3 Best Recommendation Letters For Employee From Manager
Use these templates to start your next recommendation letter in 2026.
Recommendation letters can have a significant impact on hiring. Having someone in your corner to back up your abilities and skills is invaluable.
In fact, according to Goshen College, references are often the determining factor when it comes to the final phase of the hiring process.
However, writing a compelling recommendation letter can be difficult. What should you say? How should you say it without sounding too biased?
Finding a balance between showing why the candidate is great and illustrating the work they have done is crucial for a quality recommendation letter.
In this article, we'll give you some tips on how to write a great recommendation letter, and even provide some templates to help you get started.
How To Write A Good Recommendation Letter For Your Employees
Writing a good recommendation letter is about finding a balance between your relationship with them, what they did at work, and how it impacted your company.
What you should include in a recommendation letter ultimately depends on:
- who you're writing it for
- the company you work for
- the type of industry you work in
Despite this, there are some general things all recommendation letters should include. Read on to learn about these and some other tips you should keep in mind.
What to Include
To write a good recommendation letter for your employee, make sure you add the following information within your letter:
- The role the employee held.
- The duration of employment (how long they worked for you).
- Key responsibilities within their role.
- Specific attributes or notable skills.
- Your contact information, in case a follow-up is required.
Tips to Keep in Mind
Finally, if you are writing a recommendation letter to an employee from a manager, here a few tips to keep in mind:
Make sure to personalize the recommendation letter. Stories of your work with the employee work well.
Find out about the role your employee is applying for. That information may help you to write relevant points about their suitability for that role.
Keep it concise. One page should usually be sufficient while sharing necessary and relevant information about the employee.
Include any noteworthy successes or key performance indicators (KPIs) the employee achieved.
Be fair and balanced in your recommendation. Mention how the employee may have worked to address any areas identified for improvement.
The salutation “To whom it may concern” is acceptable if no specific recipient name is known.
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To better understand the difference made by a recommendation letter for an employee from a Manager check these two samples from different recommendation letters:
Sample Recommendation Letters
Recommendation Letter Sample 1
“I was impressed with the work Susan did at ACME Inc. She is a fast learner and is very talented. During her 4 years at ACME Inc as a Manager, Susan demonstrated her ability to express ideas and information in both: verbal and written forms.”
Recommendation Letter Sample 2
“Susan’s 4 years at ACME Inc were extremely impressive. We initially hired her to solve production line problems that we were unable to solve for the last 2 years. Susan solved those problems within 6 months of joining the company. She then helped us transform plant layouts leading to 140% efficiencies.”
Which ones do you think are more likely to leave an impact? A recommendation letter from a manager that is personalized is more likely to lead to a higher impact.
3 Recommendation Letter Templates For Employees From Managers
Writing a recommendation letter that accurately & effectively illustrates the strengths of your employee is difficult, but possible if you are considerate on what you include.
The good news is that you don’t have to start from scratch. You can leverage these templates below and personalize them to deliver the impact.
Note that if you change the name or job title in the form fields (placeholders), then it will change them everywhere that each field is mentioned.
Copy templates to use them anywhere:
General Sample Recommendation Letter For Employee From Manager
General Recommendation Letter
{formtext: name=company name}
{formtext: name=company address}
{time: LL}
RE: Letter Of Recommendation For {formtext: name=employeename; default=John}
To whom it may concern,
I am happy to provide this letter of recommendation for {=employeename}.
{=employeename} worked as a {formtext: name=jobtitle; default= Marketing Manager} with {formtext: name=Company Name} and was my direct report. During {formmenu: name=HerHis; default=his} {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34} here, {=employeename} was primarily responsible for {formparagraph: name=INSERT KEY ROLE/RESPONSIBILITIES; default=; cols=40; rows=1}.
{if:
{=employeename} was professional, punctual, and delivered better than expected results as {formmenu: name=a/an; default=a; an} {=jobtitle}.
I am confident that {if:
Jane Doe Director of Customer Success ACME
RE: Letter Of Recommendation For {formtext: name=employeename; default=John}
To whom it may concern,
I am happy to provide this letter of recommendation for {=employeename}.
{=employeename} worked as a {formtext: name=jobtitle; default= Marketing Manager} with {formtext: name=Company Name} and was my direct report. During {formmenu: name=HerHis; default=his} {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34} here, {=employeename} was primarily responsible for {formparagraph: name=INSERT KEY ROLE/RESPONSIBILITIES; default=; cols=40; rows=1}.
{if:
HerHis="her"}She{else}He{endif} demonstrated very strong {formtext: name=your endorsement on employee’s skills; cols=31} as {formmenu: name=a/an; default=a; an} {=jobtitle}. {=employeename} has a strong track record of {formtext: name=achievements} which earned {if:HerHis="her"}her{else}him{endif} great admiration and respect among the team members here. {=employeename} was professional, punctual, and delivered better than expected results as {formmenu: name=a/an; default=a; an} {=jobtitle}.
I am confident that {if:
HerHis="her"}she{else}he{endif} will be an asset to your organization. I am available at janen@acme.com or (555) 123-4567 if you have any further questions.Jane Doe Director of Customer Success ACME
_
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Personal Sample Recommendation Letter For Employee From Manager
Personal Recommendation Letter
{formtext: name=company name}
{formtext: name=company address}
RE: Reference Letter For {formtext: name=employeename; default=John}
{formmenu: name=prefix; Mr.; Ms.; default=Mrs.} {formtext: name=Recipient Name},
I have had the privilege of working with {=employeename} as the {formtext: name=jobtitle; default=Sales Rep} at {formtext: name=Company Name}. {=employeename} reported to me directly and was a top contributing employee in our department.
