Effective April 1, 2022, HRS is no longer requiring two letters of reference or recommendation for SPS or faculty new hires. It is recommended that the hiring department to ask applicants and/or new hires to provide these documents for their particular vacancy for due diligence purposes, but is not a requirement from the Division of Human Resource Services to process a hire.
Letters of Reference: A reference letter is a general commendation of a person’s character, work ethic or abilities. It confirms that the writer knows the candidate and can verify certain facts about the candidate and their performance or predictive performance. Typically, it’s not directed at a specific opportunity but stands alone as a general show of approval to be used as needed.
Letters of Recommendation: A recommendation letter, also referred to as a letter of recommendation, highlights or emphasizes skills, knowledge, experience and abilities that best qualify a candidate for a certain opportunity, such as a specific role within a company or admission to a clearly defined program. The writer identifies the recommended person’s qualities with the intent to verify their strength as a candidate. When crafting the recommendation, the writer of the letter provides relevant examples from personal and professional experiences with the applicant and explains how those examples relate directly to the desired position or program.
