How to Create Recommendation Letter for an Employee

Understanding Your Role

Writing a recommendation letter for a coworker is an important task that should be handled with thought and care. It’s all about grasping your role, collecting the right details, and knowing what’s needed for the target job or program.

Your Relationship to the Employee

To craft a solid recommendation letter, spell out your relationship with the employee. Make sure you’ve got down how you know each other and how long you’ve worked together. This info gives your letter weight and shows why you’re a reliable source for this recommendation.

Example Relationship Statements:

• “As [Employee’s Name]’s boss for the past three years…”
• “Working alongside [Employee’s Name] for five years at [Company Name]…”

Gathering Performance Information

Performance details are what make a recommendation letter stand out. Get your hands on facts and stats about the employee’s work, achievements, and skills. Share concrete examples showing their talents, character, and what they’ve brought to the team.

What to Gather:

• Performance reviews
• Successful projects
• Awards and recognitions
• Feedback from peers and colleagues

Sample Table:

Criteria	Data Point	Example
Project Outcome	Finished Project X ahead of schedule	“Wrapped up Project X two weeks early, boosting team efficiency by 15%”
Awards	Employee of the Month	“Bagged Employee of the Month for stellar performance in March 2022”

Knowing the Target Position

Get a handle on the target position to make sure your recommendation clicks. Look into the job description or program demands. Pinpoint the main skills and experiences that fit the bill, and link them to the employee’s strengths and wins.

Tips:

• Go over the job or program details.
• Match your stories with what’s needed.
• Put the spotlight on the right skills.

By getting a handle on your role, gathering key details, and knowing the target, you’ll write a recommendation letter that can really help your coworker shine in their career or studies. For more tips, check out our guides on requesting a recommendation letter and writing a reference letter.

Writing the Letter

Nailing a recommendation letter for a coworker involves sticking to a tried-and-true structure while shining a light on their best qualities and achievements. Here’s the lowdown:

Professional Letter Format

Let’s start with getting the format spot on. You need to include:

• Contact Details: Kick off with your name, what you do, your company, phone number, and email.
• Date: Slap the date on there too.
• Who’s Getting This?: Pop in the recipient’s name, what they do, their company, and address.
• Greetings: Go for a formal hello, something like “Dear [Recipient’s Name]”.

Opening Strong

Start off with a bang to make it clear why you’re writing:

“I’m thrilled to support [Employee’s Name] for the [Target Position] at your fantastic organization.”

Point out how you know the person and for how long—that way, they’ll know you’re legit.

Highlighting Key Strengths

Dive into what makes your coworker awesome. Talk up their skills, wins, and the qualities that make them perfect for the gig. Here’s what to cover:

1. Professionalism: Talk about their killer dedication and hustle.
2. Skills: Shine a light on any technical or people skills.
3. Achievements: Roll out any big wins or contributions.

Check out our handy reference letter guide for more.

Using Specific Examples

Bringing real-life stories to the table is what gives your letter weight. Use little tales to drive home the strengths you’re talking about:

“During our last project working on [Project Name], [Employee’s Name] showcased outstanding [specific skill], leading to [specific outcome]. Their knack for [give an example] really stood out.”

Stories like these turn a bland letter into something memorable.

Addressing the Right Audience

Make sure your letter speaks directly to who’s reading it and what they value. Know what they’re looking for and make sure you hit those notes:

• For schools, talk about smarts and eagerness to learn.
• For job apps, focus on career wins and relevant talents.
• For climbing the ladder, highlight leadership and what they’ve done for the company.

Match the tone and examples to the reader’s expectations—that way, it packs more punch.

Make sure you’re also clued in on any specific dos and don’ts from the place getting the letter. They might have rules on how it should look or what should be in it.

Crafting a strong, tailored recommendation can do wonders in helping your coworker shine. If you’re after more writing tips and tricks, don’t miss our letter of recommendation generator.

What Employers Want to See

When you sit down to write up a recommendation letter for a coworker, there are a few key things to remember: it’s all about spotlighting the stuff that employers are really after. Nail down the right qualities, and you’ll make your letter echo with your colleague’s impressive strengths.

Core Professional Skills

Employers are all eyes and ears for significant professional traits. Dive into things like communication, how your coworker manages their time, and their knack for catching the tiniest details. Throw in a story or two about your coworker nailing these skills, and you’ll pack a persuasive punch.

Leadership and Teamwork

Both leadership and teamwork are golden tickets in the job world. Got stories of your coworker stepping up as a leader or playing nicely with others in a group? Share them. Sound-proof examples of how they light up the room or boost a project make them stand out. You’ll find more guidance in our requesting letter of recommendation section.

Problem-Solving Abilities

Problem-solving is a biggie. Share tales of your coworker playing detective, spotting issues, and then rolling up their sleeves to fix them. Showcasing their knack for clever thinking and tackling hurdles will score you bonus points.

Measurable Results

Numbers talk. Midway through your letter, sprinkle in some stats or figures to back up your coworker’s achievements. Whether they’ve upped sales, boosted team mojo, or smashed targets, cold hard data makes these wins visible.

