How to write an effective employee recommendation letter: Tips & templates
In this article
When you’ve worked alongside someone, writing their recommendation letter shouldn’t feel like untangling a mess of holiday lights. Yet, distilling their impact into meaningful paragraphs can be just as challenging.
The most effective employee recommendation letters don’t use fancy words to say "This person works hard. Hear them out.” They back it up with specific examples: the tough project they turned around, the churned clients they won back, or the systems they made ten times more efficient. These details can be the deciding factor that sets them apart from other candidates.
What is an employee reference letter?
An employee reference letter is a formal, one-page document written by a supervisor or manager to endorse an employee's professional capabilities when they are looking for work.
Unlike employment verification letters, which simply confirm proof of employment, a recommendation letter paints a full picture of the employee’s work ethic, strengths, achievements, and potential contributions to a new organization.
You can make reference letters part of your offboarding process to maintain goodwill with former staff. If the employee added value, represented your company well, or made significant contributions during their tenure, chances are you’d be happy to hire them again. A good recommendation letter strengthens that employer-employee relationship and also leaves a positive impression of your organization on the letter recipient.
What should recommendation letters include?
An employee reference letter should include:
1. Professional salutation and contact
Start your letter by including your contact information (name, job title, address) and the date. Then address the recipient with a salutation (Dear [title or designation]).
2. Your qualification for writing a letter
Establish your relationship with the employee—whether you were their direct supervisor, project manager, department head, or colleague—to show that you’re a reliable reference.
3. Duration of the candidate's employment at the company
Indicating the length of time the employee worked at the organization lets the recipient know how much time you had to assess the employee’s performance.
4. Skills and abilities of the recommended employee
This is the most important part of an employee recommendation letter. Make sure that the recommendation highlights specific examples to help the hiring manager determine whether the applicant has the right skills for the role they’re applying for and is a good fit for the company culture.
4 Types of recommendation letters for employees
1. Professional reference letter
Generally written by a professional contact, this type of employment reference letter provides an evaluation of a person’s work-related qualifications, attributes, and performance.
2. Recommendation letter for promotion
Promotion letters are internal documents written by a supervisor or manager to advocate for an employee seeking a promotion within the company. They emphasize specific contributions that warrant recognition and the readiness for increased responsibility.
3. Character reference letter
Personal acquaintances, like friends or family members, write character references to confirm or endorse a person's values and non-work-related qualities. Character reference letters are typically required for personal, academic, or legal matters rather than employment purposes.
4. Simple letter of recommendation
When a letter is needed only to verify employment (rather than include a detailed evaluation of an employee’s skills and performance), a simple letter of recommendation does the job.
How to write a letter of recommendation in six steps
Step 1: Gather relevant information
First, collect everything you need to make your letter convincing. Review your own records of the candidate's work: past projects, performance reviews, and notable achievements.
If it’s been a while since you worked together, schedule a short call to refresh your memory and ask about recent accomplishments or any specific point they'd like you to address.
Step 2: Understand the recipient’s needs
Read the job description and research the hiring organization to find what they value most, such as:
Problem-solving
Technical skills
Adaptability
Leadership
Cultural fit
Reliability
Then, tailor your letter to emphasize the parts of the candidate's background that align closely with the hiring company's needs. For example, a startup might value versatility and problem-solving, while a larger corporation might prioritize reliability.
Step 3: Draft an engaging opening statement
Where possible, skip lean examples for strong openers that establish your relationship to the candidate, the purpose of your letter, and immediately build interest.
Lean example | Strong example |
|---|---|
I am writing to recommend Ada for the position at your company. | I'm delighted to recommend Ada Okoye for the Senior Project Manager position. In my ten years as a manager, I’ve not met many people with Ada's mix of strategic thinking and execution—a combination that has driven impressive results on every project she handled. |
Step 4: Highlight key skills & achievements
Just like candidates do in interviews, use the STAR method to structure at least one specific example of their achievements.
Step | What to include | Example |
|---|---|---|
S – Situation | Context for the challenge or opportunity | Our largest client was ready to terminate their contract due to project delays. |
T – Task | The candidate's responsibility | Ada was assigned to recover the $500K account and rebuild client trust. |
A – Action | What the candidate (not the team) did | She developed a detailed recovery plan, reallocated resources, and even shared weekly progress updates with the client without me asking. |
R – Result | Measurable, tangible outcomes | The client renewed their contract and expanded services by 20%, adding $100K in revenue. |
Step 5: Conclude with a strong endorsement & contact info
When you use phrases like “I recommend Ada without reservation” or “I give my highest endorsement to Ada for this role”, you leave no doubt about your recommendation.
