As an employer, you may be asked to write a letter of recommendation for someone who has worked for you in the past. A reference letter from an employer is a very precious thing for a relationship as well as the career of the going to be an ex-employee. Providing a reference letter from a previous employer can be beneficial when looking for a job, and if you think you can provide positive approval, it is a good idea to accept the request.
An employer reference letter is a letter that an employer writes to give information about a former employee’s behavior, skills, traits, and accomplishments while working for your organization. It is a letter of recommendation supporting a candidate’s abilities from prior employers.
How should a letter of reference for a worker be written? Mention their position title, past compensation, and time spent working for you. If you’ve decided to be detailed, continue by providing information on the employee’s job, performance, accomplishments, talents, and professional behavior. Make it obvious that you suggest the individual for the position.
Reference letter from employer
However, if you do not believe you can honestly recommend the person for the job, it is best to write the letter politely. Any recommendation is better than a negative reference, and there will be others who may be able to provide a strong recommendation for the position.
You may also be asked to draft a reference letter to use as a starting point for your reference author’s own letter.
Review information about the importance of references, an employment reference letter written by employers for job seekers, and reference letter samples.
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Value of recommendation letter from past employers
When a person is applying for a new job, one of the most valuable references to use is from her previous employer. Recruiters will analyze what kind of employee the candidate will be and how they fit into the corporate culture at the firm.
A recommendation letter from a previous employer will provide valuable information – what kind of employees they are, how well they have interacted with others, what skills they have, and whether they are capable of their position. This is an endorsement, providing a positive recommendation for the person applying with the company.
In addition to helping to hire a good employee, keep in mind that written references to people also help strengthen your network relationships.
At some point in the future, you may want to plead for a former employee or colleague, and if you are a supporter of their career, they will have more positive opinions to share with others.
How to write a reference letter?
First, when someone asks you for a reference letter, think about whether you can actually offer them a good one. If you are unsure you can recommend them without thinking twice, it is best to send a referral letter (or negative comments to ruin the other person’s chances) instead of lying.
If you are sure you can write a positive professional reference letter, follow this process:
Refresh your memory about the person. For example, ask HR what their exact title was when they worked with your team and how long they stayed. Read your own records to see if they have useful notes about them.
Enter two or three qualities that identify this person. If you can think of specific examples that prove these qualities, put them in your reference letter as well.
Think about the specific experience you have with that person. Especially in instances where they showed a positive attitude or knowledge. If possible, include an example in your letter.
Recommendation Format Use our reference letter template to shape your own letter.
In any case, you should spend half an hour or so writing a good recommendation letter, but if you have something good to say, this person is worth it.
In your letter, you would like to include:
- Date of employment
- Held the position
- Company name
- Job Responsibilities
- Qualification
- Strength and power
- Contact Information
The skills, qualities, and personality traits that apply to individuals need to be tailored appropriately. You can also mention that they received recognition or rewards while working for you.
You can mention any similarities between their former location and what they are currently searching for, and provide examples of success where possible. If your former employee has provided you with a contact, you must address their letter; Alternatively, you can use a generic greeting. Be sure to include your contact information, and your title and company.
When you are sending an email reference letter, list the person’s name in the subject line of the message. Your signature includes your contact information, so it’s easy to contact you for any questions or splashdowns.
10 Reference Letter Samples from Employer
Sample 1: Reference letter from employer: A position in teaching
Ms. Jane Austin
Principal
Alpine High School
1 Swiss Road
Townton, Anywhere USA
Dear Ms. Austin,
To propose Stacy Nichols for the post of English teacher at Alpine High School gives me tremendous joy. Stacy has been teaching at Mountain High School for the past five years, and as the school’s administrator, I have been very pleased with her abilities as an educator, dedication to her pupils, and inventiveness in the classroom. I am certain that she will approach her new position at your institution with the same zeal, rigor, and devotion.
Stacy provides a unique talent for curriculum creation along with her excitement, upbeat attitude, and attention to kids’ needs. Her team revamped the 11th and 12th-grade curriculum last year, adding new titles that more effectively served our objective of tolerance and diversity. She also assisted in updating our senior thesis project to include multimedia and make it more timely.
Stacy is a trailblazer when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom because she is a Google-certified educator. She has also invested the time to instruct other educators on how to use technology as a powerful tool for learning. She offered three training sessions for the English department this year, for instance, on how to use the Google suite of products in the classroom.
Last but not least, Stacy stands out for her capacity to empathize with pupils and be considerate of their needs. I received direct messages from a number of parents at the conclusion of the previous school year regarding the great effects Stacy and her class had on their children. The surprise party her students threw her on the last day of the semester was proof of this beneficial effect!
Even while the team and I would like to have Stacy here indefinitely, we will have to say goodbye when she relocates across the nation the next month. Although we’ll regret having her on the team, we’re very certain that she’ll be a fantastic addition to Alpine High School’s English department.
If you need any further information, don’t hesitate to contact me at [] or by phone at 999-999-9999.
