Employee Reference Letter-How To Write One (With Sample)

You may think that reference letters are obsolete and old-fashioned, but they are more important now than ever. Reference letters are still one of the most important tools that employers have in their arsenals. At some point in your career, someone will definitely ask you to write an employee reference letter for them. So, here is all you need to know about them along with an Employee reference letter sample.

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Unnati Khushlani

Writing great reference letters can be dreadful, especially when your schedule is packed. So, use this sample employee reference letter whenever a colleague, former team member, subordinate, or student asks for a personal recommendation.

What Is An Employee Reference Letter?

An employee reference letter, aka a recommendation letter, is basically a document of positive endorsement of an employee’s professional and interpersonal skills and attributes. Reference letters are usually written by an employee’s superior, co-workers, or someone who is familiar with his/her capabilities.

Why Are Reference Letters Important?

The pandemic has disrupted the entire supply and demand balance of industries. As a result, many people lost their jobs. Because of the pandemic, the unemployment rate of young workers ages 16-24 jumped from 8.4% to 24.4% from spring 2019 to spring 2020. So, an employee reference letter has become extremely important.

When a company extends a job offer, the stakes are high. This is because there is no sure way to determine if the individual will be a good fit, despite all the interviews and screenings. That’s why asking for reference letters is a good way to minimize the risk.

During the entire hiring process, employees always present themselves in good light. So, reference letters provide a perspective about the potential employee above and beyond interviews and the hiring process.

Employee reference letter explains to the reader why they should select the candidate based on their ethics, skills, and competencies. They give a glimpse about the candidate’s future by talking about their past achievements.

Having emphasized how important recommendation letters are, let’s take a look at how to write one.

How To Write A Reference Letter

There are several types of reference letters. These include academic reference letters, and character reference letters too. However, the basic writing rules apply to all of them. So, let’s take a look at what should be included in a standard employee reference letter.

Relationship With The Candidate – It is important to authenticate how you know the candidate right at the beginning of your letter to establish yourself as a reliable reference. Mention if you have been a colleague, manager, or teacher to the candidate.

How long you’ve known the candidate – The next important thing that you need to mention is how long you’ve been associated with the candidates. This includes the length of time the candidate has been a part of your staff, or how long you’ve been working with him.

The purpose for writing the letter – Reference letters are usually written to recommend the employee for a job in an organization. However, it is very important to mention the purpose in detail while writing a reference letter.

Why should the employer select the candidate – You should mention specific reasons why should the candidate be selected for this role. This includes positive traits and qualities of them, examples of how they overcame obstacles, and anything that presents the candidate in a good light.

Closing Statement and contact information – It is always a good practice to end your reference letters on a positive note with a closing statement. Also, include your professional contact information along with your designation and the date when the letter was written.

Employee Reference Letter Template

Here is a template that you can use for your next employee reference letter:

[Date]

Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms. name of recipient]/[To Whom It May Concern:]

[Statement explaining the purpose of the letter: Gives context to why you are writing the letter]

[Paragraph 1: A brief about the candidate’s background, how you know them, and how long you’ve known them.]

[Paragraph 2: Includes description of relevant skills developed and relevant examples of how the candidate has demonstrated them.]

[Paragraph 3: Includes specific examples of achievement or overcoming obstacles]

[Closing Statement: Summarizes the letter’s intent]

Sincerely,

[Your name and signature]

[Designation In Organization]

Here’s our Reference Letter Sample:

15 December 2021,

To Whom It May Concern,

I’m writing to you today to recommend Andrew Dillon for the position of Quality Assurance Analyst at your organization, Kearny Family Company.

As an employee, Andrew was always reliable and resourceful. During his time in my team, he managed to conduct high-impact market research. He also made a number of key recommendations that resulted in an improved product (and subsequently increased sales).

Some of Andrew’s duties included conducting regular software audits, developing and performing quality test processes, and making regular recommendations to improve software quality. Over the years, Andrew developed and perfected the skills needed for the role.

When Andrew was my employee, he took it upon himself to train all the new joiners and stay updated on all the testing techniques. Mr.Dillon has an extraordinary ability to prioritize and determine the requirements and goals.

Andrew is a delight to work with. He is a team player with a positive, can-do attitude all the way.

Sincerely,

Allison Diaz
(555)-555-4455
[email protected]

Conclusion

Referring and endorsing someone for their skills, for a job that they totally deserve is a noble deed. However, we do understand that it can be very tedious as well. That’s why we’ve dug deep into researching the best practices of writing an employee reference letter and documented this for you. So, we sincerely hope this guide will help you in writing the perfect reference letters.

Having said that, we hope you get to write the best reference letters. Also, we hope you get some great reference letters yourself for your hiring needs as well. But, just in case you aren’t, here at Recooty we’re always here to take care of all your hiring concerns. Happy hiring :).