What Are LinkedIn® Recommendations?
LinkedIn® Recommendations are short written endorsements from one user to another, typically written by colleagues, managers, clients, or collaborators. They appear near the bottom of your LinkedIn® profile, in the “Recommendations” section.
How To Activate LinkedIn® Recommendations
What They Are Not
- They’re not the same as “Skills Endorsements” (those quick clicks under your Skills section)
- They don’t directly impact search rankings On LinkedIn®, but they do build credibility with people reading your profile
How LinkedIn® Recommendations Work
- You can request a recommendation from anyone in your network (1st-degree connections only)
- You can choose to show or hide individual recommendations.
- You can write a recommendation for others (which they can choose to show or hide)
- You must have a mutual connection and a listed relationship and position (e.g. “Manager at X during Y”) when requesting
Strategic Tips: Who To Ask?
LinkedIn® Recommendations are short written endorsements from one user to another, typically written by colleagues, managers, clients, or collaborators. They appear near the bottom of your LinkedIn® profile, in the “Recommendations” section.
- Ask people who can genuinely speak to your skills, work ethic, results, or character.
- Prioritize managers, clients, project leads, or direct reports.
- Vary roles to show versatility (e.g. not just peers or friends).
Strategic Tips: How To Ask?
- Don’t send the default LinkedIn® template
- Personalize it: remind them of your shared work and what you’d appreciate them highlighting
- Offer to write a draft they can edit (many will appreciate this)
Example Request For Recommendation
Hi [Name],
I hope you’re well! I’m refreshing parts of my LinkedIn® profile at the moment and wanted to ask if you’d be open to writing a quick recommendation based on our time working together on [project / team / role].
It would be great to have something that touches on [insert focus – e.g. “how we collaborated on X,” “the results from Y,” or “your experience of working with me as a manager”]. Of course, feel free to share whatever feels natural from your side.
If it helps, I’m happy to draft a few bullet points to make it easy.
No pressure at all – just thought I’d ask. Thanks either way!
Best,
[Your Name]
Strategic Tips: How Many?
- 3–5 strong, relevant recommendations are plenty
- Quality trumps quantity
- Rotate which are displayed if you have many
Giving Recommendations
The best recommendations are:
- Specific (mention results, traits, or projects)
- Authentic (avoid generic praise like “hardworking team player”)
- Short (2–3 short paragraphs max)
Inspiration: From a Manager or Boss
- Took ownership of key projects with minimal oversight
- Elevated the quality of work in the team
- Always brought solutions, not just problems
- Trusted to represent the company with senior stakeholders
- Grew quickly in confidence and responsibility
- Played a key role in hitting team goals or KPIs
- Supported colleagues and helped lift the overall culture
Inspiration: From a Colleague or Peer
- Collaborative and easy to work with – even under pressure
- Strong attention to detail but never lost sight of the big picture
- Always willing to help and share knowledge
- Respected across departments, not just their own team
- Balanced personal warmth with professionalism
- Helped troubleshoot and improve workflows or systems
Inspiration: From a Client or External Partner
- Clear and responsive communication at every stage
- Delivered what was promised (or more)
- Made the process smooth, even in tricky moments
- Brought insights or suggestions we hadn’t considered
- Felt like a trusted extension of our own team
- Turned complex ideas into actionable outcomes
- Left a lasting impression through quality of work and approach