Sincerely yours,
Rachel Smith
Principal
Mountain High School
Sample 2: Reference letter from employer
This is an example of a letter of recommendation from a previous employer. Download the Letter of Recommendation template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.
Subject: Jane Applicant Reference
To whom it may be:
I highly recommend Jane Doe as a candidate for the job. Jane was appointed as an Advanced Assistant from 20XX to 20XX. Jane was responsible for supporting the office, including word processing, recruitment schedules and brochures, newsletters, and other office literature.
Jane has excellent communication skills. In addition, he is highly organized, reliable, and computer educated. Jane can work spontaneously and is able to follow through with the job, making sure to complete it. He is flexible and willing to work on any of his scheduled projects. Jane was also quick to volunteer to assist in other areas of the company’s operations.
Jane will be a tremendous asset to your company and I have the highest recommendation. If you have any further questions about his background or qualifications, do not hesitate to call me.
Sincerely,
John Lee
The manager
Acme Retail
123 Business Rd.
Business City, NY 54321
555-555-5555
[email protected]
Sample 3: Reference letter from employer: Remote web designer job
Melanie Davos
Director of Engineering
Coding XX
9 Computer Way
Austin, TX
Dear Ms. Davos,
I’m thrilled to strongly suggest Julie Brown for the position of web designer at Coding XX. For the past three years, Julie has performed freelance work for our firm, Outdoor Gear Inc. I have come to know her as a highly talented and enthusiastic web designer with a penchant for visual design via her work with us, as well as through our Slack talks and video meetings.
Julie updated our website to our standards while also offering excellent suggestions about how to make it more aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly for our visitors. Our time on page and conversion metrics have increased by five times after her overhaul compared to those of our previous website.
Additionally, Julie made sure that her refined designs are consistent throughout all of our branding channels, such as social media, email newsletters, and our outreach to other websites. There is nothing too enormous for Julie to take on, and her efforts have been extremely helpful.
I’m happy for Julie to be a part of your team since she is particularly passionate about your company’s objective to educate girls and young women to code. She will be an excellent employee who will move your organization ahead thanks to her expertise and experience as a web designer and her dedication to your worthwhile cause.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected] or 999-999-9999.
Sincerely,
Steven Programmer
Engineering Manager
Outdoor Gear Inc.
Sample 4: Reference letter from employer:
Dear [Employer Name]:
This reference letter [or with written consent] is provided upon request [name of the former employee]. It is my understanding that [personal name] has applied for a [job title] position with your company. The information contained in this letter is confidential and should be treated as such. It should not be disclosed to anyone in your organization not involved in the decision to hire this person. Moreover, it should not be disclosed to anyone outside your organization without the written consent of [the organization’s name].
[Person’s name] has been appointed [or participated in [internship, cooperative education, or work-study program] to [us] and [date] has the following terms: [list position and salary at each position]. [His] most recent position was [his / her] responsibility [explain the person’s main responsibility at this position]. [Based on performance evaluations or other work records, your performance will support your assessment of the state]. [The person’s name] communicated well with colleagues, was reliable, and showed good judgment. [Give examples.]
If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Sample 5: Reference letter from employer: Customer service job
Kathy Rosenstein
Director of Customer Support
Glossy Glasses Co.
1 Clients Way
Anywhere, USA
Dear Ms. Rosenstein,
Jill Harrison is highly recommended by me for the role of customer service representative at Glossy Glasses Co. For the past two years, Jill has served as a customer service representative for our business. As her direct manager, I have been awed by her warmth, personability, and dedication to our clients.
Jill is a genuine people person who enjoys interacting with clients and addressing their issues. She genuinely reflects our company’s aim to put customers first and do everything in our power to resolve problems.
Positive feedback regarding Jill’s customer service has poured in from clients who have dealt with her, with the majority of them nominating her for our top incentive reward of an Amazon gift card (satisfied customers can also choose a free coffee or lunch).
Jill has been enthusiastic about enhancing our team procedures in addition to giving our clients fantastic support and aiding in creating lasting ties with our clientele. She offered to write documentation outlining our policies and addressing frequently asked issues, which are very helpful to our current team members and will be very helpful for onboarding new employees.
Jill stands out for her compassion, dedication, and effort, and I have no doubt that when she joins your customer service team, she will exceed all expectations.
Thank you for your time, and feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or 999-999-9999.
Very best,
Elizabeth Ward
Director of Customer Service
Moda Moda
Sample 6: Reference letter from employer: Sales Manager
Subject: Maxwell Jones Reference
Dear Mr. Green,
I am delighted to hear that Maxwell Jones has applied for a Sales Manager position with XYZ Enterprise. Mac worked for me from 20XX to 20XX as a sales associate with CNE Inc. He is a creative and dedicated salesman who consistently exceeded his quota, and it had a very high customer rating.
Maxwell is a purposeful employee and an excellent leader. Although he was an assistant to my department, he took the initiative to mentor new recruits and set a positive example for the team. I can enthusiastically recommend him for a management position.
If you have any questions or would like any other information please contact me.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Holt
Marketing Director
CNE Inc.
