Reference Letter

A former employee has asked you for a reference letter, and you want it to help. Write one only if you can be honest and warm about their work, because a hesitant letter can do more harm than no letter at all: a hiring manager reads what you leave out as closely as what you put in.

What a new employer wants from you is the part a resume can't show: how this person actually worked, told by someone who saw it up close. Examples do that best. Bear in mind that some employers let only HR confirm job titles and dates of employment, so check your company's policy before you start.

What to Include

• How you know the person: your title, their title and the dates you supervised them.
• What their job involved, in two or three plain sentences.
• Two examples of their work, each with a result you saw yourself.
• The qualities those examples show, such as reliability or good judgment, named after the proof.
• A clear recommendation, for example that you would hire them again.
• Your phone number or email, with an offer to answer questions.
• Your signature, typed name, title and the date, on company letterhead if your employer allows it.

Reference Letter Example

Before you write

A little homework makes the letter far more useful to the person you are helping.

• Ask for the job posting, so you can match your examples to what the new employer needs.
• Ask the employee for their exact dates and a short list of projects they would like you to mention.
• Check your company's reference policy, and ask HR if you are unsure.
• Agree on how the letter travels: to the employee, or straight to the employer.

If you can't give a strong reference

Say so early and kindly. "I don't think I'm the best person to write this for you" is honest and leaves the employee time to ask someone else. If you want to help in a smaller way, offer to confirm their job title and dates of employment, which in some cases is all your company allows anyway.

General letters and addressed letters

A letter addressed to a named hiring manager is usually stronger, because you can match it to one job. If the employee needs a general letter for several applications, open with "To Whom It May Concern", leave out any one employer's name and date the letter so readers know how recent it is.

Tips

• Stick to what you saw yourself. Secondhand praise carries little weight.
• Make sure the employee's name and both company names are spelled correctly before you sign.
• Keep it to one page. Two strong examples do more for a candidate than a paragraph of adjectives.
• Leave out personal details such as health, family matters, age or religion, even when they are positive.
• Mention when and why the person left only if it helps them, such as a move or a return to school.
• Once you have sent it, keep a copy, and let the employee know when a new employer contacts you so they can tell how the process is moving.