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Recommendation Report

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how to write a recommendation report for a company

From the word itself “recommendation”, it is a statement that suggests what would be good or what is suitable for something. You have to make a lot of persuasion to convince your readers that is the best thing that you should do. It may help you improve a system, develop something new or change the previous idea into something better that would your organization grow. Have you heard about recommendation reports? If not, this is you chance to get to know about it. Just like any other business report or school report , recommendation report also follows a certain format. In this article, you will be able to know about recommendation reports and how are you going to create one.

11+ Recommendation Report Examples

1. recommendation report template.

Recommendation Report Template

  • Google Docs
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Size: 32 KB

2. Recommendation Report Example

Recommendation Report Example

3. Consulting Recommendation Report

Consulting Recommendation Report

4. Sample Recommendation Report

Sample Recommendation Report

Size: 74 KB

5. Recommendation And Feasibility Report

Recommendation And Feasibility Report

Size: 635 KB

6. Construction Committee Recommendation Report

Construction Committee Recommendation Report

7. Project Recommendation Report

Project Recommendation Report

Size: 576 KB

8. School Recommendation Report

School Recommendation Report

Size: 56 KB

9. Audit Recommendation Status Report

Audit Recommendation Status Report

Size: 58 KB

10. Attendance Recommendation Report

Attendance Recommendation Report

Size: 340 KB

11. Staff Recommendation Report

Staff Recommendation Report

Size: 65 KB

12. Recommendation Report Sample

Recommendation Report Sample

What is a Recommendation Report?

A recommendation report is written specifically for the purpose of having to propose or recommend something to fill a need. Its primary goal is to recommend an option and support that recommendation. Other than recommending an option, it is also designed to look for possible solutions to problems.

For example:

In technology, problems are often resolved with a technical upgrade. For instance, you put dual airbags in cars because people too often don’t use seat belts, and airbags prevent further injury even when seat belts are used. The problem here, which motivates people to improve a process, is that people continue to sustain severe injuries despite the availability of seat belts and dual airbags. Taking this one step further, some car companies (like Volvo) are not installing side airbags, in addition to the two in front, to protect people against side impacts, which often do not activate the two front airbags.

Steps in Writing a Recommendation Report

When you are writing a recommendation report, you have to describe and evaluate the situation and propose a solution to a problem. Stating facts would be easier for you to be able to reach for a decision. You may take a look at some recommendation templates as your guide.

1. Describe the Situation

You have to start by describing what you are evaluating.

2. Conduct a Research

It is always recommended to conduct a research for you to define what kind of methodology are you going to use when collecting the data. You may conduct online surveys, literature reading or conduct a one-on-one interview with your respondents. This will help you get ideas from others for you recommendation report.

3. Suggest an Idea

You may suggest about how to improve and develop skills, how to have an effective communication and how to have a good decision making skill. You may also consider putting details from the past results.

4. Summarize your Findings

To have an easier interpretation of your recommendation, you may use visual graphic organizers such as charts, table, diagrams, etc. You have to make everything realistic.

Factors to Consider When Writing Your Recommendation Report

First, you have to consider your target audience. They are the ones who will highly influence the contents written in your recommendation report. Second is your headings and subheadings. They will help the audience to better understand your reports with the facts that you have discussed. You should also have a strong content to make your report more effective. Ensure that you maintain a logical flow over the information. Most of all, you have to make your report as clear and as informative as possible. Make your recommendation report neat and effective.

How are you going to conclude your recommendation report?

Summarize your findings and acknowledge the recommendations discussed in your report.

How long should a recommendation report be?

Your recommendation report will depend on how long your data will be.

How do you state recommendations in a report?

Be clear with what you intend to recommend. As much as possible, provide an explanation about it.

Recommendation reports help you in providing ways on how to improve a particular procedure or method. You just have to follow the steps: describe the situation, conduct a research, suggest an idea and summarize your findings. Through this, you will be able to replace a better recommendation that is more suitable than the previous one.

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Top 5 Recommendation Report Templates with Samples and Examples

Top 5 Recommendation Report Templates with Samples and Examples

Sapna Singh

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Remember when Air Jordans debuted? Michael Jordan preferred the now famous red and black Air Jordan 1s, despite NBA’s ‘All-White’ shoe policy. Every time he wore those shoes on the court, he had to pay $5,000. But, Nike experienced phenomenal value creation as a result of this recommendation.

At a press conference on June 16, 2021, Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo put aside two bottles of carbonated beverages in favor of water, costing Coca-Cola $4 billion.

Recommendations are a powerful sales and marketing tool. Recommendation reports , also known as feasibility reports , have become the norm in product development, IT, retail, and community development areas to advise stakeholders on the best solutions to solve a problem. Companies implement suggestions based on information gathered during the research process to make the best decisions.

Check out our guide to feasibility analysis  to make sure your projects are effectively implemented.

This blog provides you essential information to examine an issue, product, population, or process to figure out the best course of action. We, at SlideTeam, have put together a list of the Top 5 Recommendation Report Templates  to assist you in growing your clientele and expanding your business. These templates will act as catalysts for the creation of a strong recommendation report.

Evaluate all available options with SlideTeam’s top-notch PPT Templates!

Template 1: Audit Report Summary with Key Findings and Recommendations PPT

An impressive feasibility report can improve clarity and business impact. Use this PPT Template to communicate the audit’s objectives, scope, and findings. Research, surveys, and case studies help make it an informative and persuasive document, allowing the audit team to make comments that go beyond individual issues. This slide includes a three-stage process for presenting findings that can be presented for management review.

Audit Report Summary with Key Findings

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Template 2: Weekly Accomplishment Report with Key Recommendations Template

Wouldn’t you want to document the specifics of your project process? Use this PowerPoint Template to give an overview of the task you complete in any given week. This document is perfect for evaluation criteria and assessments. Present it during interviews to compile and synthesize information and track accomplishments. Employ this PowerPoint Presentation to self-assess and increase your performance appraisal ratings.

Weekly Accomplishment Report with key Recommendations

Template 3: QA Recommendations Register Report with Status PPT

Provide a consolidated report on the project's testing to date. Use this pre-made PPT Template to showcase the current state of software quality management. This feasibility report can be used to provide Quality Assurance (QA) recommendations to senior management, clients, etc., outlining the specifics of the testing carried out for the project. Important factors like Finding, Recommendation, Owner, Target Date, and Status are included to showcase the application's overall quality level. This will make it easier to develop corrective measures.

QA Recommendations Register Report with Status

Template 4: Recommendations for Determining Salary Structure PPT

Offering competitive remuneration can help foster employee engagement and good performance. Use this PPT Template to establish the scope and objectives of your compensation policy. This informative document depicts the compensation and bonuses offered to employees based on their performances. This has six stages: The compensation structure, the performance appraisal system, the special compensation programmers, the bonuses and incentives, the work-from-home policy, and the retention program. This will enable you to find a balance between offering staff attractive hikes and implementing a reasonable salary policy.

Recommendations for determining Salary Structure

Template 5: One-Page Diagnostic Assessment and Recommendation Report PPT

Use this PPT Template to provide a diagnostic assessment of a client’s needs based on behavior patterns, skills, abilities, resources, vulnerabilities, and safety requirements. This will aid in research and creation of case studies of students’ strengths, skills, capabilities, and knowledge. This feasibility report can be used as a record to discuss student issues and propose appropriate solutions. This PowerPoint Presentation will assist you in creating a snapshot of learning gaps in order to review the plan’s efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability. This template is especially useful for educators.

One Page Diagnostic Assessment Process and Recommendation

Template 6: One-Page Definition for Risk Assurance and Recommendation Criteria PDF

Use this PPT Template to communicate the risks and hazards that could hurt your company. This will support your research, case studies, and survey work as you create criteria for determining what level of risk is acceptable. This one-pager will assist in reviewing available health and safety information, such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS), manufacturer literature, information from respected organizations, testing results, workplace inspection reports, records of workplace accidents, and so on, to establish a good understanding of the internal risk control systems.

Definition for Risk Assurance and Recommendation Criteria

Template 7: Recommendations Related to the Annual Program Evaluation Report PPT

Use this PowerPoint Template to evaluate the effectiveness of a program on an annual basis. It can be used as an evaluation criterion to focus on required components, with an emphasis on program strengths and ‘self-identified’ areas of improvement. This presentation is useful for recognizing deficiencies and recommending an improvement action plan, with follow-ups. This slide is ideal for a program coordinator or education committee.

Recommendations Related to the Annual Program Evaluation Report

Template 8: Conclusions and Recommendations Related to Project Presentation PPT

Want to highlight your solution’s main ideas? Use this PPT Template to provide a brief summary of a project's main findings. With the right illustrations and visuals, this slide can be used as a persuasive document. It will assist you in capturing the attention of your focus groups for easy comprehension of facts and figures.

Conclusions and Recommendations Related to Project

The multiple possible resolutions.

Recommendation Reports are essential for business. They suggest actions to be taken in response to the report’s findings and justify the proposal, as well as the project’s goals and objectives, to ensure effective decision making. Use SlideTeam's PowerPoint Templates to present a realistic solution to workplace problems.

PS: Check out some more recommendation PowerPoint slides  armed with effective ways to reach growth milestones and catapult your business!

FAQs ON RECOMMENDATION REPORTS

Why is a recommendation important in report writing.

Recommendations are significant for the following reasons:

  • These provide a succinct and well-organized description of the steps to complete a project.
  • These have been compiled after a thorough studied and contain factual data from dependable sources.
  • Recommendations provide sound and evidence-based conclusions.
  • Many people read a report's suggestions and conclusion before reading the report to get a frame of reference.

What are the components of a recommendation report?

The components of a recommendation report are:

  • The introduction explains the issue or circumstance and lists the things that will be compared.
  • Background includes necessary information for readers to understand the report, such as description of the company, the background, and context of the issue being addressed, any technical background information, etc.
  • Criteria for Evaluation
  • Options include possible solutions as well as a brief description of each. This will aid in presenting category-by-category comparisons to provide the best solution.
  • The Conclusion  and Recommendation on which the solution is selected considering the criteria provided in the report.

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Blog >> How to Write a Recommendation Report + Recommendation Report Template!

How to Write a Recommendation Report + Recommendation Report Template!

Making decisions requires the vigilant evaluation of options.   A recommendation report proposes multiple potential solutions to a problem and concludes by recommending the best one. Compared to  white papers , recommendation reports are more overtly persuasive, since they make a final recommendation that is informed by research and evidence. Read our advice all the way to end to download our free recommendation report template. Or better yet, if you’re ready to level-up your professional writing game, definitely check out our expert-crafted  recommendation report template pack —an exclusive item in our   Templates for Busy Professionals™  series.

Watch our video about the reasons why you should write a recommendation report plus get a sneak-peak into our templates. If you’re ready to propel your professional potential, be sure to check out our online, on-demand writing course,   Wordsmith: A Grammar & Writing Course for Busy Professionals . Now let’s jump into recommendation reports…

how to write a recommendation report for a company

What sections are typically included in a recommendation report?

Executive summary.

Begin with an “executive summary” that briefly introduces and summarizes your purpose for writing this report. This section establishes reader expectations for what is to follow. Make sure to state clearly here your reasons for writing this report, and what is contained within the report.

Problem Statement

All recommendation reports address a real and important problem. The Problem Statement is perhaps the most important part of the report because it articulates this problem clearly, providing a strong sense of need for the options you will explore in the rest of the report. The Problem Statement is where you justify the purpose of this report.

To justify the options you recommend, you must first understand the specific needs of the business, organization, or stakeholders you are writing for (i.e. What does the organization need? Why? What is the background of this problem? Who are the major stakeholders? What has been tried in the past? Why didn’t it work?). Your Problem Statement will serve as your introduction to the options discussed in this report.

Description of Options

This is the heart of a recommendation report. In this section, you describe a set number of possible ideas (typically 3) for solving the problem cited at the beginning of your report. Your ideas should be creative and well-planned.  Each option (which should be described in 1-2 paragraphs) should include the following information:

  • a cohesive, comprehensive overview of this option/idea;
  • information about how this option answers the need cited at the beginning of your report;
  • specific details about how this idea could be implemented; and
  • justifications as to why this option will work.

Evaluation Criteria & Evaluations of Each Option

After describing the three options, you should outline criteria for evaluating those options. The criteria should be based on the information outlined in your Statement of Need. After listing and justifying evaluation criteria, you should evaluate each option based on its ability to answer your criteria.

Final Recommendation

After describing and evaluating your options, you will recommend the one you think is best and provide a discussion of the reasons why you recommend it. In other words, defend your recommendation thoroughly in this section.

The conclusion to a recommendation report should re-emphasize the final recommendation and offer suggestions about how the audience/reader could move toward implementation.

Works Cited

Recommendation reports sometimes require in-depth research that can range from conducting interviews and surveys to reading peer-reviewed journal articles or other related documents. You should cite this information so that future readers can find the articles and resources you used. The citation style you use should be based on the industry you’re writing for; the chemical industry will expect ACS Style, medical professionals will expect AMA, humanities audiences will expect MLA, social sciences will expect APA, and so on.

Point of View: Should I Use Third Person or First Person?