Key Quality	Description	Why It Matters
Core Professional Skills	Chatting Skills, Time Wiz, Detail Hawk	Pillars for everyday tasks
Leadership and Teamwork	Leads Like a Pro, Team Player Extraordinaire	Shows how they lead and gel with others
Problem-Solving Abilities	Brainy Thinker, Challenge Conqueror	Demonstrates resilience and smart solutions
Measurable Results	Number-Backed Success	Proves real-world impact

Your words have the right amount of oomph to unlock opportunities for your coworker, so make them count in your recommendation letter. Grasping what makes employers tick will guide you in crafting a recommendation that truly packs a punch.

Common Scenarios

Recommending a Direct Report

Writing a recommendation for someone you supervise isn’t just about ticking off their skills and accomplishments. You’re the leader of this band, so play up your real-world experiences with them. Capture those standout moments when they absolutely nailed it.

Key Points	Details
Relationship	Clarify your position and the time you’ve worked with the employee.
Performance	Point out those jaw-dropping projects or achievements.
Skills	Talk about their standout traits like leadership, reliability, and the occasional stroke of genius.
Impact	How did they shake things up for your team and the wider company?

Keep it tidy, neat, and professional. (Check out the reference letter guide for more help.)

Writing for a Colleague

When it’s time to put a good word in for a coworker, give the low-down on your shared work adventures. You see them in action daily, so your insights are pure gold in showing off their daily grind and skills.

Key Points	Details
Collaboration	Tell tales of joint projects or gig you both tackled.
Skills	Shine a light on teamwork, puzzle-solving, and those chats that move mountains.
Examples	Spill the beans on key moments they made a real difference.
Workplace Culture	How did they jazz up the vibe at work?

Your recommendation might just be the ticket to opening doors for your colleague.

Internal vs External Opportunities

Internal Recommendation

If you’re vouching for someone within your company, make sure you spotlight how well they fit into the company’s groove and potential to rise through the ranks.

Key Points	Details
Company Fit	Point out their knack for understanding the company’s ins and outs.
Skill Development	Highlight how they’ve grown into their role.
Potential	Discuss if they’re primed and ready for that new role.

External Recommendation

When someone’s setting sail for new territories, stress their knack for navigating new waters and bringing fresh ideas to the table.

Key Points	Details
Adaptability	Rave about their talent for adjusting to new settings and trials.
Contributions	Share big wins they’ve had that relate to the next gig.
Endorsement	Give a loud and proud yes to their skills and character.

Mastering the art of a solid recommendation letter can be the booster rocket for the recipient’s career journey. For more juicy tips, browse our reference letter guide or dig into ways to ask for a letter of recommendation.

Mistakes to Avoid

Whipping up a killer recommendation letter for a colleague is more than just putting words on paper—it’s about painting a picture that helps them advance in their field. But, there are a few traps you don’t wanna fall into if you want your letter to pack a punch.

1. Keeping It Wishy-Washy

When you’re vouching for someone, vague phrases like “She’s great!” won’t get the job done. Ditch the fluff and be specific. Did your coworker knock a big project out of the park? Did they lead an initiative that got real results? Dish out those details to make your endorsement stick.

2. Throwing in Random Tidbits

Stick to what’s relevant for the job at hand. Talking about their killer karaoke skills might be fun, but if it doesn’t match the job description, it only muddies the waters.

3. Cookie-Cutter Approach

The “one-letter-fits-all” approach? Nope. Your letter should reflect the individual’s true shine and accomplishments, not just some template you’ve used a hundred times. This shows you’re genuinely rooting for them, making your words much more persuasive.

4. Ditching the Professional Look

Ignoring the polish of a formal letter format can make your note look amateur. You gotta cover the basics: your info, their name, a respectful hello, a clear start, solid support in the middle, and a closing that seals the deal.

5. Missing the Job’s Key Needs

Not having a clue about the job they’re after is like shooting in the dark. Hit up the role’s details, so you can talk about the skills and experiences that actually matter for that gig.

6. Overhyping It

Keep it real. Going overboard with praise can make you sound like you’re stretching the truth. Talk about the genuine good stuff they’ve achieved and strengths they’ve shown.

7. Letting Grammar Slide

Grammar slip-ups can totally undermine what you’re trying to say. Take a minute to proofread or lean on grammar tools to tidy up your note.

8. Rambling On

Keep it short and sweet. A one-page focused letter says a lot more than rambling on. Make sure your main points shine through without drifting off course.

9. Missing the Intended Reader

Get that letter in front of the right eyes. Mixing up the recipient can make things more awkward than a bad blind date. Double-check who you’re addressing before hitting send.

Common Mistake	Impact
Keeping It Wishy-Washy	Weakens the letter’s punch
Throwing in Random Tidbits	Muddy the important stuff
Cookie-Cutter Approach	Blends into the background
Ditching the Professional Look	Looks messy
Missing the Job’s Key Needs	Does not highlight desired skills
Overhyping It	Sounds phony
Letting Grammar Slide	Tarnishes your letter’s reputation
Rambling On	Loses the reader’s focus
Missing the Intended Reader	Seems like you just don’t care

Keeping these points in mind helps you nail a powerful recommendation letter. For more advice on letter crafting, pop over to our blog for extra tips.