How to write a reference for a colleague, with samples

The short answer. Say how you know them, give one or two specific examples of their work and say plainly whether you would work with them again. Keep it honest and short. Four sentences with a real example are worth more than a page of praise. If you cannot recommend them honestly, it is kinder to say no than to write something lukewarm.

Before you say yes

Ask yourself three things.

Did I see their work myself? A reference is only useful if it comes from someone who was there.
Can I be positive and honest at once? If not, decline. A sample for that is further down.
Am I allowed to? Some companies ask that only HR confirms employment details. A personal reference in your own name is a different thing, but check your company’s policy if you are unsure.

Then ask them three things: the role they are going for, what they would like you to speak about and the date they need it by.

A structure that works

How you know them. Your role, their role, how long you worked together and how closely.
What they do well, with one example. What the situation was, what they did and what came of it.
How they are to work with. Do they listen, do they keep their word, do people go to them for help.
Something honest. An area where they have grown or could grow. It is what makes the rest believable.
Your verdict. Would you work with them again? Say so in plain words.

Write the way you speak. A recruiter can tell a real voice from a template.

What to leave out

Anything you did not see yourself.
Superlatives with nothing behind them. “The best analyst I have ever met” says less than one true example.
Personal details: age, health, family, religion, caste or marital status.
Confidential information: client names, figures and plans that are not public.
Salary.
Why they left, unless they have asked you to mention it.

Samples

A short written reference for a peer

I worked with Kavya for three years on the retail analytics team at our company. We were both senior analysts and shared two large accounts.

Kavya is the person I trusted with messy data. When a client’s sales numbers did not match across two systems, she traced the gap to a change in how returns were recorded and fixed the report before the client noticed. She also explained it to the account team in a way they could repeat.

She is direct and easy to disagree with. Early on she took on too much herself. Over the last year she got much better at asking for help in time.

I would gladly work with her again. You can reach me at this address or on my phone.

Arjun Pillai, Lead Analyst

A LinkedIn recommendation

I reported to Imran for two years. He is the manager who taught me to write the problem down before proposing a fix. When our release slipped, he took the call with the client himself and then helped us replan without blame. I learned more in that month than in the year before it. I would join his team again.

For someone who reported to you

Sneha was on my team for 18 months as an associate product manager. She ran our onboarding redesign from research to launch. What stood out was her preparation: she had spoken to 20 customers before her first proposal. She is still learning to push back on senior stakeholders and she knows it. I would hire her again without a second thought.

When a recruiter calls

Calls in India often come without warning. These are the usual questions.

How do you know the candidate and for how long?
What were their main responsibilities?
What are their strengths?
Where could they improve?
Would you work with them again?

Answer what you know. “I did not work with her on that, so I cannot say” is a perfectly good answer. If the moment is wrong, ask to speak in an hour.

Say no early and without detail. They can then ask someone else.

Hi Rahul, thank you for thinking of me. I do not think I am the right person to be your reference, as I did not see enough of your work on that project to speak about it well. I hope you find the right role soon.

Where GoodWord fits and where it does not

If the request came through GoodWord, you do not write a letter at all. You answer a short questionnaire once, in about 5 minutes: where the person excels, where they could grow and whether you would want them on your team again. They can read what you wrote and cannot edit it. Recruiters see you by role unless you choose to be named. Our page for referees explains each step.

It does not replace a formal letter on letterhead. Some universities, visa offices and government bodies ask for exactly that. For those, use our guide to the reference letter format.