Like most business reports, this should be written professionally. This usually means avoiding too much personal narrative, and instead relying on third person. For example (third person): “This report overviews three options for community partnership with Feed My Starving Children.” However, it is perfectly fine to use the collective first person sparingly throughout the report, especially to indicate something practical that you did. For example (collective first person): “ We  designed this campaign with a special emphasis on bold color in order to draw the viewer’s attention to the innocence of childhood imagination, and in order to contrast that with the hopelessness of hunger.” OR “In this report,  we  overview three options…” Notice that these three examples are not opinionated (as one might fear when using first person). Instead, they merely acknowledge that  a real, living, breathing human wrote this report and developed these options.  For this reason, first person is great when it’s used for these rhetorical purposes.

Get Our Recommendation Report Templates!

If you’re ready to start building a professional-quality recommendation report, be sure to get our   Recommendation Report Template Pack —a robust set of highly designed report templates with expert writing advice built right in. If you’ve ever found yourself needing to argue for a specific course of action in your organization, a recommendation report will help you analyze a problem, product, population, or process and make clear recommendations about the best path forward.

Recommended Readings

Here are some of our favorite resources on recommendation reports:

  • Dr. T. Miles’ Recommendation Report
  • NASA Education Recommendation Report 

Learn more about our online business writing courses.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

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how to write a recommendation report for a company

  • Table of Contents

Collaboration

Information literacy, writing process.

  • Recommendation Reports
  • © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida , Julie Staggers - Washington State University

Recommendation reports are texts that advise audiences about the best ways to solve a problem. Recommendation reports are a type of formal report that is widely used across disciplines and professions. Subject Matter Experts aim to make recommendations based on the best available theory, research and practice.

Different disciplines and professions have different research methods for assessing knowledge claims and defining knowledge . Thus, there is no one perfect way to write a recommendation report.

As always, when composing—especially when you’re planning your report—it’s strategic to focus on your audience, rhetorical analysis, and rhetorical reasoning. At center, keep the focus on what you want your audience to feel, think, and do.

While writers, speakers, and knowledge workers . . . may choose a variety of ways to organize their reports, below are some fairly traditional sections to formal recommendations reports:

  • Letter of transmittal
  • Problem Definition
  • Potential solutions to the problem
  • Empirical Research Methods used to investigate the problem
  • Recommendations
  • List of Illustrations

Report Body

Note: your specific rhetorical context will determine what headings you use in your Recommendation Report. That said, the following sections are fairly typical for this genre, and they are required, as appropriate, for this assignment.

What is the purpose of this piece of communication?Succinctly explain the purpose of this document, not the purpose of the project.
What content is included in the memo?

Key Terms.
Provide a brief overview of the report’s main sections for readers who may only read the summary. 

Are there any key terms or concepts that the audience may need defined?
 What problem(s) does the report address? What is the context?Be interesting.

Introduce the . (You may use boilerplate from the Client Proposal and Progress Report)

Provide all of the background and rationale for pursuing this study. [Here you may repeat some language from both the letter of transmittal and the Executive Summary.]

Engage in : Provide the background information your reader needs to understand the problem, stakeholders, and potential solutions

Appeal, if appropriate, to the benefits for the audience
*

If your team used empirical methods, your report needs a Results section.
1. What textual research or empirical research was done? How? Why?Here your aim is to define the research methods you employed.

Use task orientation: Describe the exact tasks you performed and the rationale for each task.

What roles were assigned: Project Manager, Analysis & User Research, Interface Analysis, Deliverables Specialist?

Include a Gantt Chart to identify the work actually conducted as opposed to what was originally planned.

Demonstrate to the reader that you followed the plan outlined in the research proposal. If you made deviations, identify why.
(for empirical contributions to knowledge)What did you find out from your research?The Results section is the writing space reserved for reporting discoveries. This space is reserved for investigators who are employing empirical methods. If you did not use empirical methods, you do not need this section.

Note: A Results section is not equivalent to a review of literature section.
(optional)What are the shortcomings of this study? Did anything go wrong? Include if you encountered any problems that might limit your recommendations
(for empirical contributions to knowledge)What do your results mean?Your research won’t “speak for itself” to the client. You have to tell the client what your results mean. Draw conclusions and implications based on what you have learned. Explain the relationships between pieces of data/information. Describe trends. If there are anomalies, explain what seems wrong or different from what was expected. 
What recommendations can you offer based on your conclusions?Tells the reader what steps, measures, actions they should take in light of the conclusions you have reached.

Substantiate the value of your recommendations by grounding them in and empirical research.

Explain how the recommendations might be implemented. 

Explores how implementing the proposed recommendations benefits the audience.

Report back matter

Collect material for the appendices as you go. The report back matter will include:

  • Bibliography, which is sometimes referred to as Works Cited or References (Use a citation format appropriate for your field (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.)
  • Appendices, if necessary (e.g., letters of support, financial projections)

Formatting and design

Employ a professional writing style throughout, including:

  • Page layout: Appropriate to audience, purpose, and context. 8.5 x 11 with 1-inch margins is a fail-safe default.
  • Typography: Choose business-friendly fonts appropriate to your audience, purpose, and context; Arial for headers and Times New Roman for body text is a safe, neutral default.
  • Headings and subheadings: Use a numbered heading and subheading system, formatted using the Styles function on your word processor.
  • Bulleted and numbered lists: Use lists that are formatted correctly using the list buttons on your word processor with a blank line before the first bullet and after the last bullet
  • Graphics and figures: Support data findings and arguments with appropriate visuals – charts, tables, graphics;  Include numbered titles and captions
  • Page numbering: use lower-case Roman numerals for pages before the table of contents, Arabic numerals; no page number on the TOC.

Additional Resources

  • Final Reports by Angela Eward-Mangione   and Katherine McGee
  • Professional Writing Style

Brevity - Say More with Less

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Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

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Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

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Diction

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

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The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Steps to Take in Writing a Recommendation Report

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Writing a recommendation report usually involves describing a situation, evaluating possible alternatives and proposing a solution to a problem. The final report should include clear, precise and evidence-based fndings and recommendations. Whether you’re writing a project, performance or risk assessment, clearly stating the facts makes it easier for others to reach a decision based on your research.

Selecting a Format

A comprehensive recommendation report typically includes a table of contents, executive summary, data acquisition methodology, options and conclusions. You can download a business recommendation template or create your own document or presentation format. Additionally, you can provide attachments with details or include links to websites with relevant information. Select a format that is best suited to the type of report you are writing.

Describing the Situation

The goal of the recommendation report is to outline helpful recommendations that can fulfill a need or resolve a vexing problem, according to the University of Arkansas . When writing a recommendation report, start by clearly stating what you’re evaluating. This sets the tone. For example, if you need to create a report on absenteeism at your company, start by listing statistics about the problem. Then add commentary about its impact. For example, absenteeism might lead to decreased productivity, missed deadlines and lowered customer satisfaction.

Conducting Research

In your recommendation, you need to define the methodology used to collect data. For example, you might create an online survey, conduct focus groups, complete interviews or read literature on the subject. This activity helps you find out what other people think about the topic and what actions they may be taking based on their own experiences. For example, you might discover that employees at your company may miss work repeatedly due to caregiver obligations, poor health or transportation problems. Analyze the situation thoroughly before drawing any conclusions. For instance, you can use analysis techniques such as drawing a fishbone diagram to determine the root cause of the problem.

Qualifying Alternatives

After you lay out the problem, you may go on to suggest viable solutions, as explained by professor T. Miles at West Virginia University. In writing research recommendations, recall what factors should be considered For example, when writing a recommendation report about employee development needs, list options for developing professional skills, such as effective communication, negotiation and decision making. Your recommendation report may also include details about past interventions and results.

Summarizing Findings

Summarize your findings from your research using concise charts, lists and diagrams. This makes it easier for your superiors to interpret your recommendation and draw their own conclusions. For example, you may find that employees fail to recognize the impact of their absenteeism. Promoting awareness can increase attendance and maintain appropriate coverage.

Your recommendations should have specific, measurable and achievable actions defined. They should also be realistic and time constrained. A recommendation might suggest design, distribution and display by the end of the month of posters in the workplace that highlight incentives and punishments, for instance.

  • West Virginia University: Recommendation Report
  • Microsoft Office Templates: Business Report (Elegant)
  • University of Arkansas: Recommendation Report

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12.5 Recommendation Reports

Recommendation reports provide carefully studied opinions and recommendations. This type of report starts from a stated need, a selection of choices, or both and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, a couple of products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are any good). The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product A, or maybe both Products A and B, or none of the products.

Organizational Plans for Recommendation Reports

Recommendation reports are generally organized in one of two ways (see Figure 12.1):

  • Traditional plan: You start with background and requirements, then move to comparisons, and end with conclusions and recommendations.
  • Executive plan : This one moves the conclusions and recommendations to the front of the report and pitches the full discussion of background, requirements, and the comparisons into appendices. That way, the “busy executive” can see the most important information right away, and turn to the detailed discussion only if there are questions.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

Typical Contents of Recommendation Reports

The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: you provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data and the conclusions leading up to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions and come up with a completely different view. But, more likely, they will be convinced by all your careful research and documentation. The report can be organized using the Whole to Whole approach from Activity 12.5 or the Point by Point approach shown in Activity 12.6. Both approaches will be discussed in more detail in the next section.

Activity 12.5 | Recommendation Report- Whole to Whole Approach- Reproduced with permission from T. Akar (2019)

Introduction

In the introduction, indicate the purpose of the report: discuss the problem, need, or opportunity that has brought about the report. In addition, briefly explain the data collection method.

Significance of Situation

Explain how this problem or situation affects your organization and the importance of finding a solution. Do research to build a strong argument around the impact of the problem.

Requirements and Criteria

A critical part of recommendation reports is the discussion of the requirements you’ll use to reach the final decision or recommendation. For example, if you’re trying to recommend a tablet computer for use by employees, your requirements are likely to involve size, cost, hard-disk storage, display quality, durability, and battery function.

The requirements section should also discuss how important the individual requirements are in relation to each other. Picture the typical situation where no one option is best in all categories of comparison. One option is cheaper; another has more functions; one has better ease-of-use ratings; another is known to be more durable. Set up your requirements so that they dictate a “winner” from a situation where there is no obvious winner.

Discussion of the Options

In certain kinds of recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones you focus on in your report. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements. Your basic requirements may well narrow the field down for you. But there may be other considerations that disqualify other options—explain these as well.

Additionally, you may need to provide brief descriptions of the options themselves. Don’t get this mixed up with the comparison that comes up in the next section. In this description section, you provide a general discussion of the options so that readers will know something about them. The discussion at this stage is not comparative. It’s just a general orientation to the options. In the tablets example, you might want to give some brief, general specifications on each model about to be compared.

Comparison Approaches

One of the most important parts of a recommendation report is the comparison of the options. Remember that you include this section so that readers can check your thinking and come up with different conclusions if they desire. This can be handled with a comparative point by point option or a comparative whole to whole option depending on the situation. Figure 12.2 compares both approaches.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

When do you use the point by point approach? The point-by-point approach is effective when the alternatives can be broken down into categories. If you are comparing tablets, you’d have a section that compared them on cost, another section that compared them on battery function, and so on. You wouldn’t have a section that discussed everything about option A, another that discussed everything about option B, and so on. That would not be effective at all, because the comparisons must still be made somewhere—probably by the reader.  With the point-by-point approach, each of these comparative sections should end with a conclusion that states which option is the best choice in that particular point of comparison. Of course, it won’t always be easy to state a clear winner—you may have to qualify the conclusions in various ways, providing multiple conclusions for different conditions.

When do you use the whole to whole approach? The whole to whole approach is useful when the comparisons don’t break down logically into points or categories. The options being compared might have different advantages and disadvantages that are not comparable. In this situation, it is best to describe each option in detail, including the advantages, limitations and costs (is applicable). In the conclusion, you’d include comparison and analysis of the different options.

Summary table

After the individual comparisons, include a summary table that summarizes the conclusions from the comparison section, if appropriate. Some readers are prone to pay attention to details in a table rather than in paragraphs.

Conclusions

The conclusions section of a recommendation report is in part a summary or restatement of the conclusions you have already reached in the comparison sections. In this section, you restate the individual conclusions, for example, which model had the best price, which had the best battery function, and so on. This section must untangle all the conflicting conclusions and somehow reach the final conclusion, which is the one that states which is the best choice. For example, if one tablet is the least expensive but has poor battery function, but another is the most expensive and has good battery function, which do you choose, and why? The conclusion would state the answer to this dilemma.

Recommendation 

The final section of a recommendation report states the recommendation. You’d think that that ought to be obvious by now. Ordinarily it is, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section and bypass all your hard work! Also, there will be some cases where there may be a best choice, but you wouldn’t want to recommend it. Early in their history, laptop computers were heavy and unreliable. There may have been one model that was better than the rest, but even it was not worth having. The recommendation section should echo the most important conclusions leading to the recommendation and then state the recommendation emphatically as demonstrated in Activity 12.6.

Activity 12.6 | Recommendation Report- Point by Point Approach

Checklist for Recommendation Reports

As you reread and revise your recommendation report, keep in mind the following:

  • Write a good introduction in which you indicate the situation and the audience and provide an overview of the contents.
  • Discuss the background on the problem or opportunity—what brought about the need for the report.
  • State requirements—those factors that influence the decision or the choice of options. (And remember to state how important the requirements are in relation to each other.)
  • Organize the comparison of the options using the point by point approach or whole to whole approach.
  • Include a summary table, if possible, in which you summarize all the key data in table form.
  • Include a conclusions section where you restate all the key conclusions from the comparison section.
  • Include a recommendation section where you make the recommendation. Briefly mention the key factors influencing the recommendation.
  • Include your references section so that the reader can refer to your sources.
  • Proofread and revise for grammar, mechanics and style

Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) Copyright © 2022 by Venecia Williams & Nia Sonja is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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5.3: Composing Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

Learning objectives.

