Writing an effective recommendation letter for a recruiter requires thoughtfulness and care. As someone familiar with the recruiter’s work and abilities, your letter can provide valuable insight into their skills and experience for a potential employer. Here are some quick tips on writing a compelling recruiter recommendation:
– Focus on the recruiter’s strengths that would translate well to the new position. Provide specific examples of times the recruiter demonstrated these qualities.
– Speak to the recruiter’s ability to source and engage with candidates. Provide metrics and details around their recruiting track record.
– Highlight soft skills like work ethic, communication abilities, creativity, etc. These attributes are hard to glean from a resume alone.
– Tailor the letter to the specific position the recruiter is applying for. Align your praise with the required capabilities.
– Keep the letter concise but impactful. Aim for 1-2 pages max in length.
– Proofread carefully. The letter is a reflection on you as well as the recruiter.
How to Start
When starting the recommendation letter, open with an enthusiastic salutation and introduction. For example:
“Dear Hiring Manager,
It is my pleasure to strongly recommend Jane Doe for the position of Recruiting Manager with ABC Company. As Jane’s supervisor for the past three years at 123 Corporation, I’ve seen her grow into an incredibly talented, detail-oriented recruiting professional.”
This opening paragraph should establish who you are, your relationship to the candidate, and an overview of your endorsement.
Provide Background on Your Relationship
After the introduction, offer some background on how you know the recruiter and your history working together.
“Jane first joined our human resources department as a recruiter in 2018 after graduating college. Over the last three years, I’ve had the opportunity to manage Jane in her role and see her recruitment skills sharply improve. Jane has recruited top talent for difficult to fill roles across our technology, product, and marketing teams. Her diligence and creativity in sourcing candidates has been a huge asset to our company.”
Giving this context upfront establishes credibility for the praise you provide later.
List Specific Examples and Achievements
The body of the recommendation letter should offer concrete examples of the recruiter’s talents, achievements, and capabilities. Use metrics and anecdotes to provide evidence to back up your endorsement.
“Jane has consistently exceeded her recruiting targets, filling 30% more roles than forecasted. For example, when we struggled to hire software engineers last year, Jane leveraged social media and employee referrals to source over 100 qualified candidates in just two months. Her techniques helped us achieve our ambitious hiring goals for the year.”
“Even more impressive is Jane’s ability to understand nuanced requirements for each role and assess candidates’ cultural fit. When interviewing, she digs deep to determine alignments on work styles and values. This diligence results in hires that consistently exceed expectations and assimilate quickly into our organization.”
Providing data-driven results and specific stories will give weight to your praise.
Speak to Soft Skills
While achievements and numbers are impressive, don’t forget to highlight intangible qualities that make the recruiter successful. These soft skills are hard to glean from a resume but are so important day-to-day. For example:
“On top of Jane’s recruiting talents, she brings invaluable creativity, work ethic, and emotional intelligence to our team. She is always brainstorming innovative sourcing solutions, from leveraging alumni databases to hosting virtual recruiting events. Jane is willing to put in the work to achieve great results, often working late hours to accommodate candidates across time zones.”
“Her emotional intelligence helps her succeed in recruiting, building rapport with candidates and hiring managers alike. She has a knack for making people feel comfortable and communicating effectively. Whether giving difficult feedback to a candidate or presenting hiring proposals to senior leaders, Jane’s communication style is professional, empathetic, and influential.”
Showcasing these personal strengths helps round out your recommendation and show the recruiter is the complete package.
Affirm Excitement for Next Step
As you wrap up your letter, reiterate your wholehearted endorsement of the recruiter for this new opportunity. For example:
“Jane is ready and eager to take the next step in her career as a Recruiting Manager. She has the sourcing strategies, hiring judgment, and relationship-building skills to excel in this role. I enthusiastically recommend Jane Doe for your Recruiting Manager position, and am confident she would be an asset to your team.”
Ending with a statement of confidence reaffirms your recommendation of the candidate for this position.
