How to Give a Positive Reference for an Employee

Co-authored by Katherine Kirkinis, Ed.M., MA

Last Updated: February 17, 2023

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, a positive and glowing recommendation from a previous or current employer may be the most valuable tool for a person seeking a job. If you want to provide a positive reference for an employee, you need to give considerable thought to how you'll present this person. By considering what you’ll say or write for the person and presenting them in the most positive and professional way possible, you may help an employee or other person land the job of their dreams.

Things You Should Know

After learning more about your employee's position, write a positive, honest letter using actionable words.
Then, follow up by revising, copy editing, formatting, and finally, proofreading your letter.
For a verbal reference, prepare notes with information your employee wants you to include, schedule a call, and answer the interviewer's questions with honesty, descriptive words, and no personal stories.

Reading Sample Reference Letters

Sample Character Reference for Internship

Sample Character Reference for a Job

Sample Business Recommendation

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Writing

1
Offer to write a positive letter. If someone approaches you about providing them a reference, first consider their request. If you have had a good experience with the person and can positively support their candidacy for a position, then offer to write them a positive letter. However, it’s important that you are honest, as your reputation could be damaged if the person doesn’t act in the manner you described at their new job.
- Don’t offer to write a letter if you cannot write anything truthfully positive. You don’t want to hurt the person’s chances of getting a job.^{[1]
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  Research source} If you feel you cannot write a positive employee reference, you would typically decline and tell the employee that you don’t feel able to write a strong letter.
- Only accept providing a reference if you’ve worked with the person for a longer period of time. It’s hard to get a sense of someone’s capabilities and working style in a few months.^{[2]
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- Make sure that you are the appropriate person to provide the reference. This may require checking your company’s policies on references.
2
Find out the position and details for the job. Ask the person to give you information on the job for which they’re applying and any other relevant data you should know including her resume.^{[3]
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Research source} You should also collect any information pertinent to the person’s job for you such as performance reviews.^{[4]
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- Ask the person for whom you will write a reference letter to tell you about the job for which you will be recommending her, an updated resume, and other information such as how she thinks she contributed to your company or projects and how she could benefit her new workplace.^{[5]
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- Consider reading through your correspondence with the person to get an assessment of their professionalism and how they work. You can also use performance reviews for this purpose.^{[6]
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3
Draft a preliminary letter. Before you provide the person a positive reference for your former employee or colleague, use the information you gathered to draft a preliminary letter. This will help you ensure that your reference is positive and comprehensive.
- A reference letter should be between one and two pages in length. If you write anything longer, the potential employer may not read the entire text and could miss vital information about the candidate.^{[7]
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- A brief introduction should state the person’s name, the job for which they’re applying, and if you recommend them for the position.^{[8]
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  Research source} For example, you could write “It is with pleasure that I recommend Christopher Smith for the position of brand manager. Christopher has made a significant contribution to my work/ this company, and I think he could be a great asset to your team.”
- The body of the letter can be 1-3 paragraphs and should discuss how long you’ve known the person, in what capacity you’ve worked together, discuss and highlight their skills, and address how the person could benefit the potential employer.^{[9]
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  Research source} You want to provide actionable evidence of why the person is the best candidate for the job.
- You can also discuss the person’s character in the main body of the letter, though you should be careful to not include personal information, which may not only prejudice a potential employer, but could also be illegal.
- You should close with a brief summary paragraph noting that you highly recommend the person, and offering to make yourself available should the potential employer have questions. For example, “Based on my experiences with Christopher Smith, I would recommend him for the position of brand manager with Brand Management, Inc. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or by telephone.”
4
Use positive and actionable words. When you’re drafting and later revising your reference letter, you want to make sure to use both positive and actionable language when describing the candidate. This can help the potential employer get a better sense of the candidate and may also present a more positive image of her.^{[10]
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- Use verbs such as collaborate, cooperate, and promote.
- Use nouns such as team-player, asset, and responsibility.
- Use adjectives such as reliable, intelligent, good-natured, diligent.
- You can put these words together in phrases such as “Christopher and I collaborated on a marketing project and he was a significant asset in our gaining several new clients. He is a responsible and friendly team-player who will make a positive impact on your company.”
5
Be honest and don’t exaggerate. You want to sell the candidate as best as possible while being honest about their qualifications. There is a fine line between honesty and exaggeration and you want to avoid this so that potential employers don’t find your letter disingenuous.^{[11]
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- You don’t necessarily need to say the person is the best or the greatest unless they actually are. Instead, consider writing something like “Christopher is one of the most responsible and collegial co-workers with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work.” When assessing someone’s technical skills and abilities, you can write something along the lines of “Christopher is among the top 5% of brand managers with whom I have worked.”
6
Revise and copy edit your letter. Once you’ve drafted a preliminary letter, revise the text to strengthen it and iron out any areas that need additional development. This will also allow you to copy edit the letter for any spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors.
- Make sure you’re revised draft has the appropriate components of an introduction, body, and closing that are honest, incorporate positive vocabulary and present the best picture of the candidate possible.^{[12]
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- Consider reading the letter aloud to hear possible mistakes and help ensure that it sounds professional.^{[13]
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- Make sure that the information you provide in the letter is tailored to the new job.^{[14]
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7
Format your letter. Before you can send out a reference letter, you need to format it properly. This can help ensure that the potential employer takes your reference letter seriously.^{[15]
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- Make sure the letter is on company letterhead.^{[16]
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- On the first line of text, write in the date of the reference letter.
- Immediately underneath the date, put the address of the potential employer. Address it either to the candidate’s possible supervisor or the human resources department.
- Include your contact address underneath the potential employer’s information.
- After your greeting, make sure to sign your name in black ink and have your name printed underneath it. You can include your title, email, and phone number if you like.
8
Proofread one final time. Before you send the reference letter, read over the text one final time. This can help ensure that you haven’t made any mistakes or omitted important information.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Giving a Verbal Reference