Also, invite the reader to follow up and provide your contact details. This signals to the letter recipient that you are open to verifying the information you provided.
Step 6: Review and personalize before sending
Before sending your recommendation letter, proofread carefully for personalization and factual accuracy. Double-check dates, titles, and names, and make sure nothing in the letter jeopardizes the candidate's chances.
6 tips and best practices for writing a recommendation letter
Tip 1: Be professional
Use formal business letter formatting and respectful language. Overly casual expressions might confuse external readers. The goal is to sound credible while conveying genuine support for the candidate.
Tip 2: Review the employee's resume and the job description
Find where the candidate’s experience matches the role’s needs and focus on those points in your recommendation letter. Add value instead of repeating their resume, and avoid any contradictions.
Tip 3: Indicate your relationship with the employee
Tell the reader how you know them: “I managed Ada directly for ten years” is far stronger than “I know Ada.” Specifics give weight to your praise and help the recipient judge how much trust to place in your words.
Tip 4: Describe the employee’s suitability for the position
Draw a straight line from their past achievements to the requirements of the new role. For example, if the new job values leadership, highlight a time the employee successfully held a leadership position and what they achieved.
Tip 5: Review other good recommendation letters
Study a few great recommendation letters in your industry, and even the ones you've received from other employers, but keep your voice your own.
Review | Consider |
|---|---|
How they open | Do they jump straight into the candidate’s most impressive achievement or start by framing the relationship and context? |
Fact-to-praise ratio | Compare “Ada delivered a $2M project three weeks ahead of schedule” to “Ada's a strong project manager.” Which one would you trust? |
Variety of examples | Do they show one big achievement or a range of skills? |
Use of metrics | Numbers that quantify revenue growth, cost savings, reduced turnover, and faster delivery times make claims tangible. |
Narrative flow | Do they follow a clear, persuasive arc? |
Tone and authenticity | Are they warm and personal, or more formal and credentials-focused? |
Length and density | Are they short and punchy, or long and detailed? |
Industry language | Notice when the writer uses domain-specific terms to show credibility without the jargon overload. |
Closing strength | How do they wrap up? Is the endorsement actionable? |
We’ve included a few strong recommendation letter templates later in this article so you can see these techniques in action.
Tip 6: Consider the legal risks
To safeguard both the candidate and your own reputation, and to avoid any legal or discrimination risks, stick to facts you can verify. If you have concerns about the candidate, it's better to decline writing the letter than to include negative or false information.
5 pitfalls to avoid when writing employee reference letters
1. Vague, generic language that could apply to anyone
Specificity is the heart of recommendation letters. Instead of writing, "She's reliable," write, "She never missed a project deadline in two years, and we almost never had to revise her work."
2. Exaggerating accomplishments or skills
Overstating a candidate's abilities creates false expectations. Stick to factual achievements and skills. Honest, specific praise is more credible than exaggeration.
3. Including irrelevant personal information
Focus on professional qualifications and work-related traits. Even if you mean well, personal information can introduce bias, distract from relevant skills, and create legal risks.
Here are some dos and don’ts with examples:
Area | Don't | Example | Do | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | Mention age, birth year, or "young/old" descriptors | "Energetic graduate showing remarkable maturity at the very young age of 23." | Focus on experience level and skill | "Recent graduate with advanced project management skills" |
Marital or family status | Mention spouse, children, or plans for family | "Happily married with six children" | Highlight their ability to manage responsibilities | "Experienced in managing multiple priorities in busy environments." |
Political or religious affiliation | Mention unless directly relevant to the role | "An active member of their religious community" | Highlight community or leadership work without religious reference | "Organized volunteer events attracting 200+ attendees." |
Immigration status | Mention citizenship unless legally required | "Not a citizen but has a work visa." | Confirm eligibility without extra details | "Fully authorized to work in the U.S." |
Health or disability details | Disclose medical conditions | "Has AuDHD but is great to work with." | Emphasize strengths | "Strong attention to detail and constantly delivered work on time." |
Appearance | Describe height, weight, hair or looks | "Well-groomed, plump, and attractive." | Focus on professional presentation | "Consistently maintained professional workplace standards." |
4. Writing the same letter for every request
To help the candidate stand out, adapt each recommendation letter to the role and audience. A letter for a technical role should look different from one for a leadership role, even for the same person.
5. Failing to proofread
In the worst cases, a glaring error can turn a strong recommendation into a liability, damaging both your credibility and the candidate's. The hiring manager who spots them may assume you didn’t think the candidate was worth the effort to get your facts right.
