Getting recommendations on LinkedIn can be a great way to build your professional brand and credibility. However, responding thoughtfully to recommendation requests requires some strategy. Here are some tips on how to respond to LinkedIn recommendation requests professionally and effectively.
Should You Accept All Recommendation Requests?
You may feel obligated to accept every LinkedIn recommendation request you receive. However, this can diminish the value of your recommendations if you accept indiscriminately. Be selective about whose recommendations you accept. Make sure they are from people who can speak in detail about your skills, work, and professionalism. It’s better to have fewer high-quality recommendations than a large number of generic ones.
How to Politely Decline
If you receive a request from someone you don’t know well or had limited interactions with, consider politely declining by sending them a private message:
“Hi [name], I appreciate you taking the time to send a recommendation request. Unfortunately I don’t feel I could accept at this time, since we didn’t have the opportunity to work together closely. Thanks for thinking of me though – I hope you understand!”
This maintains goodwill while allowing you to decline.
Prompt Recommenders for Details
When you accept a request, prompt the recommender to include specific anecdotes and detail about projects you worked on together, your responsibilities, skills and impact. This results in a richer, more credible recommendation.
For example: “Hi [name], thanks for agreeing to recommend me on LinkedIn. To make it really stand out, it would be great if you could speak to [specific project], my role in [initiative], and the skills like [communication, leadership etc] you observed. I appreciate you taking the time to do this!”
How to Write Recommendations for Others
Just as you appreciate detailed, thoughtful recommendations, so do your contacts. Here are some tips for writing stand-out recommendations for others:
Accept Only if You Can Recommend Positively
Only agree to write a recommendation if you can sincerely endorse the person’s skills, work, and professionalism. It’s better to politely decline than write a lukewarm recommendation.
Take Time to Craft a Detailed Narrative
Avoid very brief or generic recommendations. Instead, take time to tell a compelling story with real examples of the person’s accomplishments, strengths, and skills you directly observed. Share details of projects you worked on together and be specific about their responsibilities and contributions.
Mention Specific, Relevant Skills
Rather than write “John is a great engineer”, give vivid examples: “As the lead engineer on Project X, John designed an algorithm that increased performance by 40%. His programming skills allowed us to launch the product 3 months ahead of schedule.”
Edit Recommendations Thoroughly
Carefully proofread recommendations before submitting them. Check for typos, grammar issues, and unclear or repetitive language. Treat recommendations with the same care as an important work email or legal document.
Ask Permission Before Re-Using Content
Avoid copying and pasting recommendations verbatim for multiple people. While you can re-use some sentences or themes, craft each one to showcase that individual’s unique skills and accomplishments. If you want to re-use significant content, ask the original recipient for permission first.
Best Practices for Accepting Recommendations
Once you’ve received recommendations, you can help them have maximum impact by following some best practices:
Thank the Recommender
Send a sincere thank-you message to each person who wrote you a recommendation. Share your appreciation and how this will help your career. Nurturing these relationships can lead to more opportunities.
Display Your Best Recommendations
Curate which recommendations are publicly visible. Showcase recommendations from people with impressive titles and name recognition. Rotate them over time to build an impressive portfolio.
Comment Thoughtfully
Add comments to recommendations when appropriate to provide more context. For example, you could share a high-level update on your role or accomplishments since the recommendation was written. This shows it’s still relevant.
Share Recommendations Strategically
Promote your recommendations by sharing them on other social platforms, your website, or job applications. However, avoid overdoing it, or it may look like bragging.
| Scenario | Recommended Strategy |
|---|---|
| You worked at Company A from 2015-2020. Your former manager wrote you a recommendation during that time describing your accomplishments. | Keep this visible and add a comment noting you have since been promoted to a more senior role at Company B. |
| You just completed a major project with several team members. They all wrote you in-depth recommendations highlighting specific contributions. | Share one or two of these recommendations via LinkedIn posts thanking those colleagues. |
Responding to Bad Recommendations
On rare occasions, you may receive an inaccurate or ineffective recommendation you don’t want associated with your profile. Here are some options if this arises:
Speak to the Recommender
Politely message the person who wrote it to explain your concerns and ask if they’d be willing to revise or remove the recommendation. Most people will be understanding if approached respectfully.
Remove the Recommendation
If the original recommender is unwilling to revise or delete their recommendation, you can simply remove it from your profile. However, avoid doing this unless absolutely necessary, as it could offend them.
Bury Negative Recommendations
Rather than removing a weak (but not awful) recommendation, you can bury it by getting many more recommendations. This will push the unhelpful one far down your profile where it’s less visible.
Counteract with a Positive One
Another option is to counterbalance a negative recommendation by promptly getting a new, glowing recommendation from a different colleague to displace it.
Automating Recommendations
Some apps like Recommendation Generator promise to automate the process of requesting and writing LinkedIn recommendations. However, genuine human recommendations have far more credibility. Avoid anything that feels fake or mass-produced.
The Risks
– Generic, vague praise that doesn’t feel authentic
– Identical recommendations sent to multiple people
– Potentially insincere recommendations traded between users
The Benefits
– Convenience of automated prompts and reminders
– Ability to request recommendations from a broader range of connections
– Useful templates and writing suggestions
Best Practice
Use automation judiciously as a starting point, then customize every recommendation to speak to the individual’s strengths and your direct experience working with them.
In Summary
– Be selective when accepting recommendation requests
– Prompt recommenders to include specific details and anecdotes
– Take time to write thoughtful, personalized recommendations for others
– Strategically display your best recommendations
– Handle negative recommendations delicately
– Avoid fully automating the process, as genuine recommendations have more impact
Thoughtful recommendations require effort, but are invaluable for building your professional reputation on LinkedIn. By following these tips, you can make the most of recommendations.