How to Format
When writing a recommendation letter for a recruiter, follow typical business letter formatting conventions:
Header
The header should include your professional contact information (name, title, company, phone number, email address). This provides your credentials and a way to contact you with any follow up questions.
Date
Include the date you are writing the recommendation letter below the header. Use a conventional date format like August 29, 2020.
Addressed To
Address the letter to the hiring manager, if known. If you do not have the contact name, use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Recruiting Team”.
Salutation
Use a salutation like “Dear [First Name]” or “Dear Ms. [Last Name]”. If unsure, “Dear Hiring Manager” is safest.
Paragraphs
Organize your letter into 3-5 paragraphs following the tips in the sections above.
Conclusion
Wrap up your recommendation affirming your endorsement with 1-2 sentences.
Signature
Leave 4-5 line spaces to sign your name before typing your full name.
Enclosures
If including any supplemental documents like a resume, add an enclosures notation at bottom of letter. For example, “Enclosures: Jane Doe Resume”.
This basic formatting makes your letter look professional. The content you provide in the paragraphs is most important though!
What to Include
To write an effective recommendation, your letter should include:
A Clear Endorsement
State your full support for the recruiter. Avoid vague language – be decisively positive.
Background on Your Relationship
Describe how you know the recruiter and your experience working together.
Examples of Skills & Achievements
Provide key accomplishments, metrics, and anecdotes showcasing their capabilities.
Notes on Work Ethic & Values
Share examples of the recruiter demonstrating strong ethics and alignment with company values.
Assessment of Potential
Affirm your confidence in the recruiter’s ability to take on the new role.
Customization for the Role
Tailor your recommendation to the requirements of the position.
Section | Items to Include |
---|---|
Introduction | – Who you are and relationship to the candidate – Overview of your endorsement |
Background | – How you know the candidate – History working together |
Body | – Achievements and metrics – Specific examples – Soft skills and intangibles |
Conclusion | – Clear recommendation statement – Confidence in candidate’s abilities |
This checklist helps ensure you cover all the key elements.
What to Avoid
When writing a recommendation letter for a recruiter, there are also some things you will want to avoid:
Vague Compliments
Stay away from generic praise like “John is a great recruiter” or “Jane is a talented hiring manager”. Superlatives without evidence lack impact.
Exaggerations
Do not stretch the truth or exaggerate accomplishments. Over-the-top praise can sometimes arouse skepticism.
Spelling & Grammar Errors
Carefully proofread for typos, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors. These errors reflect poorly on you and the candidate.
Lengthy Letter
Avoid writing excessively long letters. Succinctly highlight the most compelling evidence in 2 pages or less.
Confidential Information
Be careful not to disclose non-public information about the recruiter or your company.
Poorly Matched Content
Ensure your praise specifically matches the required skills and duties of the open position.
Lack of Customization
If using letter templates, be sure to customize each letter for the specific candidate.
Avoiding these pitfalls will ensure your letter is effective and professional.
Letter Samples
Reviewing example recommendation letters can help provide inspiration for what to include and how to format your own:
Sample 1
April 19, 2021
Acme Inc.
123 Business Rd.
Houston, TX 77054
Dear Hiring Manager:
I am delighted to recommend Susan James for the position of Recruiting Manager with Acme Inc. I have worked closely with Susan in her role as Lead Recruiter at XYZ Corp for the past two years, and have seen her sourcing capabilities and hiring judgment contribute tremendously to building our team.
Susan consistently exceeds her hiring targets, filling 90% of roles within 60 days. She stands out in her ability to source highly qualified, diverse candidates through creative networking approaches and social media outreach. For example, when we struggled to hire UX designers last year, Susan engaged with three niche design communities on Twitter and sourced 20 qualified candidates within just a month.
Beyond her stellar sourcing strategies, Susan excels in cultivating strong relationships with candidates throughout the hiring process. She has a knack for making applicants feel comfortable and communicating professionally with transparency. Susan keeps candidates enthusiastically engaged even as processes drag on, and closes offers with a 70% acceptance rate.
