Employee Reference Letter

An employee reference letter is a formal letter that helps a job applicant to be more marketable. With the appropriate recommendations from references, he or she can be hired by employers. There are a lot of circumstances where an employee reference letter is used to determine whether an applicant will be hired or not. Sometimes, qualified applicants may not have the work ethics and the characteristics that the employer would like its employees to have. This information is not usually seen in the professional profile of candidates. However, it can be written by a reference in an employee reference letter.

Since an employee reference letter contains confidential information about how another person thinks of the job applicant, it is deemed to be an important document during hiring processes. If you are asked to create an employee reference letter, you have to be aware of everything that you will write as it can affect the application of the person who will use it. Be guided by the samples that we have for you so you can write an effective employee reference letter.

Why Is There a Need for an Employee Reference Letter?

An employee reference letter is usually asked by people who would like to apply for a job. The need for having one has been very rampant nowadays due to stiff and strong competition in any industry. Some of the reasons why an employee reference letter is needed to be created include the following:

• An employee reference letter is usually asked by employers. During job hiring processes, applicants are commonly asked to provide at least two employee reference letters. This document is very important as employers need to ensure that they will hire the candidate most fit for the job that they have opened for employment. Sometimes, there can be two applicants who are at par in terms of exam scores, interview results and qualifications. With this, only the recommendation or reference letter can be reviewed to break the tie.
• An employee reference letter showcases the applicant in another perspective or point of view. The performance of an employee during the application processes and the information that can be found on his or her professional profile are great strengths when seeking for employment. However, there should be another angle where the applicant can be viewed by the employers. This helps the employer get more information about the applicant may it be in terms of character, qualifications, skills, and the like.
• An employee reference letter can be used to fully review the qualifications and deliverable of an applicant. As mentioned above, an employee reference letter can be a source of new information. If there is already an impressive list of these items in the profile of the applicant, an employee reference letter may contain actual scenarios where the skills and abilities of the applicant has been fully maximized.

Employee Reference Letter for Visa Template

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Employment Reference Letter Sample

Printable Employee Reference Letter Sample

Content of an Employee Reference Letter

Together with an application letter and a resume, an employee reference letter is one of the initial requirements of companies when accepting applicants for a job opening. An employee reference letter is assessed based on its content formulation and specifications. The information that you may see in an employee reference letter may vary depending on the following instances:

• The professional relationship of the reference to the job applicant
• The duration of time or the longevity that the reference has known the job applicant
• The industry where the employee reference letter will be used
• The way that the job applicant is perceived by the reference

Even if there are differences in terms of the employee reference letter content creation, there are still some basic information that can be helpful to the applicant which you may write in the document. An employee reference letter commonly contains the following information:

• The perception of the reference to the characteristics of the job applicant
• The activities or work processes that the job applicant immersed in which the reference has seen
• The review of the actual deliverable of the applicant
• The unique qualities of the applicant which can set him or her apart from competition
• The reason why the reference agreed to write the employee reference letter
• The commendation, or the lack thereof, of the reference

Fillable Employment Reference Letter Sample

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How to Develop the Content of an Employee Reference Letter

Writing an employee reference letter is not as easy as it seems. For one, you have to be precise with your discussion so that the document that you will come up it will be usable and beneficial to the applicant. However, there are some instances where an employee reference letter may not contain thoughts that are positive. Some references are honest enough to also provide the areas where the applicant can actually improve on.

If you are asked to write an employee reference letter, here is how you can develop the content of your employee reference letter:

• Your introduction should be impressive as it can showcase not only what you think about the applicant. This part of the letter can also provide details that can serve as a reference on whether you are qualified to provide the recommendation or not. The first paragraph of your employee reference letter should contain three major information:
  • Your professional relationship with the job applicant
  • A statement about how you feel or think about the candidate’s application
  • A few information about you, what you do, and the field of expertise that you are currently in
• The body of your discussion should now be based on the things which you think is needed to be known by the prospective employer of the person who asked you to create the employee reference letter. May it be a formal email or a physical document that you will use in creating your employee reference letter, some of the information that you can include in this part of the letter include the following:
  • The strengths and weaknesses of the applicant in the work or academic environment, depending on where you have seen him or her to his or her tasks and duties.
  • The ability of the applicant to communicate well with different types of people within a particular community.
  • The actual implementation of the abilities of the applicant which can be helpful in the operations of the business.
  • The character of the applicant that can help him or she thrive in the industry and succeed with the proper guidance of the company.
  • The other deliverable of the applicant which can be added values to the business.
• Your last paragraph should be able to wrap up the entire discussion. You should ensure that proper recommendation is written so that the business can identify whether you approve the application or not. This part can also provide the strongest impact as it can showcase how you feel about the candidate and whether he or she will be able to live up to the information presented in his or her resume and cover letter.

Sample Neutral Employment Reference Letter

Employee Reference Letter Template

Tips in Making a Better Employee Reference Letter

Before writing an employee reference letter, think of how your recommendation can affect the applicant. If you think that you are not the best person to do the reference letter, then directly tell the person about it. Moreover, you can also specify the fact that you may not include an entirely positive review of the candidate especially if you are aware of his or her weaknesses.

If the candidate insisted for you to write the employee reference letter, then the next thing to do is to be aware of the factors that can help you create a comprehensive and objective employee reference letter. Just like in summary writing, your employee reference letter should be precise and direct to the point. Some of the tips that you may incorporate in the creation of an employee reference letter include the following:

• State something about yourself. Again, it is important for you to stand your ground. Companies will look at your credentials to ensure that the employee reference letter that you have written is not biased. More so, they will also question your qualifications and other information that can state why your recommendation is relevant. If you will provide details about your professional undertakings, especially if it is in the field where the candidate is applying for a job, then it will be easier for the employer to trust your statements.
• Be organized when writing the letter. Do not be overwhelmed by the fact that you are writing a letter that will be reviewed by a number of panelists and members of the management. Always incorporate cohesion with what you are talking about. The smooth flow of discussion can make your employee recommendation letter more understandable.
• Be objective. Even if you are personally close to the person who needs you as a reference, you still need to keep the transaction at a professional level. You have to be aware that your reference letter can actually impact the operations of the business. If you will state items that the candidate could not provide in the long run once he or she has been accepted for the job, then it is most likely that the business operations will suffer.
• Always include information that are real. Provide details that are based on your actual experiences with the candidate. Do not manipulate the content of your employee reference letter just because you would like to help the candidate. The statements that you will provide will still undergo checking and assessment so do not waste your time in writing something that is not true.

Sample Reference Letter Template for Employment

Reference Letter Example for Employment

Is Your Employee Reference Letter Impressive and Usable Enough?

Once you are already done writing an employee reference letter, it is essential for you to review the document first before sending it. This will allow you to decide if there are things that you would like to either add or remove. The changes and developments that you will implement will vary on the result of your final assessment. To help you identify whether your employee reference letter is impressive and usable enough, here are some metrics that you may consider:

• The employee reference letter should fully reflect your idea of the candidate.
• The employee reference letter must be written in a formal and professional manner.
• The employee reference letter should contain statements that are error free in terms of grammar and structure.
• The employee reference letter must be formatted in a business-appropriate layout.

Sample Personal Reference Letter for Employment

Employment Reference Letter Sample in PDF

More than a task, writing an employee reference letter is a responsibility. You have to be professional when doing this letter as it can be used to determine the probability of a person being hired. With the impact that it has both to the applicant and the business, you have to be aware of all the items that we have discussed when writing the employee reference letter that you will forward to a company. Again, this document is not just a simple letter that you commonly write on a daily basis. It will be used as a reference to ensure that a person is more than qualified for the position that he or she is vying for.

Do not hesitate to use samples and templates when creating an employee reference letter. You can easily change the content of samples and templates depending on the actual items that you would like to specify. However, using this tool will allow you to put together all the details of the employee reference letter in an organized and well-formatted manner.