{=employeename} worked for us from {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34} and grew steadily in {formmenu: name=hisher; his; default=his} role during that time.
{if:hisher="his"}His{else}Her{endif} key responsibilities included {formparagraph: name=add responsibilities here; rows=1}.
In the last {formtext: name=months or years} {=employeename} earned our “Employee Of The Month” award {formtext: name=award} times and was a “Standout Sales Performer” {formtext: name=standout} times.
I can say with absolute certainty that {=employeename} is very capable of Project and team leadership. I was often impressed by {if:hisher="his"}his{else}her{endif} ability to step in and rally the team during challenging periods within our company. {if:hisher="his"}He{else}She{endif} has a friendly and outgoing disposition as well as a professional work ethic. {if:hisher="his"}His{else}Her{endif} skills in sales are among the best I have seen in my 40-year career.
I look forward to seeing {=employeename} continue to excel in {if:hisher="his"}his{else}her{endif} career. I can be reached at {formtext: name=your email} if there is any additional information you require.
Jane Doe Head of Customer Success ACME
RE: Reference Letter For {formtext: name=employeename; default=John}
{formmenu: name=prefix; Mr.; Ms.; default=Mrs.} {formtext: name=Recipient Name},
I have had the privilege of working with {=employeename} as the {formtext: name=jobtitle; default=Sales Rep} at {formtext: name=Company Name}. {=employeename} reported to me directly and was a top contributing employee in our department.
{=employeename} worked for us from {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34} and grew steadily in {formmenu: name=hisher; his; default=his} role during that time.
{if:hisher="his"}His{else}Her{endif} key responsibilities included {formparagraph: name=add responsibilities here; rows=1}.
In the last {formtext: name=months or years} {=employeename} earned our “Employee Of The Month” award {formtext: name=award} times and was a “Standout Sales Performer” {formtext: name=standout} times.
I can say with absolute certainty that {=employeename} is very capable of Project and team leadership. I was often impressed by {if:hisher="his"}his{else}her{endif} ability to step in and rally the team during challenging periods within our company. {if:hisher="his"}He{else}She{endif} has a friendly and outgoing disposition as well as a professional work ethic. {if:hisher="his"}His{else}Her{endif} skills in sales are among the best I have seen in my 40-year career.
I look forward to seeing {=employeename} continue to excel in {if:hisher="his"}his{else}her{endif} career. I can be reached at {formtext: name=your email} if there is any additional information you require.
Jane Doe Head of Customer Success ACME
_
Detailed Sample Recommendation Letter For Employee From Manager
Detailed Recommendation Letter
{formtext: name=company name}
{formtext: name=company address}
{time: LL}
{formmenu: name=prefix; Mr.; Ms.; default=Mrs.} {formtext: name=Recipient Name},
{formtext: name=employeename; default=John} has worked as {formtext: name=jobtitle; default=Project Lead} for the past {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34}.
As {formmenu: name=a; an; default=a; an} {=jobtitle}, {formmenu: name=heshe; he; default=he} brought strong {formtext: name=specific value additions} to our team’s projects. {if:heshe="he"}He{else}She{endif} was {formtext: name=work ethics recommendations; cols=26} and beyond to ensure {formtext: name=specific achievements}.
{=employeename} was also very {formtext: name=career interests that align with employee’s role; cols=37}. As such, {if:heshe="he"}He{else}She{endif} independently enrolled in {formtext: name=Trainings & Certifications; cols=22} to {formtext: name=reach success} in {if:heshe="he"}his{else}her{endif} role. Without a doubt, {if:heshe="he"}his{else}her{endif} initiative here {formtext: name=helped with something} in our team.
While we will certainly miss {=employeename} here, it is my pleasure to recommend {if:heshe="he"}him{else}her{endif}. I am certain that {if:heshe="he"}he{else}she{endif} is {formtext: name=highly qualified in a specific skill; cols=26} and will make a great addition to your organization. Please feel free to contact me if there is any more information you need.
John Smith Head of Customer Success ACME
{formmenu: name=prefix; Mr.; Ms.; default=Mrs.} {formtext: name=Recipient Name},
{formtext: name=employeename; default=John} has worked as {formtext: name=jobtitle; default=Project Lead} for the past {formtext: name=Duration of Employment in months/years; cols=34}.
As {formmenu: name=a; an; default=a; an} {=jobtitle}, {formmenu: name=heshe; he; default=he} brought strong {formtext: name=specific value additions} to our team’s projects. {if:heshe="he"}He{else}She{endif} was {formtext: name=work ethics recommendations; cols=26} and beyond to ensure {formtext: name=specific achievements}.
{=employeename} was also very {formtext: name=career interests that align with employee’s role; cols=37}. As such, {if:heshe="he"}He{else}She{endif} independently enrolled in {formtext: name=Trainings & Certifications; cols=22} to {formtext: name=reach success} in {if:heshe="he"}his{else}her{endif} role. Without a doubt, {if:heshe="he"}his{else}her{endif} initiative here {formtext: name=helped with something} in our team.
While we will certainly miss {=employeename} here, it is my pleasure to recommend {if:heshe="he"}him{else}her{endif}. I am certain that {if:heshe="he"}he{else}she{endif} is {formtext: name=highly qualified in a specific skill; cols=26} and will make a great addition to your organization. Please feel free to contact me if there is any more information you need.
John Smith Head of Customer Success ACME
_
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Conclusion
Recommendation letters are a crucial part of the hiring process for many companies and job-searchers. Writing these letters is important, yet the process can take a while.
Text Blaze helps you write recommendation letters with ease. Keyboard shortcuts help you create templates that you can use for each recommendation letter you write. You can also use form fields and dynamic content to personalize each template so that your recommendation letters are customized for each person you are writing them for.
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