Employment Verification Letters

As an employer, it is often necessary to investigate applicants to ensure that previous work experience and education credentials are valid. At times like these, Employment Verification letters are used. Depending on company policies, these letters can change. Some companies agree only to verify that a person has been employed by the company to which they are writing, while others will offer insights into the applicant's quality of work, expertise, leadership and trainability among other things.

Format

Use the Full Block format arrangement for Verification Letters:

• to the left side of the letter header place the return address
• make two carriage returns
• directly below the return address, place the date
• make two carriage returns
• directly below the address place the addressee's address
• make three carriage returns
• include a reference line optionally
• begin your letter
• begin each paragraph of the body against the left margin of the letter
• begin the closing and signature also at the left margin of the letter

Wording

As we've worded the letter in our example cited above, in a paragraph format rather than a list format state your name, your job position, and your position in relation to the employee in question. The second paragraph, as in our example, should address the position and duties held by the employee. In our final paragraph, we have written a positive, upbeat professional assessment of the employee's work performance and our recommendation for the employee's potential at the new company.

Tone

Depending on your professional (not personal!!!) recommendation for the employee's future with this new company, convey the appropriate tone.

Email

With time being more and more critical, sending a Verification Letter via email, once considered a faux pas, is now becoming increasingly more accepted.

1. Send your letter in the same format as you would for snail mail - this conveys to the reader that you took the time to create a professional correspondence.
2. Depending on the circumstances, send the message from the appropriate email account: a personal email account for a personal correspondence, a professional email account for a professional correspondence.

Printing

1. Before printing, decide on what paper to use. For Verification Letters, it is best to use standard bond paper.
2. Make three carriage returns between the closing and your typed signature. Inside this space, sign your name for professional correspondence. For personal correspondence, there is no need for a typed signature. Simply, sign your name.
3. Print your letter and envelope on the same printer using the same font and an envelope that matches the stationery.