Writing a Great Reference Letter — 5 Easy to Do Steps

When a colleague or employee comes up to you and asks for a reference letter, what is your response? It should be that’s great. Someone values your opinion of him or her and therefore holds you in high regard. Unfortunately, you are probably thinking of the two problems connected with this job. First, you are not sure what to say in that letter. Second, you are not sure how to say it. Follow these five tips when preparing your recommendation for your colleague or employee.

1)This letter of recommendation is probably for a new position. You need to ask the employee about the new position he/she is applying for. What characteristics are the new company seeking in a good employee? Once you have the characteristics and job duties listed, you can describe situations that this employee or colleague was faced, and how he or she successfully completed the mission. Specifics are always better than the general phrases like “terrific manager” or “enthusiastic worker”.

2)Use phrases in your letter that shows you have an in depth knowledge of this person. A description like “he/she is a keen observer” isn’t good enough. You need to elaborate. Be specific about how they are a key observer. Say something like “John knows how to make customers respond and is there to support their decision with help and guidance every step of the way”.

3)Once you have created your letter, print several copies on company stationery and give them to the recipient. This will help your colleague if they need additional letters for any other position they may be applying for in the future. It also saves you the time and trouble of having to write another letter. If you happen to know the name and address of the person receiving this letter of recommendation, address it to that person. This personalized greeting is much better than the standard “to whom it may concern” address.

4)Have your employee or colleague list their five strengths and/or abilities. This will help you write the letter. You can base your letter around these five strengths assuming of course you have observed these in action. This self examination by your colleague will keep you from racking your brain trying to identify his or her best qualities.

5)This last step may be unorthodox, but it is a huge time saver for you. It requires that the person asking for the letter do almost all of the work. Let’s say you are really stuck on what to write or perhaps you are really pressed for time. What you will do is ask the person to write a letter about themselves in their own words and you will sign it for them. As you can imagine, this is a terrific timesaver for you and avoids the problem of finding the right words to put on paper. Read the letter carefully to make sure you agree with the content.

Keeping these five tips in mind will make your letter of recommendation writing task easier. It also lets the employee or colleague know that you value them.