123 Business Rd.
Business City, NY 54321
555-555-5555
[email protected]
Sample 7: Reference letter from employer: Remote sales job
Victor Snow
We Sell Stuff Co.
5 Seller’s Lane
Townplace, USA
Dear Mr. Snow,
I have the honor and pleasure of recommending Brian Danson for the position of account manager at We Sell Stuff Co. For the last five years, Brian and I worked together at Sellers Gotta Sell, Inc., where I was his manager.
Brian demonstrated during his tenure on our sales team that he was a dedicated, driven, aspirational, personable, and trustworthy worker. He beat his quarterly targets by an absolutely remarkable 22% thanks to his honesty, reliability, confidence, and exceptional communication skills, which helped him become the best seller two years in a row.
Clients have been raving about Brian and their experiences working with him. In addition to being a fantastic guy, Brian has earned the utmost admiration from our staff since he has taken the initiative to plan events for the workplace.
No doubt, Brian will continue to have a great influence on his coworkers no matter where they are situated, even if his next sales position will be distant. He’s a skilled salesman and a pleasure to be around in general. We’ll miss having him on the team, but I’m confident he’ll do a fantastic job for We Sell Stuff Co.
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to call or email me at 999-999-9999 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Kim Commercio
Director of Sales
Sellers Gotta Sell, Inc.
5 London Lane
Los Angeles, CA
Sample 8: Reference letter from employer # 4
Dear [insert name]
I’m writing to recommend [employee_name]. [He / Company] worked with us at [company_name] as [our employee_job_title] [insert my job title] [as my position/work with me / work with me].
As an employee, [employee_name] was always [insert value]. My team managed [[he] [insert example] during [his / her] time.
I always put a [insert quality] premium on my team members and fail to provide [employee_name]. One example was [insert example].
[Employee_name] is a pleasure to work with and I would not hesitate to hire [her/him] again.
Should you have any further questions about [his / her], please contact me at [phone number].
Thanks
[Your name and signature]
Sample 9: Reference letter from employer:
Dear Mr. [ ],
I am writing to recommend Leia Thompson. He has worked with Acme Inc. as a Senior Product Manager and informed me of my position as VP of Engineering.
As an employee, Leia was always reliable and enthusiastic. During my time on the team, he conducted high-impact user research and made several important proposals that resulted in an improved product (and subsequently sales growth).
I always place a premium on initiative and interest in learning between my team members and Leia fails to reach both fronts. One example was when he suggested that we create regular in-depth interviews where more senior employees could answer questions about their work to other employees. He took advantage of this interview proposal and applied it to his own work.
Working with Leia is a delight – a team player with a positive, all the way. I will not hesitate to rent him again when the opportunity arises.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact me at +10000000.
Thanks
Sarah Long
Engineering VP, Acme Inc.
Sample 10: Reference letter from employer: Remote content writer job
Roberta Moor
Director of Marketing
Facegramchat
55 Market St.
Anywhere, USA
Dear Ms. Moor,
David Sanchez is highly recommended by me for the position of a content writer with Facegramchat. David was hired by me as the director of marketing for Instabooksnap when he had just graduated from college with a degree in English and communications.
David has developed significantly over the years and has emerged as one of our team’s most valued and productive writers. We’ll all be sorry to see him depart, but I understand that he wants to work remotely, something our organization is unable to do for him at this time.
David has a knack for words and is a gifted writer, researcher, and editor. He has a natural talent for including keywords throughout his writing and a keen understanding of how to create SEO-optimized content that performs well in organic search.
With more than 5,000 unique visitors each day, his piece on XYZ routinely drives the most traffic to our website. David is adept at presenting fresh ideas, covering news, and speaking with sources to provide original comments to his works in addition to SEO-optimized content.
He’s been a huge asset to our team internally as well, creating process documentation to make our staff more efficient and facilitating training during our weekly meetings. David recently delivered a training session on competition analysis best practices for new authors in addition to producing a training manual on the subject. Our onboarding manual for new team members will benefit greatly from the addition of these training materials.
David is excellent at working alone and adhering to deadlines, and he also takes initiative to support the team and collaborate with his coworkers. David will succeed in a remote position with a distributed team since he is so responsible and communicative.
As you can see from David’s portfolio, his writing is of the highest caliber. David is a remarkable, dependable, consistent, and creative employee who encourages his coworkers to take initiative and is a genuine pleasure to work with, as I can confirm as his boss for four years.
If you need any further information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at 999-999-9999 or [email protected].
Best regards,
Bob McIntire
Director of Marketing
Instabooksnap
How to use this reference character format?
Be noticed, if you can. If the employee can apply for your job or program, tailor your letter to reflect specific requirements. For example, if you know you need leadership skills for this job, give relevant examples.
Get it out. Use one or two sentences in the context of each of your examples. To be flexible Use the template as a guide, but write in your own voice and say what you think is important.
Be honest Your previous employee or co-worker may be asked about the example you provided. This does not embellish to make them look good as it may eventually come.
Use this sample reference letter if a colleague, former team member, student, or acquaintance requests personal advice. Be sure to change this reference letter template with specific examples from your experience with this person.
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