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Recommendation letter samples for your former employees

A recommendation letter helps your former employee stand a higher chance of getting a new job.

Template by Thao Nguyen Le
6 minutes to finish · English · PDF
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A recommendation letter offers a hiring manager the opportunity to validate what they have learned about your former employee during the hiring process. A well-written recommendation is a positive, personalized account of your experience with the employee including their relevant skills and explanations of when they displayed such skills. Download now (for free) our 10+ recommendation samples to help your former employee successfully land the new job.

Overview

A recommendation letter offers a hiring manager the opportunity to validate what they have learned about your former employee during the hiring process. Through it, they get an insight into the employee’s past experience and performance. More importantly, It allows the hiring manager to know your perception of the employee.

A well-written recommendation is a positive, personalized account of your experiences with the employee. It should provide a prospective employer’s hiring team with all they need to know without having to call the company’s HR department. A recommendation letter should also tout the relevant skills of the person in question and give examples of when they displayed such skills.

With these sample templates, you get to compose an outstanding recommendation letter for former employees. In addition to these templates, you also get access to samples for short recommendation messages that would be very suitable for LinkedIn endorsement.

Recommendation samples to give your former employee

5 formal recommendation letter samples 

Formal recommendation samples are long-form correspondence describing the skills, attitude, and professional history of an employee. It is usually sent via email or letter

General formal recommendation letter sample

Dear {hiring manager’s name},

I am writing to recommend {employee’s name} for the position of {role applied for}. We worked together at {your company’s name}where s/he was {employee’s job title} and I was {description of your working relationship: e.g. manager, supervisor, etc.}

As an employee, {employee’s name} was always {standout quality one}. During his/her time with us, s/he managed to {example related to quality one}

Our company laid great emphasis on {quality two} among employees and {employee’s name} never failed to deliver. An example was when {example related to quality two}.

{Employee’s name} is an absolute delight to work with, therefore I choose to recommend {him/her}for this position.

Should you have any further questions, feel free to reach me at {phone number}.

Thanks,

{Name}

{Position}

{Your company’s name}

Sales formal recommendation letter sample

Dear {hiring manager’s name},

It is my absolute pleasure to recommend {employee’s name} for the Sales position with {company’s name}.

{Employee’s name} and I worked together at {your company’s name}, where I was his/her sales manager from{length of time}.

I enjoyed my time working with {employee’s name} and came to know him/her as a valuable asset to our team. S/he is dependable and hard-working. In addition, s/he is a problem solver who is always willing to address complex issues with confidence.

{Employee’s name} knowledge of sales etiquette and expertise in customer service was a huge advantage to our team. S/he put this skill set to work by helping the company increase its customer base by over {metric: e.g percentage} in just {period of time} Along with his/her undeniable talent, {employee’s name} is a true team player, and bring the best out of other employees. S/he significantly contributed to our success.

Without a doubt, I recommend {employee’s name} to join your team at {company’s name}. I know that s/he will be a beneficial addition to your organization.

Please feel free to contact me at {phone number} should you like to discuss {employee’s name} qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.

Best wishes,

{Name}

{Position}

{Your company’s name}

HR formal recommendation letter sample

Dear {hiring manager’s name},

I would like to offer my recommendation for {employee’s name} as the next HR {personnel/executive/admin} for your company. As the {your position}, {employee’s name} worked under/with me as {position held} between {length of time}. 

While with us, {employee’s name} displayed a broad range of knowledge on government compliance regulations, employee benefits, and employee management. S/he is a caring professional who tries to find solutions that benefit the employees. {Employee’s name} is also a capable and reliable company representative who understands what is required of an HR {personnel/executive/admin}. By leveraging his/her skill in the use of technology like HRIS in his/her work, {employee’s name} helped us {achievement: e.g. streamline the recruitment process, fasten the onboarding process, etc.}

I am confident that his/her skills and experience will interest several employers and therefore recommend you hire him/her as your next HR {position applied for}.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on {phone number} or via email.

Sincerely,

{Name}

{Position}

{Your company’s name}

Software Engineer formal recommendation letter sample

Dear {hiring manager’s name},

The opportunity to support {employee’s name} by writing this recommendation excites me.

{Employee’s name} worked for/with me as a software engineer at {your company’s name} from {length of time}. Like all engineers, his/her responsibilities included writing codes based on specifications, designing complex software applications, and executing tasks in the software development life cycle.

During the course of his/her employment, {employee’s name} proved to be a dependable employee and a hard worker with solid problem-solving, teamwork, and technical skills. S/he not only met deadlines but also explains his/her programs in a way that even a novice can easily understand. This skill is especially important when s/he presents programs to non-tech savvy clients.

{Employee's name} regularly enrolls for classes to stay abreast of the newest development in the industry, which gives him/her the advantage to adopt new techniques and perform complex tasks efficiently. Overall, {employee’s name} would be an asset to any organization and we are sad to see him leave. I strongly recommend him/her for the position of Software Engineer in your company. And with the right guidance, I am sure s/he would excel in your organization.

Please do not hesitate to contact me on {phone number} or via email if you have any further questions to ask about {employee’s name}.

Sincerely,

{Name}

{Position}

{Your company’s name}

Marketing executive formal recommendation letter sample

Dear {hiring manager’s name},

{Employee’s name} reported to me at {your company’s name} from {length of time}. S/he was a marketing executive who played a key role in our marketing activities. 

As a marketing executive, {employee’s name} contributed to our marketing duties by producing educational content and developing the product message.

S/he also helped with marketing materials to attract customers and set up our social media accounts. In his/her capacity, {employee’s name} was in charge of coordinating with other employees to meet customer needs, a job she did amazingly well at. S/he also supported in running digital campaigns to acquire new leads and customers.  

{Employee’s name} was eager to learn new areas of marketing and did an excellent job of expanding our marketing efforts. During his/her time with the team, {achievements: e.g Facebook reaches increased by thousands, product sales increased by thousands, etc.}

I, therefore, recommend {employee’s name} for any position that will draw upon her skills and her proven record of contribution to marketing. 

Call me if you need additional information. I'd be happy to tell you more about {employee’s name} achievements at {your company’s name}.

Best wishes,

{Name}

{Position}

{Your company’s name}

Download for free all the recommendation samples 👉

In this template, you will get:

  • 5 formal recommendation email samples for different positions such as Sales, Marketing, Software Engineer, etc.
  • 6 short-form recommendation samples to give endorsements on LinkedIn or other online employment platforms.

How to use this template

  • ✂️
    The template is fair use for your own purposes. Feel free to copy or refer to the structure and guidelines inside.
  • 🛎
    Keep in mind that this template is not a legal document and may not take into account all relevant local or national laws.
  • 🖨
    Export as PDF or print it out for easier handling and communication with your team.

Who this template is for

  • Managers who want to create a positive offboarding experience.
  • Team leaders looking for an avenue to express their gratitude to departed employees.
  • Departing employees who need a carefully composed recommendation letter that’ll help them stand out.

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