  • Identify when feasibility and recommendation reports are used
  • Examine the various sections of feasibility and recommendation reports

When are Feasibility and Recommendation Reports Used?

Feasibility and recommendation reports are most often the final step in a series of documents, often beginning with a proposal and perhaps a series of progress reports, or they can be created in response to a smaller challenge. Feasibility, recommendation, evaluation, and assessment reports, are analytic reports that all do roughly the same thing—provide a careful study of a situation or problem, and often recommend what should be done to improve a situation. There are some subtle differences among these types, and names for them can vary. They can be written as long reports in response to complex situations as well as shorter reports for less complex ones.

To view examples of feasibility and recommendation reports, please visit David McMurrey’s Online Technical Writing: Examples, Cases, and Models .

What Are Feasibility Reports?

A feasibility report presents an opinion about a situation and a plan for doing something about it. The report then discusses whether that plan is “feasible”—whether it is practical in terms of current technology, economics, time frame, social needs and preferences, and so on. The feasibility report answers the question “Should we implement Plan X?” by stating “yes,” “no,” or sometimes a “maybe” or “under certain conditions.” Not only does it indicate whether the idea is feasible, it also provides the data and the reasoning behind that determination; conversely, it might outline the reasons why the idea cannot or should not be implemented, or what obstacles must be overcome before the idea can become feasible. Typical questions addressed in these reports include the following:

  • Is it possible?   Can this be done within the allotted budget, time frame, legal and regulatory conditions, and technical capabilities?
  • Is it financially viable?  Even if it falls within our budget, should we do it?  Will it have long-term benefits that outweigh costs? Is there a less expensive or financially risky way to achieving the same result? How does it compare to the cost of doing nothing about this situation?
  • Will it be accepted by the community?   Will people be in favour of this idea? Will anyone be opposed to it?  How much public support is necessary to make this successful? (What kind of stakeholder consultation might be necessary to determine this?)
  • Do we have the expertise and human capital to proceed? Does the company have the expertise, resources, and time to commit to the completion of the project within a specified time?

What Are Recommendation Reports?

A recommendation report starts from a stated need; it outlines criteria for assessing the options, it offers a selection of solution options, presents a detailed comparative analysis of the options (in a detailed form of the report), and then makes recommendations. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best fit for them. Criteria for selection might be cost, installation, training, and privacy. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, two-to-three possible products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are appropriate for the client’s specific needs) after comparing each using the criteria for selection. The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product B, or maybe both Products B and C, or none of the products. These recommendations might arise from questions such as the following:

  • What should we do about Problem X?
  • What features or characteristics would address our needs?
  • What is the best way to provide Function or Service A?
  • Should we use Technology X or Technology Y to perform Function Z?

What Are the Typical Contents of Recommendation and Feasibility Reports?

Whatever variety of feasibility or recommendation report you write, most of the sections and the organization of those sections are roughly the same.

The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: You provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data, analysis, discussion, and the conclusions leading to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions to make sure your methodology was sound and that they can agree with your recommendation. Your goal is to convince the reader to agree with you by using your careful research, detailed analysis, rhetorical style, and documentation.

 Your report will be divided into several sections that will likely include most or all of the following elements:

  • INTRODUCTION: The introduction should clearly state the document’s purpose. Your introduction will include the problem definition, which discusses the “unsatisfactory situation” or opportunity that has given rise to this report and the requirements that must be met. You should also include some background information to describe the circumstances leading up to the situation and your report. Finally, provide an overview of the contents of the report.
  • TECHNICAL BACKGROUND:  Most recommendation or feasibility reports may require a technical background section in order to make the rest of the report meaningful.
  • Numerical values : Many requirements are stated as maximum or minimum numerical values. For example, there may be a cost requirement such as “the tablet should cost no more than $900.”
  • Yes/no values :  Some requirements are simply a yes-no question. Does the tablet come equipped with Bluetooth? Is the car equipped with voice recognition?
  • Ratings values :  In some cases, key considerations cannot be handled either with numerical values or yes/no values. For example, your organization might want a tablet that has an ease-of-use rating of at least “good” by some nationally accepted ratings group. Or you may have to assign ratings yourself.
  • DISCUSSION OF SOLUTION OPTIONS: In certain kinds of feasibility or recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones your report focuses on. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements.

All the information about Option 1

Compare all Options according to Criteria A (cost)

All the information about Option 2

Compare all Options according to Criteria B (functionality)

All the information about Option 3

Compare all options according to Criteria C (ease of use)

Direct Comparative Analysis of all three options and Summary of Results

Summary of Results

  • CONCLUSIONS:  The conclusions section of a feasibility or recommendation report sums up the report.
  • RECOMMENDATIONS: The final section of feasibility and recommendation reports states the recommendations which flow directly from your conclusions and directly address the problem outlined in the introduction. These may sometimes be repetitive, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section.

Here is a summary of the sections of a recommendation report:

Indicate the situation. Indicate the situation and the main points from the report.
Discuss the background of the problem or opportunity—what brought about the need for the report? Give technical background if necessary. Discuss the background of the problem or opportunity—what brought about the need for the report? Give technical background if necessary.
State requirements—those factors that influence the decision on the choice of options (objectives and constraints).
Indicate how the field of options was narrowed to the ones being compared (if relevant).
Provide an overview of the contents.
Organize the comparative analysis/discussion of the options using the point-by-point  or whole-to-whole approach. Choose the structure that best matches your content and purpose. Detail findings and analysis of findings.
At the end of each comparative section, state the best choice in terms that point of comparison.
Include a table, if possible, in which you summarize all the key data.
Restate all the key conclusions from the Discussion sections. Sum up the findings of the report.
State secondary conclusions, and base them on requirements established at the beginning.
State a final conclusion (about the overall feasibility of the idea or about the overall strengths and weaknesses of each option compared).
Make recommendations for future actions; include actionable steps. Make recommendations for future actions; include actionable steps.
Fully document any sources used in the report in a list of references. Fully document any sources used in the report in a list of references.
Add any additional information that has been referred to but not included in the body of the report. Add any additional information that has been referred to but not included in the body of the report.

Exercise 5.3.A: Complete a Recommendation Report

Create the conclusion and recommendation sections for this simplified version of a Recommendation Report (Centennial College, 2019):

Introduction and Technical Background

Virtual reality is often considered a futuristic invention, but it is becoming more of a reality with technology such as the Oculus Rift. Oculus Rift is a headset that when worn by a user, creates a vivid virtual world. Although is easy to learn how to use the headset, it is recommended that users have a high-performance computer and adequate space to operate it properly.

A virtual reality experience provides a combination of computer-generated audio, visual, tactile and other sensory experiences. The user’s engagement with the virtual environment, when using a virtual reality headset is made to feel realistic and vivid. Clamann (2017) notes that “a key design goal for virtual reality is to instil a feeling of presence, or the illusion of being immersed in the environment, as opposed to simply viewing the environment from an outside perspective” (para. 1). One particular example of a virtual reality headset is The Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift is a screen-like device that the user wears on their head. The Oculus Rift mimics the user’s head movements to survey the virtual world and its surroundings. It provides an immersive, lifelike experience (Donovan, 2017).

Discussion/Findings

The Oculus Quest kit consists of a headset, tracking camera, receiver and remote controller. It is important to note that the Oculus is controlled by a high performance computer. Oculus users must have access to a computer that meets the minimum requirements and system specifications.

The current suggested manufacturer retail price for an Oculus Quest is $399 USD.

The Oculus Quest is set up through the following process:

  • Select the Oculus app from computer desktop.
  • Connect the Oculus headset and sensors to the laptop, using HDMI and USB cords.
  • Verify the connection between the headset, sensors and laptop (four green check marks will show successful connection).
  • Clear a space of at least 3 feet by 6 feet.
  • Define the borders of the play space by walking its perimeter with the sensors.
  • Adjust the headset straps and eyepieces to fit comfortably.
  • Put on the wrist straps for the controllers.
  • Lower the headset over the eyes.
  • Begin the tutorial or select the desired app.

Conclusions (to be developed)

Recommendation (to be developed)

Clamann, M. (2019). Virtual reality. In AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education.  https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757461

Donovan, J. (2017).  Mastering oculus rift development: Explore the new frontier of virtual reality with the oculus rift and bring the VR revolution to your own projects (1st ed.). Packt. https://go.exlibris.link/ksnDPqZm

References & Attributions

Centennial College. (2019). Sample investigation report. https://libraryguides.centennialcollege.ca/ld.php?content_id=34810876

Attributions

Content on this page is adapted from Technical Writing Essentials by Suzan Last, which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Content on this page is adapted from David Murrey’s “Recommendation and Feasibility Reports,” in Online technical writing , which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

Writing in a Technical Environment (First Edition) Copyright © 2022 by Centennial College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a Letter of Recommendation (Template Included!)

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An email arrives in your inbox from a former employee or coworker. The subject line: “ Request: Recommendation Letter for Job” . At first, you feel thrilled and flattered to be asked to vouch for someone. Then, you start to think about the best way to do this. 

Reference letters can be challenging, especially when you want to craft something that’s well-written, personalized, and truly does that person justice to a hiring manager .

But worry no more! Writing a recommendation letter no longer needs to send you into a tailspin, thanks to our easy-to-follow guide.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A letter of recommendation is a formal way to recommend someone based on their work, personal character, or academic performance. It’s your chance to tell potential employers, “Hey, this person is amazing; you should totally hire them!”

Think of it like recommending your go-to hairstylist to a friend. You wouldn't just say they're good—you'd highlight their skills, and why they're perfect for the job. This letter does the same, showcasing their strengths beyond a resume .

Many employers will use the letter of recommendation as a tool to get to know the candidate better through someone else’s lens. That is why it’s so important. Your words can make a big impact on the hiring managers' decision and pretty much determine whether a person will land their dream job or not. 

5 tips for writing a letter of recommendation

The good thing about reference letters is that they typically follow a similar structure. Sure, you can (and should!) add your personal touch, but no employer is expecting anything too extravagant or unusual. Here are five tips to kick-start your draft:

1. Ask for background information

First things first, you need to know why you’re being asked to write the recommendation letter. Are you writing a letter of recommendation for academic reasons, a personal character reference, a new job, or something else? If this person hasn’t already shared specifics on the letter, ask them to give you:

  • Contact details for who the letter should be addressed to
  • A current resume
  • The description of the position they’re seeking
  • Any specific examples they’d like you to include and highlight
  • The timeframe for the letter to be sent

Having this info in-hand will help you focus on the right traits and accomplishments and position the person in the best way possible.

2. Establish the professional connection

Crafting a good recommendation letter begins by defining your relationship with the person being recommended. Establish how you worked together and for how long in a sentence or two. Did they report to you? Were they your boss? Did you work in different departments, but collaborated closely on a project?

3. Emphasize important strengths and skills

Evaluate the candidate’s work, focusing on their strengths and applying it to the position they’re seeking. For example, if they’re targeting a management position, showcase their leadership skills . Highlight tangible successes that can be quantified, detailing an increase in sales or how effective they were at managing budgets and/or people.

4. Highlight key achievements

Describe how they stood out from the rest of their colleagues and use specific examples that support your case, whether it’s taking the initiative on a complex project or spearheading a new company-wide program.

Concrete anecdotes will create a lasting impression. If you can, it’s nice to seal the deal with a comparison, such as saying they’re “the most effective salesperson I’ve ever worked with” or “one of the top two employees I’ve ever managed”—as long as that’s true, of course.

5. Master the letter of recommendation format

The letter of recommendation format also has a simple and straightforward structure. Of course it can vary depending on the purpose of the letter, but these are the four most necessary pieces of information to include:

  • A formal salutation, such as “Dear [First and Last Name of the recipient]”
  • A concise self-introduction
  • A closing statement summarizing the key points of your recommendation
  • A signature , including your name, your job or academic title, your company name and your contact information.

Still not sure what to say? Our basic template will show you how to write a letter of recommendation that not only is personalized, but highlights why your colleague should get the position they are seeking.

Letter of recommendation template

Dear [First and Last Name],

It’s my absolute pleasure to recommend [Name] for [position] with [Company]. [Name] and I [relationship] at [Company] for [length of time].

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with [Name], and came to know [him/her/them] as a truly valuable asset to our team. [He is/She is/They are] honest, dependable, and incredibly hardworking. Beyond that, [he is/she is/they are] an impressive [soft skill] who is able to [result].

[His/her/their] knowledge of [specific subject] and expertise in [specific subject] was a huge advantage to our entire office. [He/she/they] put this skill set to work in order to [specific achievement].

Along with [his/her/their] undeniable talent, [Name] has always been an absolute joy to work with. [He is/she is/they are] a true team player, and always foster[s] positive discussions and bring[s] the best out of other employees.

Without a doubt, I confidently recommend [Name] to join your team at [Company]. As a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person, I know that [he/she/they] will be a beneficial addition to your organization.

Please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567 if you want to discuss [Name]’s qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.

Best wishes,

[Your Name]

[Company Name]

Seems simple enough, right?

But I know that filling in those blanks is one of the toughest parts. So, let’s take a look at our recommendation letter example in practice, shall we?

Here’s how this recommendation letter draft would look for Joanne, a hypothetical sales employee I’d previously managed.

