How to Write a Stand-Out LinkedIn Recommendation (with examples)

I am sure we all have a great deal of people we are hearing from lately who have been laid off from their jobs.? I hear from at least 2 or 3 a day and see more and more “open to work” posts on LinkedIn then I care to.? I feel for all of them, and I’m sure you do too. Many of us are wondering “what can I do?”.??

If you’ve never been in a situation where you’ve been separated from an employer (in most of these cases through no fault of your own), it can be like getting your heart ripped out through your throat – many people’s identities are tied up in what they are professionally rather than who they are personally and this could be a huge blow to their self esteem and confidence not to mention the potential financial implications.

Here is a simple (yet effective) way to help those who are out there looking for work: write them a LinkedIn recommendation.? It’s an easy way to show your support and give them that boost of confidence they need and some say it can even help them rank higher when recruiters are doing searches for candidates.

Yes, I said simple but anyone who has gotten a request for a LinkedIn recommendation recently knows that it can be challenging? – blank page syndrome sets in, we start to worry it’s not going to sound right or we won’t say the right things, it’s not long enough etc. and before we know it the request sits there. Or we are well-meaning, we proactively reach out to our friends and colleagues and offer to write one and they don’t know what to say either.

So what do you do???

Well...you could ask ChatGPT or any of the AI writing tools but I have tried that and they seem very sterile to me and easy to spot but if that helps, by all means use one, just make sure you give it the personal touch before posting it.

If you don't like what the machine comes up with, here is the formula that I use and some examples that can help you get started.?

Simple 5 step formula for a LinkedIn recommendation:

1. Start with how long you’ve known/worked with the person
2. Explain the context of the relationship
3. Emphasize a couple of professional skills the person is good at (or results for projects they’ve worked on)
4. Describe who they are on a personal level
5. Conclude with a call to action

Example for a work colleague you managed

"I’ve worked with Sally for over 5 years. I first met Sally when she was hired onto the marketing team as a coordinator, since then she has been promoted several times.? Sally has some of the top marketing skills needed to help organizations stand out in an increasingly noisy environment.? She led the team’s branding, marketing and communications successfully. (Give specific examples if you have them – increased by X amount, etc.)

What I really enjoy about Sally is her ability to bring people together, she is a true professional and team player and I would highly recommend her for any role."

Example for a work colleague from another team

“I have enjoyed working with Sam for the last year. Our teams worked closely together to help build out the company’s project management process.? I found him to be hard-working, bright, and a skilled communicator.? I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor in the face of what can sometimes be a stressful situation when faced with tight deadlines.? But what makes him stand out is his willingness to help others. I am glad to have worked with him and have no hesitation recommending him to potential employers.”

Example for a manager

"Jane was my manager for over 3 years. I very much enjoyed working with her on many projects throughout her tenure. She led the team to consistently exceed quote month over month. She sets realistic goals and gives clear instructions and feedback. She instills pride, confidence, and positive energy in everyone on her team. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again. If you have the chance to work with Jane, take it!"

Example for a client

“My company was brought in by Tina 3 years ago to help them implement a new marketing software platform.? I found her to be highly cooperative and responsive.? She set the strategy, handled the project timeline and was extremely valuable to both us as a vendor and her organization in getting to a successful outcome.? I found her to be amenable, adaptable and witnessed her interaction with her team and was impressed with those as well.? I look forward to working with her again in the future and highly recommend her for any role.”

Example for a vendor

“A year ago, my company was looking for a software company to help us build out our platform.? I was introduced to Craig when he was working at XYZ software and I’m so glad I was!? He helped us plan, implement and execute our MVP. He was patient and worked with our team to design the best platform for our needs.? I found him to be very personable, have excellent communication skills and a customer centric attitude.?He will be an asset to any project.”

Some more creative recommendations – start with a stand-out opening

“Karen is an outstanding developer” – I’ve worked with her for X years, etc.

“Steven is a brilliant manager, mentor and I am lucky enough to call him friend”

“200% of quota? That is what you’ll get if you are lucky enough to have Sarah lead your team.”

Another easy way to get started on a recommendation? Ask them to write a draft first.? Send them a link to this article and ask them to write a draft for you. That way they can give you an idea of what they want the thrust of the recommendation to be and they can work in some job/industry-focused keywords that can help them catch the eye of any recruiters that might be searching LinkedIn for good candidates.

Example:

"Charlie, thank you for reaching out to get a recommendation on LinkedIn. I definitely want to do it for you but I’ve found the easiest way for me to get these done in a timely manner is for you to write a draft first and I can edit it and post it -- here are some examples for you to follow. (link to this article)"

"Hey, Karen, I saw your “open to work” on LinkedIn. I’m sorry you’re going through what must be a very difficult time. I want to support you in any way I can so I would be very pleased to write a LinkedIn recommendation on your behalf. Just respond to this with a draft to make it easier for me to edit and post quickly, here are some examples (link to this article)."

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and if you have any additional tips, leave them in the comments below.