The 5-Step Formula for Writing Powerful LinkedIn Recommendations

This formula works every time, regardless of your relationship with the person. You can write each step as a bullet point first, then use AI tools like ChatGPT or Wordtune to polish it into flowing prose.

Step 1: Start with a Strong Declaration

Your opening sentence is what people see before clicking "see more" - make it count.

Bad Opening: "John is a great person to work with."

Good Opening: "Sarah is the most strategic marketing leader I've worked with in my 15-year career."

Great Opening: "If I could hire Alex for every team I lead, I would without hesitation."

Formula: Make a bold, specific claim that includes their role or expertise. According to Coursera, your first sentence should work like a hook - it's what keeps people reading

Examples:

"Emily transformed our customer success approach from reactive to proactive in just six months."
"David is the rare engineer who can explain complex systems to anyone - from executives to interns."
"Lisa's design work doesn't just look beautiful—it measurably improves user conversion."

Step 2: Establish Your Relationship

Explain who this person was to you and provide credibility for your recommendation. This is your "social proof" - it tells readers why they should trust your opinion.

Formula: Include:

Your working relationship (manager, colleague, direct report, client)
Duration (how long you worked together)
Context (what project, team, or company)

Examples:

"I worked alongside Jennifer for three years on the product development team at TechCorp."
"Michael reported to me for two years while I was VP of Sales at StartupXYZ."
"I collaborated with Rachel as a client for 18 months while she consulted on our rebranding project."
"Sophie and I were peers on a cross-functional team launching our company's first mobile app."

According to Wordtune, establishing this context early shows readers exactly why your perspective matters.

Step 3: Highlight a Specific Professional Trait

This is where you show, not just tell. Choose one core strength and demonstrate it with specifics.

Bad (Too Generic): "Sarah is a great leader."

Good (Specific Trait): "Sarah leads with remarkable emotional intelligence."

Great (Trait + Evidence): "Sarah leads with remarkable emotional intelligence—during our most challenging project deadline, she noticed team burnout before anyone else and proactively restructured our sprint to prevent turnover."

Strong Adjectives to Consider:

Work ethic: meticulous, passionate, thorough, consistent, proactive, driven
Leadership: inspirational, decisive, empowering, visionary, steady
Teamwork: dependable, adaptable, collaborative, inclusive, responsive
Personality: composed, energetic, genuine, creative, analytical

Step 4: Share Concrete Examples

This is the most important section - specific examples provide proof and make your recommendation memorable.

Formula: Use the CAR (Challenge-Action-Result) framework:

Challenge: What problem or situation did they face?
Action: What did they specifically do?
Result: What measurable outcome did they achieve?

Example: "When our Q4 sales pipeline suddenly dropped by 40%, David didn't panic. He analyzed our data, identified a bottleneck in our qualification process, and implemented a new scoring system. Within six weeks, our pipeline was back to normal - and our close rate had improved by 15%."

More Examples:

"During the Product Alpha launch, Emily coordinated five different teams across three time zones. Her ability to keep everyone aligned resulted in our first on-time, on-budget launch in company history."
"When a critical client threatened to leave, Lisa personally flew out to meet with them, restructured their contract to better fit their needs, and turned them into our most vocal advocate—they've now referred three additional clients."

According to Airswift, sharing specific examples of how someone's actions made a difference is what truly showcases their strengths and provides concrete evidence of their value

Pro Tip from Wordtune: Most of these adjectives can become adverbs by adding "-ly" (meticulously, passionately, decisively) for variety in your writing.

Step 5: End with a Clear Endorsement

Close strong with a definitive statement about why you'd work with them again or why others should.

Formula Options:

The Rehire: "I would work with [name] again in a heartbeat."
The Recommendation: "[Name] would be an asset to any team lucky enough to hire them."
The Specific Endorsement: "If you need [specific skill/role], [name] should be your first call."

Examples:

"Any organization would be fortunate to have Maria leading their design team."
"If you're looking for a marketing strategist who can actually execute, hire Jennifer - you won't regret it."
"I'd jump at the chance to work with Tom again, and I'd hire him for my team without hesitation."