Recommendation letter sample

Dear Arya Smith,

It’s my absolute pleasure to recommend Joanne Adams for the Sales Manager position with The Sales Company.

Joanne and I worked together at Generic Sales Company, where I was her manager and direct supervisor from 2015 to 2019.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Joanne and came to know her as a truly valuable asset to our team. She is honest, dependable, and incredibly hardworking. Beyond that, she is an impressive problem solver who is able to address complex issues strategically and confidently. Joanne is inspired by challenges and never intimidated by them.

Her knowledge of sales etiquette and expertise in cold calling was a huge advantage to our entire office. Not only did she put this skill set to work, but she also led a series of training sessions on cold calling with the team—increasing our total sales by over 18% in just one quarter. I know that Joanne was a huge piece of our success.

Along with her undeniable talent, Joanne has always been an absolute joy to work with. She is a true team player, and always fosters positive discussions and brings the best out of other employees.

Without a doubt, I confidently recommend Joanne to join your team at The Sales Company. As a dedicated and knowledgeable employee and an all-around great person, I know that she will be a beneficial addition to your organization.

Please feel free to contact me at 555-123-4567 if you want to discuss Joanne's qualifications and experience further. I’d be happy to expand on my recommendation.

Kat Boogaard

Director of Sales

Generic Sales Company

There you have it—a reference letter that is quick to the point, enthusiastic yet professional, and would make anybody want to hire Joanne immediately.

Of course, keep in mind that this is simply a letter of recommendation template. You can definitely make some tweaks and inject creativity and personality into your own reference letter. In fact, I encourage you to do so!

In the meantime, this reference letter example should get you started and on the right track. Remember, be complimentary (while still being honest!). A negative recommendation serves no purpose, so if you find yourself going down that road, it’s better to tell the person no.

And, of course, ensure that you personalize every single letter or recommendation email that you write. The more customized you can make it, the better!

how to write a recommendation report for a company

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8.4 Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies

how to write a recommendation report for a company

This chapter will discuss what feasibility and recommendation reports consist of and how to create and organize their contents. To view examples of feasibility and recommendation reports, please visit David McMurrey’s Online Technical Writing: Examples, Cases, and Models .

Feasibility Reports

how to write a recommendation report for a company

A feasibility report presents an opinion about a situation (for example, a problem or opportunity) and a plan for doing something about it. The report then discusses whether that plan is “feasible”—whether it is practical in terms of current technology, economics, time frame, social needs and preferences, and so on. The feasibility report answers the question “Should we implement Plan X?” by stating “yes,” “no,” or sometimes a “maybe” or “under certain conditions.” Not only does it indicate whether the idea is feasible, it also provides the data and the reasoning behind that determination; conversely, it might outline the reasons why the idea cannot or should not be implemented, or what obstacles must be overcome before the idea can become feasible. Typical questions addressed in these reports include

  • Is it possible?   Can this be done within the allotted budget, time frame, legal and regulatory conditions, and technical capabilities?
  • Is it financially viable?  Even if it falls within our budget, should we do it?  Will it have long-term benefits that outweigh costs? Is there a less expensive or financially risky way to achieving the same result? How does it compare to the cost of doing nothing about this situation?
  • Will it be accepted by the community?   Will people be in favor of this idea? Will anyone be opposed to it?  How much public support is necessary to make this successful? (What kind of stakeholder consultation might be necessary to determine this?)
  • Do we have the expertise and human capital to proceed? Does the company have the expertise, resources, and time to commit to the completion of the project within a specified time?

Recommendation Reports

A recommendation report starts from a stated need; it outlines criteria for assessing the options, it offers a selection of solution options, presents a detailed comparative analysis of the options, and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best fit for them. Criteria for selection might be cost, installation, training, and privacy. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, two-to-three possible products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are appropriate for the client’s specific needs) after comparing each using the criteria for selection. The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product B, or maybe both Products B and C, or none of the products. These recommendations might arise from questions such as

  • What should we do about Problem X?
  • What features or characteristics would address our needs?
  • What is the best way to provide Function or Service A?
  • Should we use Technology X or Technology Y to perform Function Z?

( Feasibility Analysis , 2021)

Knowledge Check

Typical Contents of Recommendation and Feasibility Reports

Whatever variety of feasibility or recommendation report you write, whatever name people call it—most of the sections and the organization of those sections are roughly the same.

The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: You provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data, analysis, discussion, and the conclusions leading to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions to make sure your methodology was sound and that they can agree with your recommendation. Your goal is to convince the reader to agree with you by using your careful research, detailed analysis, rhetorical style, and documentation.

The general problem-solving approach for a recommendation report entails the steps shown in the example below.

1. Identify the What is the “unsatisfactory situation” that needs to be improved or addressed?
2. Identify the for responding to the need

What is the overall goal?

What are the specific, measurable objectives any solution should achieve?

What constraints must any solution adhere to?

3. Determine the solution you will examine

Define the scope of your approach to the problem.

Identify the possible courses of action that you will examine in your report. You might include the consequences of simply doing nothing.

4. Study how well each meets the

Systematically study each option, and compare how well they meet each of the objectives you have set.

Provide a systematic and quantifiable way to compare how well the solution options meet the objectives (weighted objectives chart).

5. Draw based on your analysis Based on the research presented in your discussion section, sum up your findings and give a comparative evaluation of how well each of the options meets the criteria and addresses the need.
6. Formulate based on your conclusion Indicate which course of action the reader should take to address the problem, based on your analysis of the data presented in the report.

These steps generally coincide with how you will organize your information. Your report will be divided into several sections that will likely include most or all of the following elements:

  • INTRODUCTION: T he introduction should clearly state the document’s purpose. Your introduction will include the problem definition, which discusses the “unsatisfactory situation” or opportunity that has given rise to this report and the requirements that must be met. You should also include some background information to describe the circumstances leading up to the situation and your report. Finally, provide an overview of the contents of the report.
  • TECHNICAL BACKGROUND:   S ome recommendation or feasibility reports may require establishing the need for the recommendation in order to make the rest of the report meaningful. You should include some background information to describe the circumstances leading up to the situation and your report.  For example, a discussion of the power and speed of tablets is going to necessitate some discussion of RAM, megahertz, and processors. Also, describe your research methods.
  • If you’re trying to recommend a tablet for use by employees, your requirements are likely to involve size, cost, hard-disk storage, display quality, durability, and battery function.
  • If you’re looking into the feasibility of providing every student at Austin Community College with an ID on the ACC computer network, you’d need to define the basic requirements of such a program—what it would be expected to accomplish, problems that it would have to avoid, and so on.
  • If you’re evaluating the recent program of free bus transportation in Austin, you’d need to know what was expected of the program and then compare its actual results to those requirements.

Requirements can be defined in several ways:

Numerical Values : Many requirements are stated as maximum or minimum numerical values. For example, there may be a cost requirement—the tablet should cost no more than $900.

Yes/no Values :   Some requirements are simply a yes-no question. Does the tablet come equipped with Bluetooth? Is the car equipped with voice recognition?

Ratings Values :  In some cases, key considerations cannot be handled either with numerical values or yes/no values. For example, your organization might want a tablet that has an ease-of-use rating of at least “good” by some nationally accepted ratings group. Or you may have to assign ratings yourself.

The requirements section should also discuss how important the individual requirements are in relation to each other. Picture the typical situation where no one option is best in all categories of comparison. One option is cheaper; another has more functions; one has better ease-of-use ratings; another is known to be more durable. Set up your requirements so that they dictate a “winner” from a situation where there is no obvious winner. A “weighted objectives chart” or “Decision Matrix” is often used in these cases.

4. DISCUSSION OF SOLUTION OPTIONS:  In certain kinds of feasibility or recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones your report focuses on. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements. Your basic requirements may well narrow the field down for you. But other considerations may disqualify other options—explain these as well.

Additionally, you may need to provide brief technical descriptions of the options themselves. Don’t get this mixed up with the comparison that comes up in the next section. In this description section, you provide a general discussion of the options so that readers will know something about them. The discussion at this stage is not comparative. It’s just a general orientation to the options. In the tablets example, you might want to give some brief, general specifications on each model about to be compared.

5. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: O ne of the most important parts of a feasibility or recommendation report is the comparison of the options. Remember that you include this section so that readers can follow the logic of your analysis and come up with different conclusions if they desire. This comparison can be structured using a “block” (whole-to-whole) approach, or an “alternating” (point-by-point) approach.

All the information about Option 1

Compare all Options according to Criteria A (cost)

All the information about Option 2

Compare all Options according to Criteria B (functionality)

All the information about Option 3

Compare all options according to Criteria C (ease of use)

Direct Comparative Analysis of all three options and Summary of Results

Summary of Results

You might compare three options (1, 2, and 3) using three criteria for comparison (A, B, and C).  If you were comparing tablets, you’d likely use the point-by-point approach, having a section that compared all three options based on cost (criteria A), another section that compared them on battery function, and so on. You wouldn’t have a section that discussed everything about option 1, another that discussed everything about option 2, and so on. That would not be effective or efficient because you still have to make direct comparisons somewhere near the end of your discussion (such as in a weighted objectives chart).

Each of these comparative sections should end with a conclusion that sums up the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option and indicates which option is the best choice in that particular category of comparison. Of course, it won’t always be easy to state a clear winner—you may have to qualify the conclusions in various ways, providing multiple conclusions for different conditions.

If you were writing an evaluation report, you wouldn’t be comparing options. Instead, you’d be comparing the thing being evaluated against the requirements placed upon it, or the expectations people had of it. For example, Capital Metro had a program of more than a year of free bus transportation.  What was expected of that program? Did the program meet those expectations?

( Three Rules for Better Comparison Tables , 2019)

6. SUMMARY TABLE: A fter the individual comparisons, include a summary table (such as a w eighted objectives chart ) that summarizes the conclusions from the comparative analysis section. Given the trend to increasing use of visual narrative in reports, some readers are more likely to expect and pay attention to details in a table; however, you still have to write up a clear summary paragraph of your findings.

7. CONCLUSIONS:  The conclusions section of a feasibility or recommendation report amalgamates all of the conclusions you have already reached in each of the comparison sections. In this section, you restate the individual conclusions, for example, which model had the best price, which had the best battery function, and so on. You could give a summary of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option based on how well they meet the criteria.

This section has to go further. It must untangle all the conflicting conclusions and somehow reach the final conclusion, which is the one that states which is the best choice. Thus, the conclusion section first lists the primary conclusions —the simple, single-category ones. Then it must state secondary conclusions —the ones that balance conflicting primary conclusions. For example, if one tablet is the least inexpensive but has poor battery function, but another is the most expensive but has good battery function, which do you choose and why? The secondary conclusion would state the answer to this dilemma.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS: Th e final section of feasibility and recommendation reports states the recommendations which flow directly from your conclusions and directly address the problem outlined in the introduction. These may sometimes be repetitive, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section. Also, in some cases where there may be a best choice, you may not want to recommend it. For example, early in their history, laptop computers were heavy and unreliable—one model may have been better than the rest, but even so, it may not have been worth having. You may want to recommend further research, a pilot project, or a re-design of one of the options discussed.

The recommendation section should outline what further work needs to be done, based solidly on the information presented previously in the report and responding directly to the needs outlined in the beginning. In some cases, you may need to recommend several ranked options based on different possibilities.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

Revision Checklist for Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

As you reread and revise your feasibility or recommendation report, ensure that you have included all of the sections and elements described below.

Indicate the situation and the audience.
Discuss the background of the problem or opportunity—what brought about the need for the report? Give technical background if necessary.
State requirements—those factors that influence the decision on the choice of options (objectives and constraints).
Indicate how the field of options was narrowed to the ones being compared (if relevant).
Provide an overview of the contents.
Organize the comparative analysis/discussion of the options using the point-by-point  or whole-to-whole approach. Choose the structure that best matches your content and purpose.
At the end of each comparative section, state the best choice in terms that point of comparison.
Include a table, if possible, in which you summarize all the key data.
Restate all the key conclusions from the Discussion sections.
State secondary conclusions, and base them on requirements established at the beginning.
State a final conclusion (about the overall feasibility of the idea or about the overall strengths and weaknesses of each option compared).
Make recommendations for future actions; include actionable steps.
Fully document any sources used in the report in a list of references.
Add any additional information that has been referred to but not included in the body of the report.

Bureau, A.F.  (2020). How to determine the feasibility of a business idea? Alcor ,  https://alcorfund.com/insight/how-to-determine-the-feasibility-of-a-business-idea/

Ewald, T. (2017). Writing in the technical fields: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

McMurrey, D. (1997-2017). Examples, cases, models. Online Technical Writing.  https://mcmassociates.io/textbook/models.html

NN Group. (2019). 3 rules for better comparison tables [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f8Kzf3Y_l0

Promac School of Project Management. (2021). Feasibility analysis [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=feasibility+reports

Technical Writing Essentials Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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  • Business Templates
  • Sample Reports

FREE 10+ Business Recommendation Report Samples in PDF | DOC

Business Recommendation Report featured

Business reports are known to be formal and objective. Every details must be presented in a very clear manner and should be something that is verifiable. Objectivity is very crucial in every reports. In addition to that, it must also remain impersonal and focused on the objectives set by the company. Sometimes, we have to make decisions that requires us to become more vigilant when it comes to evaluating our own options. Having a business recommendation report allows you to have a list of potential solutions to a particular issue and closes it through having the best recommendation. These recommendation reports are often persuasive by nature. They are more into pursuing to have a final recommendation that is based on research and evidence.

