3 Letter of Recommendation Templates for People Managers
Writing a good letter of recommendation is one of those tasks that sounds simple—until you sit down to do it. You know the person well, and you want to support their next step, but suddenly, the right words feel unreachable. How do you capture their best qualities in a way that sounds professional yet personal? What structure should you follow? And most importantly, how do you pen a professional letter quickly without sacrificing impact?
For people managers, these challenges are all too familiar. Whether you’re recommending an employee for a new job, an academic program, or an internal promotion, putting together a meaningful and compelling letter takes time—something many managers don’t have in excess. But a template for a letter of recommendation solves that. It sets up a framework so you can focus on personalizing the details rather than worrying about structure and phrasing from scratch. Also, using AI to write a letter will be considered too low-effort and could backfire. So it's better to use a template instead.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing effective recommendation letters and offer ready-to-use templates that make the process faster and easier.
Benefits of Using a Letter of Recommendation Template
A good template expedites the process so that you can keep calm that your letter is clear, professional, and impactful—without requiring hours of effort. Here’s why using a template is a smart move for busy people managers:
It Saves Time
Let’s be honest—managers rarely have extra time to spare. Between overseeing teams, handling meetings, and managing projects, finding a free moment to write a recommendation letter for a former teammate or employee can feel exhausting (and AI is so tempting to use). Templates help so much because they take away the hardest part: figuring out how to start. Instead of staring at a blank screen, you get a structured format that lets you plug in key details and saves time while still giving you a high-quality letter.
It Helps You Stay Clear and Professional
To write a good letter of recommendation, you don't necessarily need to scurry to the thesaurus for superlatives. Words matter, yes, but you should also think of how you lay it out. The letter must be clear and structured. A template certifies that your letter follows a logical flow, includes all the necessary details, and shows the right level of professionalism. It prevents rambling, vague statements (hello, AI), or missing key points that could weaken the recommendation or even backfire.
It Helps Highlight Employee Strengths
It’s easy to say someone is “hardworking” or “a great team player,” but generic praise won’t make an impact. A strong recommendation letter needs to show specific strengths with real examples. Good templates guide you on how to structure these details and remind you to include key accomplishments, relevant skills, and personality traits that make the candidate stand out. This makes sure that your letter doesn't just say someone is great. It actually shows it.
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Best Practices for Writing a Recommendation Letter
A great recommendation letter should make a strong, credible case for why someone deserves an opportunity. To make sure your letter is both persuasive and professional, follow these best practices.
Using a Template instead of AI
We'll get into the “Why” later, but the bottom line is that it's more effective to use a template instead of asking an AI to write a letter for you.
Structuring the Letter
A well-organized letter makes your message clear and easy to follow. Start with an opening paragraph where you introduce yourself, explain your relationship to the candidate, and state the purpose of the letter. The body should highlight the candidate’s skills, strengths, and accomplishments, ideally with at least one specific example. Also, the closing paragraph should reinforce your recommendation and provide your contact details in case the recipient has any follow-up questions.
Using Specific Examples of Achievements
Saying someone is “a great employee” or “highly motivated” isn’t enough. The best recommendation letters include concrete examples that prove these qualities. As in, that they actually affirm that someone is a very valuable asset. Instead of simply stating that an employee is a strong leader, explain how they successfully led a high-priority project that changed ops for the better, managed a difficult client relationship, or mentored junior employees. The more specific the example, the more compelling the recommendation.
For instance, instead of writing "Sarah is a great leader,” try “Sarah took the lead on a high-priority project that cut delivery time by 25%. She guided her team through tight deadlines because she focused on collaboration.”
Adjusting the Letter to its Purpose
A one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. The letter should be customized based on its purpose. For job applications, the focus should be on professional skills, work ethic, and contributions to the company. If the letter is for an academic pursuit, it should highlight intellectual curiosity, discipline, and the ability to succeed in a learning environment. When recommending someone for an award or recognition, the emphasis should be on their exceptional achievements.
Common Scenarios Requiring Letters of Recommendation
There are many situations where a strong letter can make a difference beyond job applications. Let’s take a look at them:
Job Applications
When a former employee applies for a new role, whether within the company or elsewhere, a recommendation letter will probably beat out everyone else's application materials (this is especially true if the hiring manager knows the writer). Employers appreciate hearing from someone who has worked closely with the candidate and can speak to their skills, work ethic, and contributions. A well-written letter will ultimately convey this message: They were great in the past, and they will be a great fit for the role.
