If your colleague or former employee is looking for a new job, writing them a solid reference letter can really help them out. You can vouch for their skills, experience, and character, and you can explain the value they’d bring to their new role. 

One study found that applications that included reference letters increased callbacks by 61%, and helped employers to select candidates with the highest ability. This means that your reference letter might not only be useful to your colleague, but to their potential new employer, too.

Looking for tips on how to get started? We’ve got some guidelines for you below—plus three handy sample templates.

What should an employee reference letter say?

The reference letter you write should detail who you are, and what your professional relationship is with the person you’re writing the letter for. Are you a previous employer, for example, or a manager or colleague? What kind of experience have you had with the kind of work they do and how they do it?

The content of the rest of the letter depends on whether you’re writing a reference letter or a recommendation letter. Some people use the terms interchangeably, while others believe that recommendation letters are for a particular position, while reference letters are more general. 

In both instances, you’ll want to highlight the person’s experience, professional qualities, and positive characteristics. But if you’re recommending someone for a particular position, make sure you tailor your letter accordingly. Highlight the skills, experience, and traits that are relevant for the role and which are most likely to help their application succeed.

In fact, before you start writing the letter, talk to your former employee directly and ask them about any milestones or achievements they’d like you to mention.

How to write a reference letter for an employee

When you’re writing a reference letter for an employee, there are some general guidelines you’ll need to follow regarding the formatting and the letter’s content. In addition to the points below, don’t forget how important it is to make the letter personal. It shouldn’t sound like it’s been mass produced.

Here are some specifics to keep in mind:

• Format your letter properly. Reference letters follow a similar format. Start by including your contact details, personal information (name, job title, address), and the date. You’ll then want to address the recipient with a salutation (like “Dear {title or designation}”) and proceed to write the body of the reference letter. Finally, conclude the letter and sign off with your name. (BTW: The sample templates we’ve shared in the next section are all formatted, so you can check them out to see what your letter should look like.)
• Mention your relationship with the person you’re recommending. This includes details of your professional relationship—colleague/line manager/employer—how long you’ve worked with them for, and whether you know them in a personal capacity.
• Include your contact information. We covered this in the formatting section, but it deserves a second mention because including your contact details is really important in case the recipient wants to follow up. Consider including your email and/or your work number. And don’t shy away from adding a short note to your letter, encouraging the recipient to contact you if they need to.
• Make your colleague/former employee’s case. Since the goal of a reference letter is to help someone land a new job, you’ll need to explain why they’d be a great fit. You’ll want to highlight their skills and experience, and showcase how their abilities will help them perform well in the role.

Sample reference letter for employees: 3 templates

Ready to write your reference letter for an employee? Here are three templates to give you some inspiration. Feel free to use these—but be sure to tailor your letter to the role in question, and try adding a personal touch wherever you can.

1. Former employee reference letter for employee

This reference letter template is great for providing general information on your former employee.

2. Recommendation letter for an employee

Need to recommend an employee for a specific role? Here’s a template to give you some inspiration.

3. Reference letter for your colleague

Are you writing a reference letter for someone you worked with, but who didn’t report to you? When you write a reference letter for a colleague, you can help them land a new job by sharing their positive traits and vouching for their skills and abilities. 

Don’t forget to personalize your reference letter 

Reference letters follow similar formats with good reason—the structure helps you organize your points and provide a complete overview of the qualities, skills, and experience of your former employee or colleague. Think of their unique traits and achievements that will really help them stand out, and include any important company milestones that they helped achieve. If it helps, don’t forget to ask for their input.

But don’t forget that employers receive dozens or even hundreds of applications for a single role (according to Glassdoor, each corporate job receives a whopping 250 resumes on average), so to help your colleague standout, it’s important to customize your reference letter. The good news? Magical makes it easy to plug in personal details like names and job titles into templates that you can use anywhere. Download the free app to try it for yourself.