1
Check your company's policy regarding verbal references. Some companies only allow employees to release basic information such as employment tenure. Some may only allow for written references. Confirming your company’s reference policy can help ensure that you provide the best possible verbal reference.
2
Agree to provide a verbal reference. If an employee or colleague asks you to give her a reference, make sure you can positively accept the request. If you have had a good experience with the person and can support her application, then offer to provide a reference with the potential employer.
- Don’t offer to serve as a reference if you cannot say something positive about the person. You don’t want to subvert her chances of getting the job.^{[17]
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- Only agree to speak to a potential employer if you’ve worked with the person for a while. It may be difficult to answer questions about a person or her skills in a few months.^{[18]
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- Make sure that you are the appropriate person to provide the reference, which may require checking with your boss or the company’s policies on references.
3
Ask the person information to use for your reference. You’ll need some basic information from the person about the job for which they’re applying and any other relevant data that you should know.^{[19]
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- Request information about the candidate’s potential job and an updated resume. You may even want an assessment of how she thinks she contributed to your company or projects and how she could benefit her new workplace.^{[20]
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- You should also collect any information pertinent to the person’s job for you such as performance reviews.^{[21]
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- Consider reading through your correspondence with the person to get an assessment of their professionalism and how they work. You can also use performance reviews for this purpose.^{[22]
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4
Schedule a phone conversation. Most verbal references are provided by phone and you’ll want to schedule a time to speak with the candidate’s potential employer. Setting aside a specific time to discuss the candidate can help ensure that you are able to give a comprehensive, professional, and positive reference.
- Either have the candidate give your contact information to the potential employer or ask the candidate for the appropriate data at the new company.
- Make sure you schedule the appointment for a time when you are relaxed and not pressed to make a meeting.
5
Compose notes for the phone reference. Once you’ve had a chance to schedule a meeting and gather some pertinent information, sketch some notes about the candidate. This can help ensure that you don’t forget important information about the candidate’s skills or behavior during the conversation.
- Since you will not know what questions the potential employer may ask, make sure to write notes on various aspects of the candidate including how you know them and for how long, in what capacity you worked together, and an assessment of their skills.
- Be prepared to answer questions about the candidate’s strengths on both a professional and personal level and give specifics with regard to how and when you’ve witnessed these strengths on display.
- One thing that a particularly great reference can provide is speaking about a trait or skill the candidate possesses that is truly exceptional.
6
Answer questions thoroughly and honestly. A verbal reference will often require you to answer questions a potential employer has about the candidate. Having notes and answer the questions as detailed and honestly as possible may help the candidate land the job.
- Make sure that you don’t exaggerate the person’s qualifications. You don’t necessarily have to say “he’s the greatest ever”, but can objectively say “He’s one of the best colleagues/ employees I’ve ever had.”
- Remember that hesitating on an answer may make it seem like you’re being dishonest.
7
Incorporate positive and descriptive words and phrases. When you’re answering the potential employer’s questions, make sure to incorporate words that make the candidate attractive. This can give the candidate the edge over other people for the job.^{[23]
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- You can use a variety of verbs, nouns and adjectives to describe the person. The more descriptive you can be, the more helpful it is to the potential employer.
- For example, you can says things such as “Christopher is a very creative problem-solver,” or “she communicates her ideas clearly.”
- Make sure to use language that also incorporates skills the person will need in their new position.
8
Avoid personal subjects. Only talk about things relevant to the person's job performance, such as his superior leadership skills or ability to resolve disputes among colleagues. Don't talk about his personal life because it may make him—and you-- seem less professional in the eyes of prospective employers.
- Don’t discuss anything personal including religion, marital status, age or health.
- Providing personal information could jeopardize the candidate’s chances of getting hired. It may also be illegal depending on the type of information you divulge.
9
Finish the reference conversation. Conclude the phone reference once you’ve answered the potential employer’s questions. You may ask questions if you think it is necessary or will shed further light on the person. Make sure to thank the potential employer and offer to provide further information if necessary.

Community Q&A

Question

What should I do if I have nothing positive to say?

Community Answer

If you have nothing positive to say about an employee, then I would recommend just saying that you don't feel comfortable giving a reference.
Question

As a patient I was asked if I would give a reference to my Dr. because the staff wants to work him out. What should I do?

Amy Gremillion

Community Answer

Try not to get involved in office politics. If you truly had a negative experience, if you feel comfortable then you should write a review of his work. If you haven't had an experience that warrants a referral or review, then don't write one. If you're conflicted, you likely shouldn't do it.
Question

What 3 areas do we need to work on with the candidate to make him even more successful?

Amy Gremillion

Community Answer

Only you would be able to determine that based on the needs for the position that employee is holding. areas for improvement can be punctuality, work ethic, team involvement, meeting deadlines, attendance, etc.