In addition to her recruiting talents, Susan brings invaluable creativity, organization, and composure to our team. Her innovative thinking helps her craft recruiting plans tailored to each open position’s unique requirements. She juggles numerous roles seamlessly, tracking detailed candidate pipelines while coordinating interviews and job offers. Susan stays cool under pressure when dealing with time crunches and competing priorities.
Susan is ready to take the next step to lead a high-performing recruiting team. She has my highest recommendation for the Recruiting Manager role, and I am confident she will bring immense value to your organization. Please feel free to contact me if you would like any further information.
Sincerely,
John Smith
Vice President, Human Resources
XYZ Corp
[email protected]
555-555-5555
Sample 2
October 5, 2020
Hello Hiring Team,
I am writing you today to strongly recommend Michael Clark for your open Recruiting Manager position. As his supervisor for the past 5 years, I’ve witnessed Michael grow into an exceptional sourcing expert with the strategic vision necessary to lead recruiting.
Michael has been instrumental in allowing us to scale our engineering team. He single-handedly built out our university recruiting program, cultivating relationships with professors at six local technical schools to source new graduate talent. This program now provides 20% of our annual engineering hires.
Michael also stands out in his ability to understand hiring needs and map out detailed recruitment plans. He works closely with department leaders to analyze gaps, forecast roles, and set ambitious but realistic hiring goals. Michael thinks outside the box to source candidates, like mining GitHub for active contributors to reach experienced engineers.
Beyond his sourcing and strategy strengths, Michael brings tremendous relationship management skills and emotional intelligence to recruiting. He establishes trust and rapport with candidates immediately, guiding them through assessments and interviews with transparency and empathy. Michael excels at presenting candidates effectively to managers and closing offers promptly.
With 8 years of specialized recruiting experience, Michael is prepared to excel as a Recruiting Manager. He has my highest endorsement for this position, and I’m happy to further discuss his accomplishments and capabilities.
Best,
Mary Robinson
Director of Human Resources
Acme Corporation
555-555-1234
[email protected]
Sample 3
August 2, 2021
Re: Recommendation for Sara Jones for Recruiting Manager Role
Dear Hiring Manager:
It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Sara Jones for the position of Recruiting Manager at XYZ Company. I have had the pleasure of working with Sara at 123 Enterprises for over six years, first as peers and later with Sara as manager of our recruiting team. She is an exceptionally talented recruiter and leader who I believe would thrive in this role.
During her 4 years as our Recruiting Manager, Sara completely transformed and scaled our hiring. She implemented new sourcing techniques like leveraging our alumni database that resulted in 50% more candidates per role. Sara also drove process changes that reduced our time-to-fill by over 20 days.
Beyond her strategic improvements, Sara is adept at understanding hiring manager needs and securing aligned, high potential candidates. She spent time deeply analyzing our business priorities before launching targeted sourcing campaigns for key roles. Sara also has a knack for assessing candidates’ soft skills and ability to thrive in our culture. Her hires consistently perform well and have high engagement scores.
In addition to her recruiting capabilities, Sara is a collaborative, inspiring leader. Our 10-person recruiting team consistently praises her mentorship and ability to motivate others to maximize their talents. Sara leads by example, working tirelessly to achieve goals while prioritizing team growth. Her compassion and emotional intelligence foster a strong, dedicated team.
I wholeheartedly believe Sara would bring tremendous impact to your organization as Recruiting Manager. She has my highest recommendation, and I would be happy to discuss her qualifications further.
Sincerely,
John Davis
Vice President, HR
123 Enterprises
Conclusion
A strong recommendation letter can provide persuasive praise for a recruiter, affirming their capabilities for a potential employer. To write an effective letter, open with an enthusiastic endorsement, provide detailed examples and metrics showcasing their talents and achievements, speak to valued soft skills, and customize content to match the specifics of the desired role. Following standard business letter formatting, being concise yet compelling, and avoiding common pitfalls will help craft a polished, professional letter. With a well-written recommendation that highlights their recruiting successes, you can help a recruiter stand out and secure an exciting next career move.