Letter of Recommendation for an Employee (Template + Example)
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When a manager recommends a direct report, the letter carries unusual weight because you are not a peer or a friend, you are the person who set their goals, reviewed their work, and watched how they handled pressure. A future employer reads it as a verdict from someone who had every reason to know. That credibility is exactly why the letter has to be concrete: a manager who writes that an employee cut onboarding time by a third is offering evidence, and evidence is what gets remembered.
Below is a manager-to-future-employer recommendation letter you can copy, a breakdown of what each part does, a short guide on what to include and avoid, and a do-and-do-not list so your endorsement genuinely helps the person you managed.
Recommendation for an Employee template
Written by a manager about a direct report, addressed to a future employer. Replace the names, role, dates, and the quantified example with your own real one.
Dear Ms. Carter,
I am writing to recommend Marcus Lee, who reported to me as a Customer Success Manager at Brightwave Media from January 2023 to April 2026. As his direct manager for those three years, I set his goals, reviewed his accounts, and worked alongside him through two major product launches, so I can speak in detail to both his results and the way he works.
Marcus is the kind of employee who improves the system, not just his own numbers. The clearest example: when our enterprise renewal rate slipped early last year, he rebuilt our onboarding playbook from scratch, ran a pilot with eight accounts, and reduced average time-to-first-value from 42 days to 19. That single change lifted our 12-month renewal rate from 81% to 94% across his book of business, and the playbook he wrote is now the standard the whole team uses.
Beyond that one project, Marcus consistently carried the most complex accounts on the team and kept them happy, mentored two newer CSMs who now run their own portfolios, and was the person colleagues turned to when a renewal was at risk. He communicates clearly with both executives and engineers, and he does it without drama.
I recommend Marcus without reservation and would hire him again in a moment. Please feel free to contact me directly if I can answer any questions about his work.
Sincerely,
Daniel Brooks, Director of Customer Success, Brightwave Media
What each part is doing
- The relationship: One opening line stating who you are, the employee you are recommending, your role over them, and how long you managed them. As their manager, this is what gives the letter its authority.
- The quantified example: A real project the employee owned, told with one concrete number attached to the result. This is the heart of the letter and the part a hiring manager remembers.
- The broader strengths: A short paragraph generalizing from the example to the qualities the employee showed consistently across their time on your team.
- The clear endorsement: A direct closing line that you recommend them, plus an offer to be contacted personally. No hedging from the person who knew their work best.
What to include in an employee recommendation letter
Open by establishing that you were their manager, not just a coworker. State your name, your title, the employee name, the role they held, and the dates you supervised them. A future employer weighs a recommendation by how directly the writer oversaw the person, so make your supervisory relationship obvious in the first sentence, and tie it to the role they are applying for if you can.
Then give one genuine example with a number in it. As their manager you have access to outcomes a peer does not: a quota hit, a metric moved, a process you watched them rebuild. Pick the single project that best shows the quality the new employer needs, attach a real figure to the result, and tell it with enough detail that it could only be that person. Close with an unambiguous statement that you recommend them and an offer to answer questions directly.
What to avoid
Avoid a wall of generic adjectives. Hardworking, dedicated, and team player mean nothing without a result behind them, and a manager who praises without a single concrete outcome reads as someone doing a favor rather than making a judgment. Do not inflate numbers or claim work the employee did not own either; as their manager you are the most credible source, and an overstatement that falls apart under a reference call costs the candidate the credibility you were trying to lend them.
Do not write a recommendation you do not believe, and watch the legal edges: keep it focused on job performance, leave out protected personal details, and stick to things you observed and can support. If you cannot endorse the person honestly, it is kinder and more professional to decline than to send something tepid that signals doubt between the lines. And keep it to one page; a focused half-page with one strong, quantified example beats three pages of filler.
Recommendation for an Employee do's and don'ts
Do
- Lead with that you were their manager and for how long.
- Anchor the letter in one concrete example with a real number.
- Tailor the strengths you highlight to the role they want.
- End with a clear, unhedged recommendation.
- Offer to be contacted directly for follow-up questions.
Don't
- Do not rely on generic adjectives with no results behind them.
- Do not inflate numbers or claim work they did not own.
- Do not include protected or private personal details.
- Do not write one you cannot honestly stand behind.
- Do not let it run past a single page.
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Frequently asked questions
How is a recommendation for an employee different from a reference letter?
A reference letter can come from anyone who worked with the person, and it tends to be a general endorsement the candidate reuses across applications. A manager recommendation is written by the person who supervised them, often for a specific next role, and it carries more weight precisely because it comes from someone who set their goals and judged their results. The structure is the same: state your relationship, give one concrete example, recommend clearly.
Am I required to write a recommendation for a former employee?
No. Writing one is voluntary, and you should only do it for someone whose work you can genuinely endorse. If you do write it, keep it focused on job performance and things you observed, since that is both the most useful content and the safest. If you would rather not, it is fine to decline politely or to offer only to confirm dates and title.
Should I include specific numbers or metrics?
Yes, one strong number is what separates a memorable recommendation from a forgettable one. As the employee’s manager you have access to real outcomes, a quota, a renewal rate, a cycle time, a cost saved, so attach a true figure to the example you choose. Use a number you can defend if someone calls to ask about it, and never round it up into something that did not happen.
Who should I address an employee recommendation letter to?
If you know the hiring manager or recruiter, address them by name, for example Dear Ms. Carter. If the employee will reuse the letter across applications, To Whom It May Concern is acceptable and standard. Either way, sign with your full name and title so the reader can see your authority and reach you if needed.
What if the employee was strong overall but had real weaknesses?
Recommend on the strengths that matter for the role they are pursuing and simply leave out the rest; an honest letter does not have to be an exhaustive performance review. What it must not do is overstate. If the weaknesses are serious enough that you cannot recommend them in good conscience, it is more professional to decline than to paper over your doubts.
