’re recommending. If you’re not sure you can do this, then it’s best to decline to write the letter.

This is a business correspondence, so it should be written in business style. A good recommendation letter can be the qualification that pushes an applicant over the top, so it should also be taken seriously.

General Tips and Guidelines for Writing a Job Letter of Recommendation

As with most business letters, there are expectations as to what should be in the letter and where. Recommendation letters aren’t as rigidly formatted as many business communications, as the majority of the information in them will be heavily personalized. Nonetheless, it’s a good idea to follow the general formatting guidelines as it’ll be what the hiring manager is used to seeing.

General guidelines to consider when writing a letter of recommendation:

• Don’t be afraid to be effusive. It can be awkward to praise someone a lot, but that is the point of a letter of recommendation. Don’t be over the top about it, but most people’s inclination is to undersell. You can always pare back later if it ends up being too much.

• Talk to the person you’re writing the letter for before writing it. It’s important to know what sort of job they’re applying for and how quickly they need the letter. This can affect the tone of your letter and which skills of theirs you choose to highlight. They should also give you the name of the hiring manager, as it’s better to personalize it.

  If you’re so inclined, you can also ask their advice as to what they want in the letter. This can feel a bit awkward, but it’s good to know the sort of recommendations they’re looking for. If you’re not comfortable with what they want you to write, you can always say no.

• Look at the job posting that they’re applying for. Once you choose to write the letter, ask to see the job posting. This will give you an idea of what the employer is looking for and which skills and experiences are best to highlight.

• Be honest. While it may be tempting to exaggerate their accomplishments, it’s best to be as honest as possible. While it may be difficult to decline to write a letter If you don’t feel right writing one, say that you can’t. And be upfront about it to give them a chance to implement their backup plan.

  This also goes for the body of the letter. If you don’t think you know enough about the person to write a page about them, then you shouldn’t be doing a recommendation. If you can, be sure to highlight skills and accomplishments you observed during your time working with them – after all, that’s what the new employer wants to hear from you.

• Add specific examples. The more specific you can be, the better. Up to a point, of course. But it’s best if you can share an anecdote or a particular instance in your professional relationship that impressed you about the person you’re writing the letter for.

• Make use of their resume. Ask them to send you their resume. This will show you what accomplishments they chose to highlight as well as what skills they chose to showcase. You don’t have to hit all the same skills and accomplishments if you think there’s something else you want to talk about, but make sure it’s relevant to the position.

• Maintain professionalism. This is a professional letter, after all. You’re writing to another professional about someone you have a professional relationship with. Maintain a business tone and make sure everything you share is appropriate.

• Keep it concise. As with most business letters, it should be about a page in length. If you have more information to add, you can do more than a page, but it definitely shouldn’t exceed two pages.

• Get someone to proofread your letter. This is important for everything that you write. Not only will they catch errors you missed, which will make you look careless or unprofessional, but they’ll also be able to point out turns of phrases that may not convey what you mean.

  If you have the time, it’s usually best to let what you wrote sit for a day or so before reading it again. You’ll notice errors and awkward phrasing that you may miss if you read it again without taking a break first.

What Should be Included in a Letter of Recommendation?

As with most business writing, letters of recommendation have a standard format. This generally consists of an introduction, a couple of paragraphs of the main contents, and then a conclusion. While the guidelines may not be set in stone, it’s generally better to avoid too much creativity in professional correspondence.

Here’s what a letter of recommendation should include:

• A salutation. If sending in a physical letter, you should list the recipient’s information and work address at the top of the letter, as well as your position and work address. In an email, that’s unnecessary, but it’s still proper to address it to the recipient in a professional manner. Using dear and their full name is an excellent way to go.

• Introductory paragraph. This should introduce you and let them know why they should be interested in a recommendation from you. For instance, were you the employee’s supervisor? Mentor? Or did you just work in the same department? It should also make mention who you’re recommending and why. Usually, this can be done with just a sentence or two.

• Specifics of recommendations. This is the body of the letter. Here is where you list the person’s strengths, skills, and experience. If applicable, include a short personal story as well – an instance where you saw them go above and beyond.

• Conclusion. This should also be brief. Reiterate the basis of why you’re recommending them and inform the hiring manager that you’re available for questions.

• Contact information. This can be included in the conclusion, but it can also be listed under your name or at the top if it’s a letter.

It’s best to try to keep the letter to a page in length. Hiring managers are busy and won’t want to read a lengthy letter.

Sample Letter of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation FAQ

1. When should a letter of recommendation be sent?

   Letters of recommendation should be sent as soon as reasonably possible. Most of the time, when you’re asked for a letter of recommendation, the person has already applied to a job – or is just about it. In other cases, a hiring manager will ask for a letter of recommendation from a promising candidate.

   Whatever the case, promptness shows that you’re committed to what you say, and also makes it easier for the hiring manager. That, in turn, makes it more likely that the person you’re writing the letter of recommendation for will be hired.

2. Does a letter of recommendation need to be signed?

   No, it’s not necessary to sign a letter of recommendation. If you’re sending a hard copy, then it’s not a bad idea to do so. However, the majority of letters of recommendation are sent over email, which means that a signature isn’t required or expected.

3. Can you decline to write a letter of recommendation for someone?

   Yes, you can absolutely decline to write a letter of recommendation. There are times when it’s the best thing to do as well. If you don’t feel that you know enough about their work to write an informed letter of recommendation, then you shouldn’t. You also shouldn’t write one if you don’t have much positive to say about them.

   Also, even if it is tempting to warn another company about hiring someone if you had a bad experience with them, there can be repercussions for doing so. Also, consider whether or not it’s worth threatening their reputation and livelihood over – because that’s what you’ll be doing by warning others away from them.

Author

Di Doherty

Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.