Most employees leave an organisation on good terms with their managers, colleagues and senior leaders. There is often genuine respect on both sides, and the employer is usually happy to support the departing employee in the next stage of their career.
The difficulty is that workplaces change.
Facilities Management is a particularly fluid profession, and the manager who can confidently recommend you today may have moved to another organisation by the time you need a reference several years later. Teams are restructured, companies merge and former colleagues become harder to contact.
A written reference letter provides a permanent professional record of your contribution, achievements and responsibilities while the details are still fresh.
What Is a Reference Letter?
A reference letter is a written recommendation prepared by a former manager, director or senior colleague. It confirms your employment and provides evidence of your professional ability, conduct and achievements.
Unlike a standard HR reference, which may only confirm your job title and dates of employment, a strong reference letter can explain the value you brought to the organisation.
Ideally, it should be written by someone who:
- Managed you directly
- Worked closely with you
- Understood your responsibilities
- Can describe your performance credibly
- Holds a relevant senior position
For example, if you reported to a Project Director, Head of Facilities or Estates Manager, that person may be best placed to explain your contribution in language that another FM leader will understand.
Why a Reference Letter Is Valuable
A well-written reference letter can support you throughout your career.
It may help when:
- Applying for a new role
- Preparing for interviews
- Demonstrating previous achievements
- Confirming responsibilities
- Supporting a promotion application
- Applying for professional membership
- Working with a recruiter
Most importantly, it remains useful even if your former manager later leaves the organisation.
What Should the Letter Include?
A strong reference letter should normally cover:
- Your full name
- The company name
- Dates of employment
- Job title
- Main responsibilities
- Relevant qualifications
- Professional strengths
- Significant achievements
- The writer’s name, title and contact details
The letter should provide enough detail to be meaningful without becoming excessively long.
Establish the Referee’s Credibility
The opening paragraph should explain who is writing the letter and their relationship with you.
For example:
“I am the Head of Estates at [Company Name] and directly managed [Candidate Name] during their employment as Facilities Manager from January 2021 to March 2026.”
This immediately establishes the referee’s authority and confirms that they are qualified to comment on your performance.
Summarise the Employment Details
The next section should clearly confirm:
- Your role
- Dates of employment
- Reporting relationship
- Length of time you worked together
These details provide essential context and allow future employers to understand the basis of the recommendation.
Focus on the Most Important Responsibilities
Facilities Management roles can involve an extensive range of responsibilities, so the letter should not attempt to reproduce an entire job description.
Instead, it should focus on the areas carrying the greatest importance or accountability.
These may include:
- Managing hard and soft FM services
- Leading internal teams
- Overseeing contractors
- Controlling budgets
- Maintaining statutory compliance
- Delivering projects
- Managing stakeholder relationships
- Supporting business continuity
- Improving workplace services
One or two focused paragraphs are usually enough.
Highlight Achievements, Not Just Duties
The strongest reference letters describe what the employee achieved rather than simply listing what they were responsible for.
Useful examples may include:
- Delivering measurable cost savings
- Improving compliance performance
- Completing a major refurbishment
- Reducing maintenance response times
- Improving customer satisfaction
- Leading a successful mobilisation
- Introducing more efficient systems
- Managing a critical incident successfully
Specific examples make the recommendation more credible and memorable.
Include Qualifications and Professional Memberships
Many FM positions require recognised qualifications or membership of professional bodies.
Where relevant, the letter may mention:
- IWFM qualifications or membership
- NEBOSH or IOSH certification
- Project-management qualifications
- Technical accreditations
- Other relevant professional development
This reinforces your professional standing and supports the wider evidence provided.
Provide the Writer with Useful Guidance
No one understands your career achievements better than you do.
When someone agrees to write a reference letter, help them by providing a short summary of:
- Your main responsibilities
- Important projects
- Measurable results
- Relevant qualifications
- Particular strengths you would like highlighted
This is not about dictating praise or asking someone to include claims they cannot support. It simply ensures that important achievements are not forgotten and makes the writing process easier for the referee.
Keep It Concise
A reference letter should be detailed enough to add value but brief enough to hold the reader’s attention.
Ideally, it should fit comfortably on one or two pages and take no more than a couple of minutes to read.
Every paragraph should contribute something useful.
Avoid:
- Repeating the CV
- Including unnecessary technical detail
- Using vague praise
- Adding unsupported claims
- Writing an excessively long career history
Clarity is more valuable than volume.
Drafting the Letter
Some managers are comfortable writing professional recommendations, while others may appreciate support.
There are two practical approaches.
Ask the referee to prepare the first draft
They can send it to you for a factual review, allowing you to check dates, titles and project details.
Prepare a suggested draft yourself
You can provide a draft for the referee to edit, approve and place on the appropriate letterhead.
The final wording must genuinely reflect the referee’s views, and they should be completely comfortable signing it.
Request the Letter Before You Leave
The best time to arrange a reference letter is before your final day.
At that stage:
- Your achievements are still fresh
- Your manager is easy to contact
- Employment details can be checked
- The organisation can use official letterhead
- Any amendments can be completed quickly
Waiting several years may make the process far more difficult.
Store It Securely
Keep both digital and printed copies of the final letter.
You may wish to save it alongside:
- Your CV
- Qualification certificates
- Appraisal records
- Project evidence
- Professional-development documents
Do not alter the letter after it has been approved and signed.
Final Thoughts
A reference letter is a valuable permanent record of the contribution you made to an organisation.
In a profession as mobile as Facilities Management, former managers and colleagues may not remain in place indefinitely. Securing a written recommendation before you leave means your achievements can still be verified and understood years later.
A concise, credible letter from someone who directly managed your work can strengthen future applications, support interview preparation and provide valuable evidence of your professional reputation.
Talk to Maxwell Stephens
If you are a Facilities Management professional thinking about your next move, the Facilities Management jobs we are handling span the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. You can also register your CV and we will contact you when something suitable comes up.
