Recognition and Commendation Letters

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About this lesson

What should you consider when commending employees for outstanding performance? We discuss the best practices and how to structure an official letter.

Quick reference

Recognition and Commendation Letters

When and how should you commend employees in writing?

When to use

Use this section to learn it is appropriate to commend an employee in writing, and how to structure commendation letters.

Instructions

  • Official recognition letters encourage people to do more and to repeat positive actions. They should not be issued for routine actions, but for outstanding acts that align with overall objectives.
  • It is appropriate to write these letters on company letterhead.
  • The upper left of the page should have the sender's address, the date, and the recipient's name and address.
  • The letter should thank the employee for a specific event, let them know how others benefitted, and should express confidence in their continued positive actions.
  • Use a formal business closing and copy the employee's manager. A copy of the letter should also be placed on the individual's Personnel file.
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  • 00:04 It's great to feel appreciated.
  • 00:07 When people recognize our efforts, it encourages us to do more.
  • 00:11 We might also want to encourage employees to repeat positive actions by giving them
  • 00:16 written commendation for doing an outstanding job.
  • 00:20 Letters of recognition also provide balance to disciplinary or
  • 00:24 warning letters, which are issued when a performance or
  • 00:27 behavioral problem is observed.
  • 00:29 So it's fair to let employees know when their positive actions are noticed
  • 00:33 too, right?
  • 00:34 It's important to make commendation letters meaningful instead of routine.
  • 00:39 If they become commonplace or expected, then they lose value and
  • 00:42 they have the reverse effect.
  • 00:44 People will expect to be commended for being mediocre or for doing the ordinary.
  • 00:50 So the first thing is to have a clear objective,
  • 00:53 what kind of behavior do you want to reward?
  • 00:57 Actions that are directly aligned to stated visions or
  • 01:00 missions will show that you're serious about achieving the organization's goals,
  • 01:04 and they're not just catchy slogans.
  • 01:07 So once we've determined that official recognition or commendation is due,
  • 01:11 what should it look like?
  • 01:14 Well, when something is extra special, people like to preserve it.
  • 01:17 Or they want to be able to make reference to it later.
  • 01:21 So putting it in writing is an excellent way to boost morale.
  • 01:26 A letter like this is considered a formal or official commendation, so
  • 01:30 there are a few guidelines.
  • 01:33 If you are the employee's manager,
  • 01:35 then a letter on the company's letterhead is appropriate.
  • 01:39 The employee is almost certain to want to preserve or
  • 01:41 reference it later in their career.
  • 01:44 As mentioned before, it should be specific.
  • 01:47 And because of that, it'll be relatively short.
  • 01:50 Now when you're writing, you should be aware of the halo effect and
  • 01:53 the horn effect.
  • 01:55 Let's explain these briefly.
  • 01:57 The halo effect is a tendency to think about someone only in a positive light
  • 02:01 because of a good experience or experiences you had with them in the past.
  • 02:07 And the horn effect is the opposite.
  • 02:09 It's the tendency to think negatively about someone because of a negative past
  • 02:14 experience.
  • 02:16 You don't want these to start working their way into your commendation letters,
  • 02:20 either by you over-commending or
  • 02:22 under-commending employees who performed really at the same level.
  • 02:27 And that's a good reason to stick to specifics when we write
  • 02:32 commendation letters.
  • 02:33 So here's the layout of a typical commendation letter.
  • 02:38 This letter carries the logo at the top of the page.
  • 02:43 And here, we see the address block in the upper left corner of the letter.
  • 02:47 We skip a line, enter the date.
  • 02:50 Skip another line, and we put the employee's full name and address here.
  • 02:57 The salutation can just be dear and the first name,
  • 03:00 since the full name was already stated in the address block.
  • 03:03 Or it could be the recipient's preferred title and last name.
  • 03:08 The body of the letter should start with stating the purpose,
  • 03:12 which is to thank the employee for a specific act.
  • 03:15 Remember, if you just thank them for always being such a great employee,
  • 03:19 they won't know what behavior you're trying to encourage so
  • 03:22 they won't know how to repeat it.
  • 03:24 So state their exact action that prompted this letter and when it happened.
  • 03:29 In the next paragraph, you can state the positive effect that the action had on
  • 03:34 colleagues, clients, or the company's image.
  • 03:38 And in the final paragraph, express confidence in the employee.
  • 03:42 And you can restate your gratitude here.
  • 03:46 In closing, you'll sign off with best regards,
  • 03:50 warm regards or sincerely, and your full name.
  • 03:54 There's a space here for your physical signature.
  • 03:59 If you're not the employee's direct manager,
  • 04:02 make sure that their manager does get a copy.
  • 04:05 If you are their manager,
  • 04:06 then make sure that a copy goes on the employee's personnel file.

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