Let’s be honest. Nobody actually likes writing these. You’re busy, your coworker is probably stressed about a new job application, and suddenly you’re staring at a blank Google Doc trying to remember if "collaborative" has two Ls or one. It’s a weird spot to be in. You want to help them—they’re great, after all—but you don’t want to spend three hours crafting a literary masterpiece that a recruiter is going to skim in exactly six seconds.
That’s the reality of the hiring world in 2026. Efficiency is king.
When someone asks for a short letter of recommendation for coworker, they aren't looking for a novel. They need a punchy, honest, and credible nudge that tells a hiring manager, "Hey, this person isn't a nightmare to work with and actually gets stuff done." If you overthink it, you end up with corporate word salad that smells like AI-generated fluff. You know the type. Phrases like "synergistic team player" or "proactive self-starter" basically mean nothing now. They’re white noise.
Why Brevity is Your Secret Weapon
Most people think a long letter is a better letter. It’s not. In fact, a dense, two-page wall of text is a great way to ensure your coworker’s recommendation gets ignored. Recruiters are looking for specific signals. They want to see a "Value Signal"—a clear indication of what the person did—and a "Culture Signal"—an indication of how they did it.
If you can fit that into two or three short paragraphs, you’ve won.
I’ve seen dozens of these go across my desk. The ones that stick are the ones that sound like a human wrote them. If you say, "Sarah is okay at Excel," it’s boring. If you say, "Sarah rebuilt our entire quarterly reporting sheet in a weekend because the old one kept crashing, and she did it without complaining once," that is gold. It’s specific. It’s short. It’s real.
The Anatomy of a Recommendation That Doesn't Suck
You don't need a formal template. Forget the "To Whom It May Concern" if you can avoid it—though sometimes you can't. Start with the "Who" and the "How." How do you know this person? Were you on the same team for two years? Did you work on a single, high-stakes project together?
State it plainly.
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"I worked alongside Mark for three years at Apex Tech. He was the lead designer while I handled project management." Boom. Done. No fluff.
Next, you need the "One Big Thing." Most people try to list ten skills. Stop that. Pick one thing they are genuinely better at than anyone else. Maybe they are incredible at de-escalating angry clients. Maybe they write code that is so clean it looks like art. Whatever it is, focus there.
A Quick Illustrative Example
I’m writing this for Jamie, who I worked with at Retail Solutions from 2022 to 2024. Jamie has this weird ability to stay calm when everything is breaking. During our Black Friday rollout, our payment gateway went down, and while the rest of us were panicking, Jamie stayed on the line with support for four hours and eventually found the bug herself. She’s the person you want in the room when things go wrong. I’d hire her again in a heartbeat.
See? It’s short. It’s got a "story." It feels like a real person said it. That is what a short letter of recommendation for coworker should look like.
The Danger of Being Too Nice
This sounds counterintuitive, right? But if you praise someone too much, it looks fake. If you claim your coworker is a "visionary leader who revolutionized the industry" and they’re applying for a mid-level accounting job, the recruiter is going to roll their eyes.
Balance is everything.
You can acknowledge that someone is still growing or that they have a specific niche. It adds credibility. You might say, "While David is still honing his public speaking skills, his backend architectural work is some of the most stable I've ever seen." This tells the hiring manager that you are a reliable witness. You aren't just doing a favor; you're providing an assessment.
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Technical Skills vs. Soft Skills
In the current job market, everyone assumes the candidate has the technical skills. If they’re an engineer, they can code. If they’re an accountant, they know GAAP. What people are terrified of is hiring a "brilliant jerk."
Your letter should bridge that gap.
Focus on the "how." How do they handle feedback? Are they the person who brings coffee when the team is pulling an all-nighter? Do they explain complex ideas without making people feel stupid? These are the details that actually make a difference in a short recommendation.
The LinkedIn Factor
Sometimes a "letter" isn't a letter at all. It’s a LinkedIn recommendation. These need to be even shorter. People scrolling through a profile have the attention span of a goldfish.
- The Hook: A strong opening statement.
- The Proof: One sentence about a shared win.
- The Verdict: Would you work with them again?
If the answer to that last one isn't a "yes," you probably shouldn't be writing the letter anyway. Honestly, it’s okay to say no if you can’t genuinely recommend someone. A bad or lukewarm recommendation is often worse than none at all.
Logistics: Formatting and Sending
Don't send a Word doc in 2026. Just don't. Send a PDF. It looks professional, the formatting won't break when they open it on a phone, and it feels "final."
Keep your font normal. Arial, Calibri, or something clean like Inter. No Times New Roman—it looks like a high school essay from 1995. Keep the margins wide so it doesn't look like a wall of text.
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If you're stuck on the opening, try something like this: "It’s my pleasure to recommend [Name] for [Role]. We worked together at [Company] where I saw firsthand how they [specific action]."
It's simple. It works.
Addressing the "Gap"
Sometimes you're writing for a coworker who left a while ago. That’s fine. Just mention that. "Even though it’s been two years since we worked together at the agency, I still frequently reference the documentation system [Name] built. It’s that good."
This shows longevity. It shows that their work had a lasting impact. That’s a massive selling point for any employer. They don't just want someone who can do the job today; they want someone whose work won't fall apart the minute they leave the building.
What to Avoid at All Costs
There are a few "kiss of death" phrases that will tank a short letter of recommendation for coworker faster than you can hit "send."
- "He did what was asked of him." (Translation: He's a robot with no initiative.)
- "She was always on time." (Translation: This is the only nice thing I can say.)
- "To whom it may concern." (Try to find a name. Any name. "Dear Hiring Team" is better.)
- Anything that sounds like a performance review.
The goal here is advocacy, not an audit. You are a character witness. You are telling the new company that this person is a "value add."
Actionable Steps for Your Recommendation
If you’re sitting down to write this right now, do this:
- Ask the coworker for the job description. You need to know what keywords the company cares about. If the job is for a "Manager," focus on their leadership. If it’s for a "Specialist," focus on their deep-dive technical skills.
- Pick one "Hero Moment." Think of one time they saved the day or just did something really well. Write two sentences about it.
- Keep it under 200 words. Seriously. If it’s longer, you’re rambling.
- Put your contact info at the bottom. "Feel free to reach out if you want to chat more about [Name]'s work." It shows you’re serious and not just "phoning it in."
- Save as a PDF. Use a clear filename like
Recommendation_Name_YourName.pdf.
Writing a short letter of recommendation for coworker shouldn't be a chore. It's a chance to pay it forward. In a world of automated HR systems and AI-screened resumes, a genuine, human-written note is often the one thing that actually gets a candidate through the door. Keep it real, keep it brief, and focus on why they actually matter to a team. That’s how you write something that gets read.