Academic Pursuits
For those pursuing higher education, scholarships, or professional certifications, a letter of recommendation can highlight their dedication to learning, problem-solving abilities, and ability to excel in an academic setting. Universities and training programs often look beyond grades and want to see evidence of a candidate’s integrity and potential for academic performance.
Awards and Recognitions
Many professional awards and honors require a letter of recommendation as part of the nomination process. A strong endorsement can highlight an individual’s standout achievements, leadership skills, and their impact.
3 Ready-to-Use Letter of Recommendation Templates
Below, you’ll find three ready-to-use templates designed for different scenarios. Simply personalize the details to match the candidate’s qualifications and achievements.
General Job Application Letter
A strong job application recommendation should highlight the candidate’s professional performance, work ethic, and contributions to the workplace. It should come with specific examples of their results and explain why they would be a helping hand to a new organization.
Academic Recommendation Letter
When writing a recommendation for an academic opportunity, it’s advisable to point out the candidate’s intellectual curiosity, commitment to learning, and ability to excel in a demanding academic environment.
Promotion or Internal Opportunity Letter
A recommendation for an internal promotion should tout an employee’s talent in leadership, their contributions to the company, and their appetite to take on more responsibility.
Tips for Customizing Templates
While templates are enormously helpful in securing structure and professionalism, you'll still need to tinker with them to make your own reference letter truly stand out. Here are a few tips to customize your letter:
Adding Personal Touches
One of the best ways to make a recommendation letter feel genuine is to include personal anecdotes or specific details about the candidate. Get into particular moments that highlight the person’s work ethic, contributions, and character. Maybe they solved a tough problem, took the initiative on a key project, or showed remarkable perseverance in difficult situations.
For example, instead of just writing, “Anna is a hard worker,” try something like, “I watched as Anna stayed late to submit a request for proposal that required extra attention to detail. And despite setbacks, she never lost sight of the deadline. In the end, we were awarded the contract thanks, in great part, to her effort.” Specific stories like this are much more compelling and authentic.
Avoiding Generic Language
Don't use generic filler sentences. Instead of saying something vague like “They are a great team player,” be specific about how they collaborate. Did they bring people together to solve a problem? Did they mediate a conflict within the team?
Similarly, phrases like “They’re highly competent” or “They are a fast learner” can be swapped with examples of when these qualities were demonstrated. For instance, instead of saying, “They are very competent with technology,” you might write, “I’ve seen Tom take the lead in integrating new software systems into our team, where he quickly became the go-to person for troubleshooting and training his colleagues.”
Why Avoiding AI-Written Letters is Such a Good Idea
Recommendation letters should reflect your genuine endorsement, and nothing beats the power of a letter written with thoughtfulness. It’s worth it to put in the time and effort to write something meaningful, as opposed to copy-pasting an AI-generated letter, which often comes off as overly formulaic or impersonal. Also, an AI letter may even raise a red flag for the recipient, who could wonder about the authenticity of the recommendation. “Why is the manager not spending 15 minutes writing something and instead copying and pasting AI nonsense in two minutes? Is this because they don't respect their former employee?” So, avoid shortcuts and invest in making the letter unique to the candidate.
Matching what the Recipient Expects
When customizing your letter, always keep in mind the specific purpose or the recipient’s expectations. If you’re writing a letter for a job application, make sure that the letter emphasizes skills and qualities relevant to the job title. Is the recipient looking for someone with leadership experience? Highlight the candidate’s ability to manage projects or lead teams. For academic opportunities, focus on the candidate's intellectual curiosity and ability to succeed in a challenging environment. Yes, it sounds so obvious. Yet, it is so easy to lose sight of this detail: You must write a letter that fits the situation.
If the letter is for a scholarship, for example, you’ll want to emphasize traits like determination, community involvement, and academic excellence. Different contexts call for different kinds of information, so take the time to read through any guidelines or job descriptions provided and adapt your letter.
Write a Letter of Recommendation in Minutes with a Template
The best way to write an impactful letter of recommendation is by using a template instead of asking an AI to generate it for you. With the right approach and a little guidance, you can make sure your letter is both heartfelt and professional.
If the employee recently worked for you, maybe you'll want to add data points to your recommendation letter. TalentHR’s employee performance tool can help you gather your employee’s data in a centralized platform and allow you to find all the information you need for that letter of recommendation you're about to draft
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