Business Recommendation Report

10+ business recommendation report samples, 1. business recommendation report, 2. business recommendation staff report, 3. business activity recommendation report, 4. business analysis recommendation report, 5. business committee recommendation report, 6. business sector recommendation report, 7. business recommendation operations report, 8. community business plan recommendation report, 9. business entrepreneurship recommendation report, 10. business management recommendation report, 11. business revision recommendation report, what is a business recommendation report, sections of a business recommendation report, should i use third person or first person in writing a business recommendation report, does a business recommendation report follow the three basic parts or sections as a format.

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business recommendation staff report

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business analysis recommendation report

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business sector recommendation report

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business recommendation operations report

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community business plan recommendation report

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business revision recommendation report

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A business recommendation report is generally written for the purpose of proposing or recommending a specific option in order to solve a particular problem of provide a need. Its goal is to allow comparison between those proposed options, recommend the best one, and support that recommendation. However, we always have to consider the cost and other matters as well. The audience for a business recommendation report is mostly predetermined and specific. The report writers are then obliged to provide sufficient details or information in which the audience can actually follow the recommended actions as one of the recommended members in the organization.

Below are the the sections that you would find in a typical business recommendation report.

  • Executive summary – you always have to begin with an executive summary which aims to give a short description or discussion about your purpose of writing the report . This would usually establish the expectations of every reader especially if it includes information on what to follow. You just have to make sure that you will be able to state clearly the reasons for writing the report and for what is inside the report.
  • Problem statement – business recommendation reports require you to address a specific issue or problem in which your problem statement is considered as the most essential part. It allows you to articulate all the stated issues or problems in a clear and accurate manner and can even provide a strong sense of need with regards to exploring the contents of the report. This is where you can be able to justify its purpose.
  • Description of options – this is considered to be the heart of the business recommendation report wherein you will be able to set a list of possible ideas that help you in finding the best solution to the problems cited at the beginning of the report. The ideas should be well-planned. In addition to that, each of the options must be a comprehensive review about the idea, suited information as to how those options answer the need, specific details about how you are going to implement the idea, and valid justifications on how you are going to work with those ideas.
  • Evaluation criteria and evaluations of each option – after describing your ideas, consider providing an outline for the evaluation. Your criteria must be based on the information that you have placed in the statement of need. After justifying the criteria, make an evaluation to each of your ideas based on its ability to answer your criteria.
  • Final recommendation – recommend the best one and provide an explanation why you proposed or recommended it.
  • Conclusion – in this section, you are going re-state the final recommendation and provide suggestions about how your readers can move towards the implementation.
  • Reference – your business recommendation report must undergo a thorough research that includes conducting interviews and surveys to getting necessary related information from articles, documents, journals, etc. Using this way, you should be able to cite your sources to give credits to where you got all those information you used in your report.

untoldcontent.com

Business recommendation reports must be written professionally. It can be used either of the two perspectives depending on a specific purpose.

Yes. These basic parts are referred to as the introduction, body, and conclusion. Each of them serves a different purpose and contains different content and information.

If you want to see more samples and format, try to check some of the business recommendation reports sample and templates provided in the article for your reference.

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Strategic Business Recommendations: How to Write and Present Them Effectively

how to write a recommendation report for a company

Writing and presenting strategic business recommendations can be a challenging task. To ensure success, it is important to follow a structured process and present your recommendations clearly and persuasively. This article provides valuable tips and strategies to help you write and present your recommendations effectively and achieve your desired outcomes.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

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Effective strategic business recommendations can make or break a company’s success. Whether it’s proposing a new product or service, outlining a marketing strategy, or presenting operational improvements, the way in which these recommendations are presented can be the difference between approval and rejection. In today’s fast-paced business world, it is crucial to be able to communicate ideas clearly and effectively. This article will provide guidance on how to write and present strategic business recommendations to communicate your vision better, inspire confidence in your ideas, and ultimately achieve your goals.

Table of Contents

1. understanding the importance of strategic business recommendations, 2. identifying the key components of effective recommendations, 3. conducting in-depth research to support your recommendations, 4. analyzing data and statistics to validate your recommendations, 5. assessing current market trends and competitors, 6. developing a clear and concise action plan, 7. crafting a convincing executive summary to present to stakeholders, 8. presenting your recommendations with confidence and clarity, 9. tailoring your presentation to your target audience, 10. incorporating visuals and supporting materials to enhance your presentation, 11. addressing potential objections and criticisms from stakeholders, 12. evaluating the success of your recommendations and adjusting as necessary, our readers ask, final thoughts.

In today’s fast-paced business world, making the right strategic decisions can mean the difference between success and failure. That’s why having a team of experts to guide you through this process is so important. Business recommendations, based on thorough research and analysis, can be the key to making smart, informed decisions that will help your company thrive.

Strategic business recommendations can help you evaluate various options, assess the potential risks and benefits, and determine the best course of action for your organization. Whether you are considering new product lines, expanding into new markets, or reorganizing your company, having access to expert business recommendations is critical. These recommendations can provide you with the insights and advice you need to confidently move forward, knowing that you are making the best choices for your business. So, if you’re serious about success, make sure you prioritize the importance of strategic business recommendations in all of your decision-making processes.

To ensure that your recommendation stands out and convinces its recipients, it is crucial to identify the key components that make recommendations effective. Here are some of the components that you need to focus on:

– Background Information: Before you dive into the recommendation itself, make sure that you provide context that explains why the recommendation is needed. This helps create a framework for understanding and sets the tone for your proposal. – Specificity: Avoid being vague or generic. Instead, be specific about what your recommendation entails, why it is necessary, and what steps need to be taken. Use concrete examples and data to add credibility to your proposal. – Actionable: The recommendation also needs to be actionable. Ensure that you provide clear instructions on how implementation can be carried out, along with timelines, resource requirements, and responsibilities. – Benefits: Conveying the benefits of the recommendation is also essential. Explaining how the proposal will affect business outcomes, costs, customer satisfaction, or employee morale – whatever the case may be – will help underscore its value.

Another essential component of effective recommendations is understanding your audience and tailoring your proposal to their needs. Whether you are making recommendations to your boss, team members, customers, or partners, make sure that you use language that they can understand and resonates with their pain points. Plan your style and approach based on your audience to ensure the highest chance of acceptance. By taking all these components into account, your recommendations will be sure to garner a positive response and create actual results.

When it comes to making recommendations, conducting in-depth research is critical to making informed decisions. Research helps to uncover the underlying issues, identify potential solutions and validate assumptions. It also provides a basis for creating robust and actionable recommendations that can lead to meaningful change.

To conduct thorough research, it’s essential to start with a clear understanding of the problem or opportunity at hand. A well-defined problem statement can help guide your research by outlining the key issues and questions you need to explore. This helps to focus your efforts and resources, ensuring that you’re gathering the correct information to support your recommendations. Additionally, it’s essential to use a variety of sources when conducting research, including primary and secondary sources. This approach helps to ensure that you’re getting a broad and diverse range of perspectives that can inform your recommendations.

When it comes to making recommendations for your business or organization, it’s essential to back up your ideas with solid data and statistics. Analyzing this information can help you validate your suggestions and convince stakeholders of the best course of action. Here are some tips for effectively analyzing data and statistics:

1. Define your objectives – Before you start analyzing any data, be clear on your objectives. What are you hoping to achieve? What questions are you hoping to answer? This will help you focus your efforts and ensure that you’re gathering the correct information.

2. Use multiple sources – It’s essential to use a variety of sources when analyzing data and statistics. This can include surveys, customer feedback, sales reports, and industry research. By gathering information from multiple sources, you can get a complete picture of the situation and make more informed recommendations.

To succeed in today’s business world, it’s crucial to keep a close eye on the current market trends and the competition. It’s essential to stay ahead of the game, and this means continually assessing the landscape to stay on top of any developments that could have an impact on the business.

One way to stay on top of the competition is by conducting a SWOT analysis. This involves evaluating the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By identifying these factors, the business can begin to formulate strategies to strengthen its position in the market. It’s also essential to stay on top of current trends and understand how they are affecting the organization and the industry as a whole. This could involve tracking consumer behavior, analyzing competitors’ actions, and keeping up-to-date with industry news. By keeping a finger on the pulse, the business can adapt quickly to changes and ensure it stays ahead of the competition.

After identifying the goals and objectives, the next step is to develop a clear and concise action plan. A proper action plan will allow the team to visualize and prioritize the steps needed to achieve the goals. Moreover, it will help track the team’s progress, and ensure that they remain focused on their targets.

To develop a clear and concise action plan, the first thing to do is to break down the goals into smaller, more achievable steps. Set timelines and assign responsibilities for each step, and make sure that they are attainable. It is also important to allocate resources, such as personnel and budget, to ensure the plan remains feasible. Furthermore, it is crucial to communicate the plan effectively to all the team members to ensure buy-in and participation. Overall, a well-designed and communicated action plan will guide the team toward achieving their objectives.

It is essential for achieving the set goals and objectives. An adequately designed action plan will allow for better progress tracking, focus the team on their targets, and ensure allocating the necessary resources. By breaking down the goals into smaller, attainable steps, assigning timelines and responsibilities, communicating effectively, and allocating resources, a team can achieve its objectives within the desired timeframe.

When it comes to presenting your business plan to stakeholders, your executive summary will play a crucial role. It’s essentially the elevator pitch of your entire proposal and should be crafted to be persuasive and engaging from its opening sentence. Here are some tips to make your summary stand out:

– Use clear and concise language: Avoid jargon or technical terms that could be confusing for non-experts. Use short sentences and avoid unnecessary explanations or details. – Start with a hook: Your first sentence should grab the attention of your audience and set the tone for the rest of the summary. Consider using a surprising fact, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement. – Highlight your key points: Your summary should cover the most critical aspects of your business plan, such as your target market, your unique value proposition, and your financial projections. Use bullet points or bold text to make your main ideas stand out. – Focus on benefits: Instead of just listing features, emphasize the benefits that your business will bring to your stakeholders. Show how your product or service will solve their problems or fulfill their needs. – Be realistic: While you want to make your plan sound exciting, avoid overpromising or exaggerating your claims. Make sure data and research back your projections.

Remember that your executive summary is your chance to make a strong first impression on your stakeholders. Ensure it’s well-written, persuasive, and tailored to your audience’s interests and needs.

When presenting your recommendations, it’s important to exude confidence and clarity. By doing so, you will not only capture your audience’s attention but also instill a sense of trust and conviction in them. Here are some tips for :

Firstly, know your material inside out. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the subject matter before you make any assumptions or recommendations. Research thoroughly, review all available data, and draw conclusions based on facts rather than speculations. Secondly, use visual aids such as graphs, charts, and diagrams to support your recommendations. These can help illustrate complex ideas and make the presentation more interactive and engaging. Thirdly, use precise and concise language. Speak clearly and use simple, easy-to-understand terms. Avoid complicated jargon and acronyms that may confuse your audience.

In addition, it’s crucial to remain open to feedback and questions from your audience. Encourage them to ask questions and offer their own suggestions. Also, clarify any misunderstandings or gaps in knowledge they may have, and respond with facts, examples, and supportive evidence. Remember, being confident doesn’t mean being rigid or dogmatic. Be open-minded and willing to adapt and adjust your recommendations based on the feedback and input you receive.

Last but not least, practice, practice, practice! The more you practice your presentation, the more comfortable and confident you will feel. Consider rehearsing in front of a mirror, recording yourself, or delivering a dry run for a small group of colleagues. This will help you hone your delivery and fine-tune your message for maximum impact. Finally, make sure you present yourself professionally. Dress appropriately, maintain good eye contact, and use confident body language.

Knowing your target audience is an essential part of tailoring a successful presentation. Understanding the demographics, interests, and needs of your audience will allow you to tailor your message appropriately. This can include using appropriate language and tone, selecting the right images and multimedia, and emphasizing key points that resonate with your audience.

When it’s essential to consider their level of knowledge and experience, you may need to adjust your content accordingly, either by simplifying complex concepts or by adding more detailed information for those with a deeper understanding. Additionally, it’s essential to consider the unique challenges and experiences that your audience may be facing, and how your presentation can help address those issues. By taking the time to tailor your presentation to your audience, you will position yourself as a knowledgeable and thoughtful presenter, increasing your chances of making a lasting impression.

A picture truly is worth a thousand words. Incorporating visuals and supporting materials into your presentation can significantly enhance the overall impact of your message. Effective use of visuals can help your audience understand complex ideas better and retain more information. They make your presentation more engaging, compelling, and memorable.

When using visuals, be sure to choose high-quality images and diagrams that are relevant to your topic. Avoid using low-quality or pixelated images as they can detract from the overall professionalism of your presentation. Consider using graphs and charts to present data or statistics visually. This helps your audience understand the trends and patterns more easily. Keep in mind that less is more. Instead of cluttering your slides with too many visuals, aim to use them sparingly to emphasize your points effectively. With the right balance of visuals and supporting materials, you can make your presentation more dynamic and persuasive.

When implementing any project or initiative, it is vital to anticipate and address any potential objections and criticisms from stakeholders. These objections can range from practical concerns about the project’s feasibility to ethical concerns about its impact on the community. It is essential to take these objections seriously and address them thoughtfully and transparently.