Always double-check your recommendation letter carefully. Check all names, dates, timelines, endorsements, and titles, and consider having someone else review before you send it.
5 benefits of using reference letter templates
Using recommendation letter templates can be a handy shortcut. Here’s how.
1. Consistent style and format
It’s easier to keep structure and tone aligned across multiple recommendation letters with a template system.
2. Saves time
Templates allow you to draft your employee reference letter much more quickly than starting from scratch.
3. Checks content
A template guides you through the structure step by step, so no key points are missed.
4. Easy to adapt
Each template is customizable, so you can easily personalize your letter.
5. Enhanced professional appearance
Templates can help you present information in a polished and organized manner.
5 recommendation letter templates
A good recommendation letter is the professional bridge between an employee's past achievements and future opportunities. These five templates are a solid head start, but the magic happens when you customize them with specific achievements.
Download recommendation letter templates for:
Professional letter of recommendation
Letter of recommendation for a promotion
Simple letter of recommendation
Character reference letter
Academic recommendation letter
Employee recommendation letter example
Here's a complete letter that shows all the techniques we've discussed in action. Notice how we use specific numbers and draw clear connections between past achievements and future potential:
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am delighted to recommend Ada Okoye for the Senior Project Manager position. I managed Ada directly for seven years, and in that time, she consistently delivered results that exceeded expectations.
When Ada joined our team, our project delivery rate was only 68% on-time. She immediately conducted a full process audit, identifying bottlenecks in resource allocation and communication workflows. Ada then implemented a new project tracking system and introduced stakeholder alignment sessions at every project phase.
The impact was dramatic. Within 12 months, on-time delivery jumped to 94%, average project cycle time dropped by 22%, and client satisfaction scores rose from 8.1 to 9.4 out of 10. Equally important, Ada achieved these results without increasing headcount or budget, demonstrating her ability to deliver operational excellence under constraints.
Her analytical rigor truly stands out in a role where many rely solely on experience. When a major infrastructure project faced potential delays due to supplier issues, Ada developed a contingency plan that included parallel workstreams, alternative sourcing, and scenario-based forecasting. The project not only met its deadline but also came in 8% under budget, saving the client $300K.
Ada is also an outstanding collaborator. She created cross-functional planning workshops that improved communication between engineering and quality assurance, cutting approval times by 30%. Her leadership in implementing a shared project dashboard empowered I and my company's other executives to make faster, data-driven decisions.
Ada would undoubtedly bring immediate value to your organization. Her ability to anticipate challenges and deliver measurable results makes her an ideal choice for senior-level project management.
I recommend Ada without reservation and am confident she will exceed your expectations. You can reach me at liz@acmecorp.com if you’d like to discuss her qualifications further.
Best regards,
Liz Reddington
Chief Operations Officer
Acme Corp
Easily manage your employees with Rippling
Rippling's workforce management platform streamlines every aspect of the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to performance tracking to offboarding.
This means that when it's time to advocate for a team member's next opportunity, you can automatically generate detailed reports that make writing recommendation letters significantly easier. Rippling provides fast and easy access to performance reviews, making it simpler for managers and supervisors to add pertinent details and measurable impact to their letters of recommendation for employees.
“During my HR career, I’ve experienced the out-of-date, out-of-sync annual review. We didn't replace it with anything better - until now. By removing the worry and arduousness of traditional review cycles, Rippling has helped us turn our performance management process into a strategic asset. We’re able to easily run an equitable, thorough, ongoing performance process for our team members and we’re already seeing the impact on our business.”
Laura Downey
HR Manager at LightForce
Letter of recommendation for employee FAQs
How do you write a good short recommendation letter?
Keep to a tight structure with a first sentence recommending the candidate, followed by a description of who you are, your job title, and your relationship to the candidate. From there, summarize the candidate’s skills, character, and work ethic as they apply to the job they’re seeking. Focus on one specific example rather than trying to cover everything the candidate achieved while they worked with you. Conclude with a clear statement of recommendation and your contact information.
What is the best opening sentence of a letter of recommendation?
A professional reference letter should begin with a variant of "It is my pleasure to recommend [Candidate's Name] for [Position/Opportunity] at [Company/Institution]." Follow this by briefly introducing yourself and your relationship to the candidate before detailing their relevant skills, character, and work ethic.
What does a good letter of recommendation say?
A strong recommendation letter should endorse the candidate, state your relationship, and maintain a professional yet enthusiastic tone. It highlights specific skills with examples, discusses the candidate's potential positive contributions, and closes with a summary of why you highly recommend them.
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
Hubs
Author
The Rippling Team
Global HR, IT, and Finance know-how directly from the Rippling team.
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