Recommendation Letter Template
Recommend someone with specific, credible praise.
Tips for your Recommendation Letter
- Give a specific example, not just adjectives.
- State your relationship and how long you have known them.
About this Recommendation Letter template
A recommendation letter is a personal endorsement written in your own name — which is not the same thing as an official reference. Many employers have a policy of confirming only job title and dates of employment, because saying more creates liability for them. If your workplace has that policy, check before writing — a warm letter that contradicts your employer’s HR line causes problems for both of you.
What makes the letter credible is evidence, not adjectives. Any letter can say “hard-working”. Only someone who was there can say what the person did when the project went sideways in March. State your relationship and how long you have known them, give one specific example with a result, then close with a clear, unhedged endorsement. Three paragraphs, one page.
The common mistake is faint praise meant kindly — “always punctual”, “never caused problems”. Readers of these letters treat mild compliments as coded criticism, so a lukewarm letter does more damage than none. If you cannot recommend someone with conviction, declining is the honest move. On the other side of this, the reference request email asks for one politely, and a cover letter is where a candidate makes their own case.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between this and an HR reference?
This is your personal opinion of someone. An official reference comes from the employer, and many restrict it to dates and job title as a liability policy — the two are not interchangeable.
Can I write one on company letterhead?
Only if your employer allows it. Letterhead makes it look like the company’s position rather than yours, which is exactly what reference policies exist to control.
What if I cannot honestly recommend them?
Decline. A hedged letter reads as a warning to the person receiving it, which is worse for the candidate than having no letter.
How long should it be?
One page, three paragraphs. One concrete example beats a list of qualities every time.
Should the candidate draft it for me?
It is common and it saves time, but rewrite it in your own voice. Readers spot a self-written letter, and it undercuts the whole point.