One approach to addressing objections is to engage in open and honest communication with stakeholders. This can involve holding community meetings or focus groups to gather feedback and concerns. It is important to be receptive to feedback and take it seriously, even if it may be critical. Additionally, offering explanations and clarifications about the project can help avoid misunderstandings and address concerns about feasibility. Finally, acknowledging and addressing ethical concerns can demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and help build trust with stakeholders. By taking these steps, a project can minimize potential objections and build stakeholder support.

Once you have implemented your recommendations, it’s essential to evaluate their success and adjust as necessary. This step is crucial in ensuring that your efforts are aligned with the overall goal of the project. The success of your recommendations can be measured in various ways, including:

– Increased revenue or profit margins – Improved customer satisfaction – Higher traffic or engagement on your website or social media platforms – Better employee retention rates

To evaluate success, it’s crucial to establish clear metrics and KPIs beforehand. This will make it easier to track progress and determine whether your recommendations are working. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments if your initial approach isn’t delivering the desired results. It’s okay to pivot and try something new as long as it’s aligned with the overall goal. Remember, success is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and tweaking.

Q: Why is writing and presenting strategic business recommendations effectively important?

A: Writing and presenting strategic business recommendations effectively is critical because it helps organizations make informed decisions that can improve their performance and bottom line. Effective recommendations provide insights, solutions, and action plans for resolving business challenges and achieving strategic objectives, which can create value and a competitive advantage for the company.

Q: What are the critical components of a strategic business recommendation?

A: The critical components of a strategic business recommendation include a clear statement of the problem or opportunity, a review of relevant data and analysis, identification of possible solutions and their pros and cons, a recommended course of action, and an implementation plan with timelines and measures of success. Effective recommendations should also consider potential risks and contingencies, stakeholder perspectives, and ethical considerations.

Q: How can you ensure that your recommendation is persuasive?

A: To ensure that your recommendation is persuasive, it is crucial to present it logically and compellingly. This involves building a solid business case with data, facts, and evidence that support your argument, as well as addressing potential objections and counterarguments. It is also essential to tailor your message to your audience’s needs, preferences, and expectations, and to use persuasive language and visuals that enhance your message and engage your audience emotionally.

Q: What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing and presenting strategic business recommendations?

A: Some common mistakes to avoid when writing and presenting strategic business recommendations include: omitting relevant information or analysis; presenting incomplete or inaccurate data; making unsupported or overgeneralized claims; failing to consider stakeholders’ interests and concerns; being overly complicated or jargon-filled; and lacking clarity and coherence in your presentation. It is also essential to avoid being too pushy or defensive in your arguments, as this can undermine your credibility and effectiveness.

Q: How can you improve your skills in writing and presenting strategic business recommendations?

A: You can improve your skills in writing and presenting strategic business recommendations by practicing and seeking feedback from colleagues or mentors. You can also attend training programs, workshops, or conferences focusing on strategic thinking, communication, and presentation skills. Reading books, articles, and case studies on strategic management, marketing, and leadership can provide helpful insights and inspiration. Finally, staying informed about industry trends, market conditions, and competitive threats can help you develop a strategic mindset and identify new opportunities to add value to your organization.

The ability to write and present strategic business recommendations effectively is an essential skill for any business professional. By following the tips outlined above, you can enhance the clarity, persuasiveness, and impact of your recommendations, and increase your chances of success. Remember to tailor your recommendations to your audience, back them up with data and research, and use clear and concise language to drive your message home. With practice and determination, you can become a master at crafting and delivering recommendations that create value and drive business growth. Use these insights wisely, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a trusted advisor and respected leader in your organization.

how to write a recommendation report for a company

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  • How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

Published on September 15, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

Recommendations in research are a crucial component of your discussion section and the conclusion of your thesis , dissertation , or research paper .

As you conduct your research and analyze the data you collected , perhaps there are ideas or results that don’t quite fit the scope of your research topic. Or, maybe your results suggest that there are further implications of your results or the causal relationships between previously-studied variables than covered in extant research.

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Table of contents

What should recommendations look like, building your research recommendation, how should your recommendations be written, recommendation in research example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about recommendations.

Recommendations for future research should be:

  • Concrete and specific
  • Supported with a clear rationale
  • Directly connected to your research

Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.

Relatedly, when making these recommendations, avoid:

  • Undermining your own work, but rather offer suggestions on how future studies can build upon it
  • Suggesting recommendations actually needed to complete your argument, but rather ensure that your research stands alone on its own merits
  • Using recommendations as a place for self-criticism, but rather as a natural extension point for your work

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There are many different ways to frame recommendations, but the easiest is perhaps to follow the formula of research question   conclusion  recommendation. Here’s an example.

Conclusion An important condition for controlling many social skills is mastering language. If children have a better command of language, they can express themselves better and are better able to understand their peers. Opportunities to practice social skills are thus dependent on the development of language skills.

As a rule of thumb, try to limit yourself to only the most relevant future recommendations: ones that stem directly from your work. While you can have multiple recommendations for each research conclusion, it is also acceptable to have one recommendation that is connected to more than one conclusion.

These recommendations should be targeted at your audience, specifically toward peers or colleagues in your field that work on similar subjects to your paper or dissertation topic . They can flow directly from any limitations you found while conducting your work, offering concrete and actionable possibilities for how future research can build on anything that your own work was unable to address at the time of your writing.

See below for a full research recommendation example that you can use as a template to write your own.

Recommendation in research example

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While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

  • A restatement of your research question
  • A summary of your key arguments and/or results
  • A short discussion of the implications of your research

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

  • Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
  • Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
  • Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

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George, T. (2023, July 18). How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved July 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/recommendations-in-research/

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 9 sample excellent recommendation letters for your job.

Letters of Recommendation

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Anyone who's applied for a job knows how important recommendation letters can be to getting hired. While you've probably asked for a reference letter in the past, you may be less familiar with writing one. If someone asks you for a reference, how can you produce a great letter that will help your employee, colleague, or friend get hired?

To help you through the writing process, we're providing nine samples of effective letters of recommendation (scroll down to skip to the samples!). By reading through these examples, you'll gain a clear understanding of how to structure your own letters.

Before getting to the free recommendation letter samples, let's briefly review the role that reference letters play in the hiring process. Why are they important, and what makes some stand out over others?

Why Are Recommendation Letters Important?

Many employers request recommendation letters to help them decide who to hire or internally promote. Throughout the hiring process, the applicant strives to present herself in the best light. Beyond the interview and resume, hiring managers look to recommendation letters to confirm the candidate's qualifications and to gain insight from an outside party.

The hiring manager wants to know what experiences the candidate will bring to the new role, how she'll contribute to the company or organization, and how she'll behave in the day-to-day. Recommendation letters can point to a candidate's future performance by talking about her past achievements.

Reference letters can also shed light on what it's like to manage, work with, or, in the case of a character reference, be friends with the person under consideration. They complement the candidate's story and suggest what she'll bring to the table in her next job.

If you get asked to write a letter for someone, it's safe to assume you want to do a good job. Helping someone get hired is not just a satisfying good deed, but it's also good professional karma! So how can you turn those good intentions into a stand-out employee letter of recommendation?

Each letter will, of course, be different, but good letters share certain key features. Read on to learn about three important characteristics of strong reference letters.

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Your recommendation letter's not the time to be cagey about your identity! The hiring manager wants to know who you are and why you're qualified to recommend the applicant.

What Makes a Recommendation Letter Stand Out? 3 Key Features

Strong letters give positive descriptions of a candidate's skills in a concise and powerful way. Beyond using language that's clear and error-free, what elements should your recommendation letter include to be effective?

As you write your letter, make sure it does the following:

#1: Explains Why You're Qualified to Recommend the Candidate

In order to hold weight, a recommendation letter should come from a reputable source. If an employer wants a professional reference, then the writer of that letter probably worked with the candidate in a supervisory capacity. Some employers will also be interested in letters from a colleague or, occasionally, a friend, neighbor, or family member. Most letters, though, will be written by a supervisor, manager, or boss of some sort.

In the first paragraph, you should explain who you are and how you know the candidate. How long did you work with her and in what capacity? By explaining your relationship, you show that you're qualified to give an honest assessment.

If someone who feels like a relative stranger asks you to write a letter, you might consider declining or recommending someone else to write it. If you didn't get to know the candidate's work performance or only did so in a way completely unrelated to the new position, then you might not be able to provide a helpful letter of recommendation from employer to employee.

The best letters are written by people who can speak to the candidate's skills and accomplishments. Make sure to state clearly in the beginning of your letter who you are and why your opinion matters.

#2: Customized to the New Position

While you should speak to the candidate's accomplishments in her past role, you should also show why she'd make a good fit in the next one. Even if the candidate's making a career change, you can explain why she'll be able to do well in the new industry.

Here's where open communication with the applicant is important. She should share the job description so you have a clear understanding of the position's requirements. As the writer, you're not expected to do much research on the new job. The candidate should provide you with everything you need to know to customize your letter.

By drawing on this information, you can express confidence that the candidate will succeed in the new role. Then when the hiring manager reads your letter, she'll feel reassured that the candidate would make a good fit.

#3: Uses Specific Examples and Anecdotes

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, your letter should provide specific examples about the candidate. Don't just list adjectives like, "friendly, intelligent, and hard-working"; instead, present circumstances in which the candidate demonstrated those qualities. To borrow a favorite phrase of English teachers, "show, don't just tell."

Not only will examples point to the value the candidate brought to your organization or company, but they'll also paint a picture of how she works in day-to-day operations. Using two to three specific anecdotes in your letter will boost its level of persuasiveness. It will also sidestep a common rec letter trap: becoming a generic list of cliches.

Just as you should only write a recommendation letter if you feel qualified to assess the candidate, you should also only write it if you can provide a great one. While you don't want to go over the top and sound insincere, your letter should be a strongly positive endorsement.

Sample Recommendation Letters

As you read through the nine free job recommendation letters below, notice how they all share the three key features described above, even though they differ in terms of their source and target audience. Below are nine sample recommendation letters, each followed by an analysis of what it does well!

  • Sample Recommendation Letter 1: Written by a Direct Manager for a Full-Time Employee
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 2: Written by a Principal for a Teacher
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 3: Written by a Direct Manager for a Part-Time Employee
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 4: Written by a Manager for a Remote Worker
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 5: Written by a Supervisor for an Internal Promotion
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 6: Written by a Supervisor for a Student Intern
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 7: Written by a Coworker
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 8: Written by a Professor for a Former Student
  • Sample Recommendation Letter 9: Written by a Friend as a Character Reference

After checking out the above samples of recommendation letters, read on for some final thoughts on how to write an excellent letter of recommendation for an employee, coworker, or friend.

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Now that you've got all the building blocks, you can put them together into a powerful letter of recommendation!

Writing Strong Letters of Recommendation: Final Thoughts

While the above samples of recommendation letters will help guide you through the letter writing process, they can't look exactly like your final product. Writing a letter is a significant undertaking, as it requires you to customize your words to the candidate and make your letter unique. Even though the specifics will vary, strong letters of recommendation do have certain features in common. Each letter should...

Use an Official Format

The sample letters show the proper format for a recommendation letter. They have the employer's name, position, company, and company's address at the top. To give one example, here's the header for recommendation letter sample #1:

Ms. Greta Johanssen Sales Manager Streambase Corp. 66 Western Boulevard Santa Fe, New Mexico 87500

You should also use official letterhead that has your name and contact information across the top, in whatever way you've chosen to present it. Each letter is addressed to a specific person, a greeting that's more personal than, "Dear Hiring Manager." Typically, paragraphs are single-spaced with a double space in between each one.

Finally, every letter concludes with an invitation to contact the writer for any further information. Then the writer may include her position, company, phone number, and email below her name.

Start with a Strong Opener

The strongest letters start out with an immediate statement of support. They might say, "It's my honor," "It's my pleasure," or "I'm very pleased to provide this letter of recommendation for Joe." Stating the obvious with a sentence like, "I'm writing to recommend Joe," looks weak beside a more enthusiastic opener.

In the first paragraph, explain who you are and why you're qualified to recommend the candidate. Write a line or two of praise about her professional and personal strengths, perhaps with a summary of the main points you'll present in the rest of the letter.

Include Two to Three Specific Examples

As mentioned above, strong letters typically include two to three body paragraphs with specific anecdotes about the candidate. They don't just describe the applicant's great qualities and accomplishments; they give examples and prove to her prospective employer that she's made achievements in the past that predict future success.

You might talk about a project or responsibility of the applicant or the value she's brought to your company. Consider relevant qualities like flexibility, initiative, leadership, growth, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and/or ability to perform within a certain environment or culture.

To Sum Up...

Depending on your relationship with the candidate, you might focus more on her work performance or personal character in your recommendation letter. An employer will focus more heavily on professional skills while a coworker may add personal qualities.

A friend or neighbor providing a character reference would produce the most personal letter. It falls upon the candidate to choose her recommenders wisely and to share any relevant information about the prospective position to help them write the best letter they can.

As long as you incorporate the key features discussed above and take the time to make your letter positive and specific, you'll provide a strong recommendation letter that will help your employee, colleague, or friend get hired. And who knows—perhaps in a year or two, she'll be writing a recommendation letter for you!

What's Next?

Are you tasked with writing a recommendation letter for a student applying to college? If so, check out these samples of recommendation letters from teachers and counselors, along with additional writing tips and a thorough recommendation letter template!

  • 4 Amazing Samples of Recommendation Letters from Teachers Should You Move to a State with No Income Taxes
  • 3 Examples of Excellent Recommendation Letters from Counselors
  • Complete Guide: Writing a Strong Letter of Recommendation
  • Unsecured Credit Cards for Those with Bad Credit
  • A Great College Recommendation Letter Template

Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

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How To Write a Recommendation Report

Published by Boni on May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

How to write a recommendation report

What is a Recommendation Report?

