You have been asked to write a letter of recommendation for someone you know, maybe someone who is an employee, or a colleague, or an acquaintance. Whatever the case, you are now confronted with putting together something cogent and compelling about the person on paper.

Now, you could write the letter yourself, which would require talking with the person for background information, such as the recipient of the letter, what information it should contain, and even perhaps some facts and figures about the person’s work.

But you may want to consider a much quicker and easier route to composing the letter. You simply ask the person requesting the letter to write it himself or herself. Obviously, this will save you a great deal of time. But there are other good reasons to have the person write the letter as well.

First, the person knows his or her own work better than anyone else and can write about it in much more detail. The person could put together a much more compelling letter than you probably could with your more limited information. Second, the person will know best how to tailor the letter for the companies he or she is applying to. Third, the person will be able to devote the time and effort to write something that will be effective and complete.

Another option is asking the person to put together a rough draft for you, which you can then change or add to as you see fit.

If, however, having the person write it is not an option, here are a few things you need to include if you write the letter yourself:

1.       The job title of the person

2.       How long the person worked for you.

3.       The person’s most significant accomplishments

4.       The skills, experience, and character traits that make the person a good worker.

5.       Why you are writing the letter

6.       Information on how you can be reached if the hiring manager has any additional questions.

Looking to hire great people with great recommendations?

If you are looking to recruit in New York City or beyond, you need to see the people at Winston Resources. Winston has the experience and expertise to find and recruit top-tier talent. Give Winston a call today.