5 Elements of a Great LinkedIn Recommendation

In case you didn’t know, hiring managers are definitely reading your LinkedIn recommendations. And those recommendations could be making a bigger impact than you think.

“Think about peer recommendations on LinkedIn as a customer review for a product,” said Adam Rossi, CEO of Total Shield. “Some aren’t helpful, but reviews that pertain to what you are looking for can help seal the deal,” he explained.

Yes, really, said Stephan Baldwin, who has founded three different companies. “In fact, I just brought someone on to help with our marketing efforts at Lead Agent — one reason I hired him was because of his very positive peer recommendations on LinkedIn.”

So what does a seal-the-deal LinkedIn recommendation look like? Hiring managers, recruiters, and employers told us that these are the top five things they want to see.

A well-written recommendation can do a lot to pique an employer’s interest, said CEO and co-founder of WinIt, Ouriel Lemmel. He made the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Consumer Technology in 2020 with his app.

“A great opening remark can make the candidate stand out. If a recommendation catches my eye, I am more likely to read a candidate’s entire profile instead of just scrolling through.”

It also matters who is writing your recommendations. You should have a variety of sources, including industry leaders, bosses, colleagues, and clients. New grads might include professors and university mentors.

“I want to see recommendations from executives or senior managers with some clout,” said Mark Daoust, CEO and founder of Quiet Light. “I also like to see a mix of peers and managers. This shows me that the candidate is well-rounded and well thought of.”

Recommendation writers should also explain how they know you and your work:

Recommendations should highlight valuable skills, experience, or accomplishments that you bring to the table. The more specific, the better.

“Detailed recommendations of what the person has done or the skills and qualities that the person has, backed up with statistics and numbers, can make the person a very strong candidate,” said Axon Optics co-founder Ben Rollins.

“I am looking for examples of strategic thinking, impactful projects, career milestones, or significant contributions to a business goal,” said Kate Zimmer, senior corporate recruiter at Varian Medical Systems.

By the time an employer has gotten to the recommendations section of your profile, they should have a pretty good idea of your skill set. Now they want to know what you’re like to work with.

“I want a LinkedIn recommendation to tell me who [a candidate] is, not what what they can do,” said John Li, co-founder and technical lead of Fig Loans.

“Comments on someone’s commitment, knowledge, innovation and team ethos reveals their work ethic and personality. Feedback on management style, inclusiveness, and mentoring tell me about their leadership style. These are good clues about organizational fit,” said James Parkinson, head of marketing content at Personnel Checks.

Finally, the key to an impactful recommendation is authenticity. If it reads like a recommendation generator wrote it, forget about it.

“A thoughtful and sincere endorsement from someone you’ve worked with can be important information,” said Matthew Paxton, founder of Hypernia.

“The peer recommendations that I am most touched by are the ones that are thoughtful and genuine,” noted Kyle MacDonald, director of operations, Force by Mojio.

The wrong kind of LinkedIn recommendations can actually hurt your prospects on the job market. Here are some major recommendation no-nos, according to employers:

If you’re on the hunt for a new career or thinking about changing jobs, consider now who you should ask for LinkedIn recommendations — and how to make sure those people include at least one of these five important elements.