A recommendation reports is a document that involves describing situations and evaluating possible solutions to a problem. Clearly stating facts eases the task for others to make decisions based on your research. This might not be an easy task to most of the students considering that one needs to find time to sit and craft a quality paper that is plagiarism free in order to get a good grade. Students can relieve themselves from all this pressure by choosing our English homework assistance service that provides the best reports that guarantee good grades.

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Recommendation reports propose potential solutions to problems and conclude by suggesting the best one. Thus, recommendation reports should be highly persuasive as one should settle on a final recommendation based on evidence and thorough research. In this article, you will receive professional recommendation report writing tips to up your game in writing these reports.

Factors to Consider When Writing a Recommendation Report

Before you get down to writing the report, ensure that you put the following factors into consideration.

  • Make it as informative and as straightforward as possible

A recommendation report should inform the audience about different choices and finally provide the best choice for the audience. It should therefore be as informative as possible to help the audience in making the best choice.

Where necessary, you can use graphs, figures, and tables to expound on the information you are discussing. It assists your audience in quickly following and understanding the information in your recommendation report. However, ensure that you label graphs, figures, or tables you use to ensure they make sense even when they appear in stand-alone sections.

  • Have the target audience in mind

The readers of your recommendation report will significantly impact the styles and contents you employ in completing the recommendation report. Ensure that you have a prior understanding of the audience, enabling you to know the level of knowledge and facts to include in your recommendation report.

  • Avoid unnecessary jargons

Use simple language that your audience will identify with instead of complex terms the audience might not understand.

  • Headings and subheadings

Use strong headings and subheadings in terms of structure and organization. Proper organization will assist your audience in quickly identifying facts that you have discussed in your recommendation report.

A logical progression of information is essential while writing your recommendation report. Jumping from one point to another without proper flow will make you lose the interest of your audience.

Memorable tips on how to write a memorable personal essay .

Sections of a Recommendation Report

Discussed below is the structure of your recommendation report.

  • The introduction (Executive summary)

It is a section that briefly introduces and summarizes your purpose for writing the recommendation report. It gives the reader a gist of what to expect in the report by stating the problem with enough background information. It is also a platform for you to show the analytic approach to the issue at hand.

  • The problem statement

As all recommendation reports address a critical and vital issue, this tends to be an essential part of your recommendation report. The problem statement clearly articulates the problem and strongly shows the need for the solutions you will explore in the rest of the report. It gives a justification of the purpose of the report and why it is essential.

To justify the importance of your recommendations, have an in-depth understanding of the specific needs of the organization or business you are addressing. The problem statement you outline introduces the options that you will discuss in the recommendation report.

  • Description of options

It serves as the heart of your recommendation report, where you have to describe several solutions to the problem you cited at the beginning of your report. Your solution ideas should be creative and properly planned, with every idea being discussed in one to two paragraphs.

Discuss every idea deeply and comprehensively and provide information about how each idea solves the problem you outlined at the beginning of the recommendation report. Finally, provide specific details on how the ideas can be implemented and justify why the options are viable. Explore what an information report entails before writing it.

  • Create an evaluation criterion for each option

After discussing the options that could solve the problem, you stated while introducing your recommendation report, outline a criterion for evaluating the possibilities. The evaluation criterion should be based on the problem statement you outlined. After drafting and justifying the evaluation criteria, assess the ability of each option to answer your criteria.

  • Compare the options by category

Including a comparison of the options, you provided in your recommendation report enables your audience to compare your thoughts and refer to different conclusions. Handle this section category by category, with each class closed by finding the best option for that comparison.

  • Final recommendation

After describing and evaluating your options, select the best option that suits the problem at hand. Explain why you have settled for that option and defend your recommendation with thorough proof of why you think it is the best.

It would be best if you also were sensitive to the fact that some readers may go directly to your final recommendation. It means that they skip the other contents of your recommendation report hence adequately explain the most crucial conclusion that led you to that recommendation.

The conclusion in a recommendation report should reemphasize the final recommendation. After reemphasizing the final submission, give suggestions on how the audience can implement the proposal.

  • Works Cited

Sometimes recommendation reports require extensive research that can range from surveys to conducting interviews to the use of peer-reviewed journal articles. Having used outside sources, you should ensure you give credit to the author of the information by citing the sources. Citing also assists future users of your data in finding the source of the information you provided quickly. The citation style you employ should be based on the institution’s requirements.

Editing and Proofreading

After following through with the process outlined above, it is now time to make corrections in your recommendation report and ensure it fits the audience. Read through the report to correct any grammatical errors and clarify points that you might have given rough information about. Make use of an effective paraphrasing and summarizing tool to edit your paper. Ensure also that you provide an original copy without any plagiarism.

You can use our plagiarism check software to ensure that your document is unique and grammar check software to catch any grammatical errors that might have escaped your eyes. However, ensure that you read through your document after running it through a grammar check software to ensure everything runs smoothly.

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How to Write an Effective Letter of Recommendation: A Comprehensive Sample Guide

When it comes to applying for jobs or academic programs, a well-written letter of recommendation can make all the difference. Whether you’re an employer asked to write one for a former employee or a professor approached by a student seeking your endorsement, it’s important to understand how to craft an effective letter of recommendation. In this comprehensive sample guide, we will walk you through the key elements and structure of a strong letter of recommendation.

Introduction and Background

The first section of your letter should provide a brief introduction and background information about yourself. Start by stating who you are and how you know the person you’re recommending. This establishes your credibility as a recommender and sets the context for the rest of the letter. If applicable, mention your professional relationship with the candidate, such as their former supervisor or professor.

Next, explain why you are writing this letter. Highlight any specific achievements or qualities that make the candidate stand out from others. This is also a good place to mention any notable experiences or projects you have worked on together that demonstrate their skills and abilities.

Key Strengths and Qualities

In this section, focus on highlighting the candidate’s key strengths and qualities that are relevant to the position they’re applying for. It’s important to provide specific examples or anecdotes that illustrate these strengths rather than just making generic statements.

Start by identifying two or three core strengths that make the candidate exceptional in their field. For example, if they’re applying for a leadership position, highlight their ability to motivate teams and drive results. If they’re pursuing further studies in academia, emphasize their intellectual curiosity and research capabilities.

Support these claims with specific examples from your experience working with them. Describe situations where they demonstrated these strengths effectively and achieved positive outcomes as a result. By using concrete evidence, you add credibility to your recommendation.

Achievements and Contributions

In this section, discuss the candidate’s achievements and contributions in their previous roles or academic pursuits. Highlight any notable accomplishments that showcase their skills and dedication.

Include specific details about projects they led, goals they achieved, or awards they received. If possible, quantify their achievements to give a clear sense of the impact they made. For instance, instead of merely stating that they improved sales, mention the percentage increase in revenue they were able to achieve under their leadership.

Furthermore, emphasize any unique contributions the candidate has made to their field or community. This could include research publications, volunteer work, or innovative ideas implemented within an organization. These contributions demonstrate their commitment and potential for future success.

Conclusion and Recommendation

In the final section of your letter, summarize your overall recommendation and provide a strong endorsement for the candidate. Reiterate why you believe they are an exceptional candidate and how their skills align with the role or program they’re applying for.

End on a positive note by expressing your confidence in their abilities and potential for future success. Offer your availability to discuss further if needed and provide your contact information.

Remember to proofread your letter thoroughly for grammar and spelling errors before submitting it. A well-written letter of recommendation can greatly enhance a candidate’s chances of securing a job or admission to their desired program.

By following this comprehensive sample guide, you’ll be able to write an effective letter of recommendation that showcases the candidate’s strengths, achievements, and potential. Your thoughtful endorsement will not only help them stand out from other applicants but also contribute to their future success.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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Before applying, confirm that three faculty members or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study have agreed to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at the school where you earned your most recent degree, unless you have been out of school for more than five years. 

Your recommenders must submit their letters through the recommender portal by the application deadline: Harvard Griffin GSAS does not accept letters submitted via email, mail, or a dossier service. 

During the application process, you will be asked whether you wish to waive your right to see these letters. By law, enrolled students have the right to view their letters of recommendation unless they indicate otherwise at the time of application. Learn more about your right to inspect letters of recommendation . 

Can I submit my application before my recommenders submit their letters? 

Yes. Please remember that letters of recommendation must be received by the graduate program’s application deadline. 

How many letters of recommendation can be included in my application? 

Harvard Griffin GSAS requires three letters of recommendation. You may ask additional recommenders to submit letters if you choose, however, it is not guaranteed that the admissions committee will review additional letters. 

What if my recommender is unable to submit a letter in English?

If you have a recommender who is unable to submit a letter in English, they can choose to obtain a certified English translation of their letter. The recommender would need to upload a copy of their original letter in the language it was written, a copy of the English translation of the letter, and verification from the professional translator certifying the translation. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original record. Harvard Griffin GSAS does not endorse a specific translator or translation service.

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3 Ways to Ask Your Boss for a Recommendation Letter

In this cutthroat job market , applicants need to leverage any advantages they may have. When a hiring manager is reviewing your skills and experience, there’s nothing better than having your former boss vouch for you.

In many cases, a strong reference or rec letter can be the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates. Here are a few tips for asking for that letter of recommendation:

How To Ask Your Boss for a Recommendation Letter

Choose your recommender wisely.

When picking your recommender, aim for someone senior but also someone who actually knew what you did besides show up to work each day. Also, don’t ask the same person to be both a reference and write a recommendation letter. You don’t want to include the person who wrote you a rec letter in your list of references. It’s redundant and makes it look like you were really reaching out to find people who would vouch for you.

Also, it may go without saying but only choose former bosses with whom you are on good terms. You can’t expect every former boss to provide a rec letter.

Express Your Gratitude

Before you ask something of your former boss, it helps to show a little gratitude.

Basically, you want to explain why you chose to reach out to them . Let them know how much you enjoyed working under them or why you appreciated their leadership . They’re much more likely to do you this favor if they feel appreciated.

Consider a Face-to-Face Meeting

If appropriate, ask for the recommendation letter in person. You could consider taking your ex-boss out for coffee or lunch. They may have some questions about your aspirations and career goals . This will help them write a letter that is relevant to the kind of openings you will be applying for.

That said, bosses are busy. Some would rather you just send them an email. Make a judgment call based on what you know about your former boss and their personal preferences.

The Power of the Recommendation Letter: Your Secret Weapon

In the tech world, it’s not just what you know; it’s how you work with others. Having a strong letter of recommendation from a credible source, can many times make or break your chances of getting an offer.

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This company founder wants you home for dinner.

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Sassie Duggleby, co-founder of Venus Aerospace

Venus Aerospace has a vision. They want to fly you across the globe and back before dinner. Venus’s next-generation rocket engine will make hypersonic global transport possible. The vision of being home for dinner is also, most importantly, the core of the company culture.

The company’s dual mission is to create a rocket engine for high-speed travel without sacrificing employee health and well-being. From the onset, the company has supported both missions.

The Venus Flight Plan

Sassie Duggleby , CEO of Venus Aerospace, which she founded with her husband, Dr. Andrew Duggleby , is the culture champion of the company. She refers to their culture as the Venus Flight Plan. “I’m passionate about who we are, how we build, and how we treat our people. Yes, we get to build great technology, but if we build great technology on the backs of our employees, and people have sacrificed their families and their lives, then I think we’ve failed.” She added that the company name, Venus, was intentionally selected to honor the only female planet. A Roman goddess, Venus is also the goddess of love.

Duggleby shared how this mission translates to their employees. “We have a whole premise of what would it actually look like if you loved your employees and took care of them. We have an 18-week maternity leave policy. There are all sorts of data that shows if you give women long enough to have a baby, bond with it, do what they need, they will come back. If you make it too short, they’re gone. How we care for our employees gets their buy in for the long term. We’re on a marathon, not a sprint, making sure we can bring in people and bring in the best.”

To attract and retain female engineers, STEM companies need to address the culture. According to a report by AAUW , one of the key contributing factors why women who have studied and work in STEM leave is the challenge they have navigating the often toxic misogynistic male dominated culture, which is “inflexible and exclusionary” and “not supportive of or attractive to women and minorities.”

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Duggleby, who also founded the networking group Badass Women in Aerospace, believes it’s important to have more women in the industry. “We look at the world differently. I think there’s more compassion. There’s more empathy. Women need to sit at the table. Thankfully, we have quite a few with seats at the table making very hard technical decisions.” She went on to say, “We don’t treat women differently. I don’t want to call someone a female engineer. They’re an engineer. I don’t see it any differently.”

Sassie Duggleby, founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace

“When we’re hiring young engineers, we’re making sure we hire both male and female, being very intentional about it. It takes intentionality. We have attracted some great female engineers, but it’s a lot harder. You must start with the ‘fresh outs’, get them into the ecosystem and build them.”

As for the company culture, Duggleby shared, “If you work for us, we want you home for dinner. Other companies may have 8 pm meetings on a Thursday night. As a mom, I can’t do that. There are so many things that are broken in the ecosystem that we just looked at it and said, “We think there’s a different way to do this.”

Duggleby continued, “We’re building differently. What’s amazing is it’s working. We’re able to hire the best and keep the best and build a culture that’s different, and not treat people like a commodity.”

