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A letter of recommendation or recommendation letter, also known as a letter of reference, reference letter or simply reference, is a document in which the writer assesses the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommended in terms of that individual's ability to perform a particular task or function. Letters of recommendation are typically related to
employment
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...
(such a letter may also be called an employment reference or job reference),
admission to institutions of higher education, or
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholarsh ...
eligibility. They are usually written by someone who worked with or taught the person, such as a
supervisor
A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position that is primarily based on authority over workers or ...
, a
colleague
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. A colleague is a fellow member of the same profession.
Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respect each other's abilities to work toward that purpose. A colleague is ...
or
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
.
References may also be required of companies seeking to win contracts, particularly in the fields of engineering, consultancy, industry and construction, and with regard to
public procurement and
tenders. Reference letters for organizations are used to assess its ability to deliver the required level of service.
Referee
The person providing a reference is called a referee. An employment reference letter is usually written by a former employer or manager, but references can also be requested from co-workers, customers and vendors.
Teachers and professors often supply references for students who have taken their classes. Reference letters for organizations are usually supplied by parties to which the company has provided similar services in the past.
Reference letters for
student
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
s are usually written by a teacher of
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
who taught them.
Content
The employment reference letter can cover topics such as:
* the employee's tasks and responsibilities
* the duration of employment or tasks/ responsibilities
* the position relative to the author of the reference letter
* the employee's abilities, knowledge, creativity, intelligence
* the employee's qualifications (foreign languages, special skills)
* the employee's social attitude
* the employee's power of rapport
* reason(s) of employment termination
* some text with the actual recommendation itself (e.g. 'I unequivocally recommend ...
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unction/ roleand would be happy to hire him/ her again').
Language
In some countries, elements of performance are evaluated using established forms of expression, sometimes
euphemistic
A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes t ...
. For example, in the German-language ''Arbeitszeugnis'', the following terms are frequently used:
* Excellent = ''stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit erledigt'' (always done to our complete satisfaction)
* Good = ''stets zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit'' (always to our full satisfaction)
* Satisfactory = ''zu unserer vollen Zufriedenheit'' (to our full satisfaction)
* Adequate = ''zu unserer Zufriedenheit'' (to our satisfaction)
* Poor = ''hat sich bemüht, den Anforderungen gerecht zu werden'' (has endeavored to meet the demands)
This language established itself as an unwritten code in the employment world. Its purpose was to give even weakly performing employees a letter of recommendation that does not sound negative. However, the euphemistically glazed-over descriptions are now codified and generally known, so that the original cryptic intent is no longer served. Nonetheless, it is still standard to use this codified language.
Recipient of the letter
Depending on context and issuer, letters can be either:
* specifically requested to be written about someone, and therefore addressed to a particular requester (such as a new employer, university admissions officer)
* or may be issued to the person being recommended without specifying an addressee
For example, a German ''Arbeitszeugnis'' is usually issued automatically to a leaving employee, and is therefore not addressed to a particular requester. A letter of recommendation for a university of college in the USA is usually written for and addressed to a specific institution the student wants to apply to.
If the letter is specifically addressed to a particular requester, the letter will often be sent directly to that requester, and not to the applicant. In that case, applicants usually have the right to view a copy of the letter. Some applications, such as professional schools give applicants the choice to waive their right to view their letters. Usually, applicants are encouraged to waive their rights because if they do not, it is a sign they are not confident in their recommenders.
Checking of references
Most potential employers will contact referees to obtain references before offering a job to a new employee. A survey by the
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that eight out of ten resource professionals said they regularly conduct reference checks for professional (89%), executive (85%), administrative (84%) and technical (81%) positions. Candidates are advised to ensure that they provide a suitable list of referees to their new prospective employer or institution, and to contact those referees to ensure that they are able and willing to provide a suitable reference. In some cases employers will contact a candidate's former company for a reference even if no contact is supplied by the candidate.
Duty to provide a reference
Some employers may not be willing to provide reference letters because they may be worried about potential lawsuits. In this case, the employer may only provide the job title, dates of employment and salary history for the employee.
[ Finland, ]Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
are the only countries in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
where employees can legally claim an employment reference, including the right to a correct, unambiguous and benevolent appraisal.
While there is no common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
duty to provide a reference, the Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...
has held that a refusal to do so may constitute "conduct that is unfair
Unfair may refer to:
* Double Taz and Double LeBron James in multiverses ''fair''; unfairness or injustice
* ''Unfair'' (drama), Japanese television series
* '' Unfair: The Movie''
* Unfair (song), a song by South Korean boy group EXO