LinkedIn Recommendation Examples: What Good Ones Look Like

It's easier to understand what makes a good LinkedIn recommendation by seeing one than by reading about it in the abstract. Here are four examples across different relationships and roles — with notes on what each one is doing.

Example 1: Manager recommending a direct report

"In two years of managing Alex, the thing that stood out most was how he handled the moments when things went sideways. When our main vendor dropped us three weeks before a product launch, Alex found a replacement, renegotiated the contract, and kept the timeline intact — without being asked. He doesn't need to be told when something matters. I'd bring him into any team that needs someone who can own complex projects without hand-holding."

What it's doing: Opens with a specific situation rather than a job title. Demonstrates initiative with a real example. Ends with a direct, specific endorsement. No adjectives doing work that evidence should do.

Example 2: Colleague recommending a peer

"I worked with Jordan on three cross-functional projects over two years, and she's the person I'd go to first when I needed someone to translate between engineering and the business side. She can sit in a room with both and have both sides feel heard — which sounds simple but most people can't actually do it. The roadmap work we did in Q3 didn't ship on time because of her specifically, but it shipped on time instead of three months late."

What it's doing: Establishes relationship credibility upfront. Names a specific skill with an explanation of why it's rare. Includes a concrete outcome. Reads like someone who knows this person well.

Example 3: Direct report recommending a manager

"Taylor is the kind of manager who gives you real feedback, not feedback designed to not upset you. In our 1:1s she'd tell me what wasn't working and why — then actually help me fix it. I got better at presenting to executives entirely because of her. If you're someone who wants to grow and not just be managed, working for her is the fastest way."

What it's doing: Avoids the usual "great manager, always available" template. Shows a specific impact on professional development. Has a point of view. Makes a specific claim about who she's ideal for.

Example 4: Client recommending a consultant

"We hired Marcus to redesign our onboarding flow, which we knew was broken but couldn't articulate why. He spent the first two weeks interviewing churned customers — something we hadn't thought to do — and the redesign he built from those interviews cut our activation drop-off by 40% in the first quarter. He asks better questions than most of the people on our team. I'd bring him back in without hesitation."

What it's doing: Leads with the problem, not the person's job title. Shows a specific process that demonstrates thinking, not just results. Quantifies the outcome. The final sentence is a direct endorsement that feels earned.

The pattern across all four

All of these recommendations:

• Open with something specific, not an introduction
• Include a real example or outcome
• Make a direct, non-hedged endorsement
• Are short enough to read in 30 seconds
• Could only have been written by someone who worked closely with the person

If your recommendation can be paraphrased as "great person, works hard, recommend strongly" — it's not adding much. The ones above say things that couldn't have come from a template.

The LinkedIn Recommendation Generator builds recommendations like these from your inputs about the person, your relationship, and what you've seen them do.