“When I was at Virgin Orbit , I was the oldest female at 38. What’s wrong with the industry,” Duggleby shared, “is there’s a ton of young female engineers but by the time they’re having children, they’re slowing down.”

The mission of hypersonic global transport

Venus Aerospace envisions a more connected globe. Hypersonic travel which is five times the speed of sound, requires the type of next-generation rocket engine Venus is building.

Stargazer Sunset, Venus Aerospace

“Any time we’ve seen increases in travel and connectivity, train to automobile, automobile to the plane, propeller plane to the jet engine, every time we’ve unlocked the ability to be more connected it has resulted in increased peace and prosperity. It increases GDP”, according to Duggleby.

The former president of Shell, one of Venus’ investors, commented to Duggleby, “If you only knew the amount of time I spent on a plane internationally. Shell should have a fleet of these planes to get us all over the globe. It’s like a time machine.”

Time is the most valuable thing we have. A significant reduction in time spent traveling for business will have a dramatic positive effect on productivity and revenue as well as employee satisfaction. The average business traveler takes roughly 6.8 trips per year. This number is higher for millennials, who take an average of 7.4 trips per year.

Another benefit is ecological with a 50% less carbon footprint than a similarly sized Gulfstream for that same trip. Venus believes they can use SAF, sustainable aviation fuel, and get even more green.

RDRE Hotfire, "Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine"

Raising capital as a female founder

Venture capital is a man’s game. “Women are massively under-represented among both venture-backed entrepreneurs and VC investors, with companies founded solely by women receiving less than 3% of all venture capital investments and women accounting for less than 15% of check-writers.”

As the main fundraiser for Venue Aerospace, Duggleby has had to deal with the persistent bias female founders face. One female investor suggested she might overcome this barrier by letting the men on the team do the pitching to VC firms, which her team immediately dismissed, telling her if “they’re not going to invest because you’re at the helm, then we don’t want them.’

Duggleby confesses launching a high tech start up is not for the feint of heart. It takes grit and a passion and belief in your mission and your team. It requires building a strong network and relationships. It takes an understanding that you’re going to get a thousand no’s, but it only takes one yes.

Some of the gender stereotypes and bias can potentially be an advantage for a woman in tech. Recently speaking at the conference, Duggleby noted she received a lot of attention because she’s female.

Comments like, “Oh, there’s a woman on stage and she killed it. It was so fantastic.” Duggleby shared that one woman at the conference came up to her as she got off the stage and asked, “Can I just give you a hug? It’s the first time I’ve ever heard a woman on stage talking about culture but talking about technology. I just really appreciated it.”

Bonnie Marcus, M.ED , is the author of Not Done Yet! How Women Over 50 Regain Their Confidence and Claim Workplace Power and The Politics of Promotion: How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead. An executive coach and speaker, Bonnie is also host of the podcast, Badass Women At Any Age.

Bonnie Marcus

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Amazon Is Investigating Perplexity Over Claims of Scraping Abuse

Perplexity logo seen under a magnifying glass

Amazon’s cloud division has launched an investigation into Perplexity AI. At issue is whether the AI search startup is violating Amazon Web Services rules by scraping websites that attempted to prevent it from doing so, WIRED has learned.

AWS spokesperson Patrick Neighorn confirmed the company's investigation of Perplexity following a WIRED inquiry about the startup's apparent scraping practices. WIRED had previously found that the Perplexity—which has backing from the Jeff Bezos family fund and Nvidia, and was recently valued at $3 billion—appears to rely on content from scraped websites that had forbidden access through the Robots Exclusion Protocol, a common web standard. While the Robots Exclusion Protocol is not legally binding, terms of service generally are.

The Robots Exclusion Protocol is a decades-old web standard that involves placing a plaintext file (like wired.com/robots.txt) on a domain to indicate which pages should not be accessed by automated bots and crawlers. While companies that use scrapers can choose to ignore this protocol, most have traditionally respected it. Neighorn told WIRED that AWS customers must adhere to the robots.txt standard while crawling websites.

“AWS’s terms of service prohibit abusive and illegal activities and our customers are responsible for complying with those terms," Neighorn said in a statement. “We routinely receive reports of alleged abuse from a variety of sources and engage our customers to understand those reports.”

Scrutiny of Perplexity’s practices follows a June 11 report from Forbes that accused the startup of stealing at least one of its articles. WIRED investigations confirmed the practice and found further evidence of scraping abuse and plagiarism by systems linked to Perplexity’s AI-powered search chatbot. Engineers for Condé Nast, WIRED’s parent company, block Perplexity’s crawler across all its websites using a robots.txt file. But WIRED found the company had access to a server using an unpublished IP address—44.221.181.252—which visited Condé Nast properties at least hundreds of times in the past three months, apparently to scrape Condé Nast websites.

The machine associated with Perplexity appears to be engaged in widespread crawling of news websites that forbid bots from accessing their content. Spokespeople for The Guardian, Forbes, and The New York Times also say they detected the IP address repeatedly visiting their servers.

WIRED traced the IP address to a virtual machine known as an Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance hosted on AWS, which launched its investigation after we asked whether using AWS infrastructure to scrape websites that forbade it violated the company’s terms of service.

Last week, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas responded to WIRED’s investigation first by saying the questions we posed to the company “reflect a deep and fundamental misunderstanding of how Perplexity and the Internet work.” Srinivas then told Fast Company that the secret IP address WIRED observed scraping Condé Nast websites and a test site we created was operated by a third-party company that performs web crawling and indexing services. He refused to name the company, citing a nondisclosure agreement. When asked if he would tell the third party to stop crawling WIRED, Srinivas replied, “It’s complicated.”

The Hunt for the Most Efficient Heat Pump in the World

Sara Platnick, a Perplexity spokesperson, tells WIRED that the company responded to Amazon’s inquiries on Wednesday and characterized the investigation as standard procedure. Platnick says Perplexity made no changes to its operation in response to Amazon’s concerns.

“Our PerplexityBot—which runs on AWS—respects robots.txt, and we confirmed that Perplexity-controlled services are not crawling in any way that violates AWS Terms of Service,” Platnick says. She adds, however, that PerplexityBot will ignore robots.txt when a user enters a specific URL in their prompt—a use-case Platnick describes as “very infrequent.”

“When a user prompts with a specific URL, that doesn’t trigger crawling behavior,” Platnick says. “The agent acts on the user’s behalf to retrieve the URL. It works the same way as if the user went to a page themselves, copied the text of the article, and then pasted it into the system.”

This description of Perplexity’s functionality confirms WIRED’s findings that its chatbot is ignoring robots.txt in certain instances.

Digital Content Next is a trade association for the digital content industry whose members include The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Condé Nast. Last year, the organization shared draft principles for governing generative AI to prevent potential copyright violations. CEO Jason Kint tells WIRED that if the allegations against Perplexity are true, the company is violating many of those principles.

“By default, AI companies should assume they have no right to take and reuse publishers' content without permission,” Kint says. If Perplexity is skirting terms of service or robots.txt, he adds, "the red alarms should be going off that something improper is going on.”

Update 6/28/24 4:39pm ET: This story includes an updated statement from AWS spokesperson Patrick Neighorn.

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how to write a recommendation report for a company

Insiders have been alarmed by ASIC's culture for years. Now a parliamentary inquiry will lay bare its flaws

Analysis Insiders have been alarmed by ASIC's culture for years. Now a parliamentary inquiry will lay bare its flaws

A logo says 'ASIC'.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) needs a new structure, a parliamentary inquiry is expected to announce this week, with the inquiry's chair recently describing the organisation's culture as "very sick" and that its record on enforcement had made Australia, for some, "a haven for white-collar crime".

On Wednesday the inquiry, chaired by Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, is tipped to release a brutal report into the performance of the corporate regulator and recommend structural reforms to beef up law enforcement, complaints handling and culture as well as look at the size and breadth of its responsibilities.

The inquiry began in October 2022 and set out to investigate why ASIC, as a law enforcement agency, has so many critics in relation to its effectiveness in enforcing Australia's corporate law.

Over 20 months the inquiry has heard concerns that ASIC has cultural problems, is slow to act on tip-offs and most importantly raised questions about the relatively small number of investigations referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP). 

It prompted Bragg to make the comment in February that there were too few criminal convictions achieved for breaches of corporate law. "For some people, Australia is a haven for white-collar criminals," he noted. 

A similar point was made in 2014 by Greg Medcraft when he was the chair of ASIC. Back then his comments created a stir among the Abbott Coalition government, which tried to argue that ASIC was a tough cop on the beat.

A decade on, criticism continues to dog the regulator.

Bragg has made no secret that he thinks ASIC is failing to do its job, and has claimed previous parliamentary inquiries into its effectiveness didn't go far enough.

In February Bragg said: "The biggest takeaway is very clearly that the structure [of ASIC] is way too big and the culture is very sick."

The latest figures show that in the year to June 2023, ASIC made 35 referrals to the CDPP and in the year to May 2024 it made 12 referrals. Of these four were made in the past six months. This is in contrast to 86 referrals in 2019.

"These figures signal that ASIC has made Australia a haven for white-collar crime. ASIC has given up on their sole obligation to enforce corporate law," Bragg has said.

A Caucasian man wearing glasses, holding a mobile phone.

Numerous submissions, devastating cases

The current inquiry has been a boil ASIC can't wait to lance.

The regulator has responded to hundreds of questions on notice, lodged numerous submissions in its defence and spent hours preparing for appearances and committee meetings.

The inquiry has aired some devastating cases such as ASIC's handling of Nuix, one of Australia's most disastrous share market floats in years, and the collapse of Dixon Advisory.

ASIC chairman Joe Longo's mantra has been that the regulator is doing just fine and when it comes to its culture, there are "great aspects", even though a survey in 2023 showed issues with motivation, satisfaction, role clarity and a poor score in areas such as customer service focus.

The brutal reality is ASIC's perception of success has rarely matched that of the public's.

Controversial recommendations are expected

There is no doubt the inquiry's final report, spearheaded by Bragg, will be controversial. Even in his own ranks of the Liberal Party, not everyone sees it the way Bragg does. Senator Paul Scarr, who has made various comments in support of ASIC and the job it is doing, is one. 

It is yet to be determined whether there will be any dissenting reports.

A blonde woman in black blazer with a serious expression sits at a microphone next to an older man in suit

However, it is widely anticipated the report will look at ASIC's architecture, with a view to making its roles and responsibilities clearer. The report is also expected to address law enforcement and how to improve complaints handling as well as consider how to provide better protection for whistleblowers and how to incentivise them.

ASIC's handling of whistleblowers has been a blight on the regulator as far back as the Commonwealth Bank financial planning scandal and its whistleblower Jeff Morris, who gave information to ASIC about serious misconduct inside the bank's financial planning unit, but the regulator failed to act for 16 months. It showed little improvement in the more recent Nuix whistleblower tip-off fiasco.

The inquiry is also expected to consider how best to incentivise ASIC to enforce the law to protect consumers and pursue civil actions.

Under the current arrangement, revenue raised from penalties goes straight to the Commonwealth.

To put that into perspective, ASIC raised $1.8 billion in 2023 from penalties, annual company registration fees and company searches, all which went to the Commonwealth.

In return, ASIC received a budget of less than $500 million, to help fund the wages of the almost 2,000 staff and other expenses including legal actions. (It's budget was increased in May by $236 million over four years and an extra $69 million in 2024-25 but most of it is for one-off projects such as fighting scams, cyber security, promoting sustainable finance markets and modernising digital assets and payments regulation.

It is still a far cry from the $1.8 billion golden egg ASIC lays each year for the government each year, making our regulator a cash cow.

With its IT systems in dire need of an upgrade and an ever-broadening remit, something has to give.

Recommendations will be hard-hitting and radical

Australia's army of financial advisers, some of them small businesses, have pinned a lot of hope on the inquiry's report.

They pay a levy to ASIC, which they argue is creating a financial burden on their businesses, which they have to pass on to consumers.

They are also required to pay a levy to help fund the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) — a scheme overseen by ASIC and set up after the royal commission into banking as a means of protecting the so-called forgotten people who fall through the regulatory, legal and external dispute resolution cracks through no fault of their own.

Bragg dropped more than a hint about his recommendations regarding these levies in a recent social media post :

"As chair of the Senate Economics Committee, I understand financial advisers are under huge pressure. Next week, I will be addressing some of the pain points with ASIC levies in the final report of the Senate Economics Committee inquiry into ASIC investigation and enforcement … I thank all the advisers who have contacted my office with your concerns. I understand them and we are working on it."

The final report promises to be hard-hitting and some of its recommendations radical. It is also likely to get caught up in politics. The government has looked at the Reserve Bank and Productivity Commission. 

The findings of the parliamentary inquiry will make clear that ASIC should be next.

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    Before applying, confirm that three faculty members or others qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study have agreed to submit letters of recommendation on your behalf. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at the school where you earned your most recent degree, unless you have been out of school for more than five years.

  26. 3 Ways to Ask Your Boss for a Recommendation Letter

    If appropriate, ask for the recommendation letter in person. You could consider taking your ex-boss out for coffee or lunch. They may have some questions about your aspirations and career goals. This will help them write a letter that is relevant to the kind of openings you will be applying for. That said, bosses are busy.

  27. This Company Founder Wants You Home For Dinner

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  28. Letter Of Recommendation For Students

    Types Of Recommendation Letters. Academic Recommendations: Teachers or professors who can speak to your academic achievements, classroom performance, and intellectual potential typically write these. These are primarily letters of recommendation for scholarships, a course, etc.

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