Introduction
In today’s digital-first job market, a strong professional presence is vital especially on LinkedIn. One of the most under-utilised yet powerful tools available is the Recommendations section. By gathering and strategically leveraging LinkedIn recommendations you can boost your profile credibility, strengthen your UK network and open doors to new opportunities. Whether you’re job-hunting in London, building a consultancy in Manchester or simply expanding your professional reach across the UK, this blog will show you how to ask for the right endorsements, optimise their impact and integrate them into your profile for maximum effect. You’ll learn what LinkedIn recommendations are, why they matter, how to get and use them, explore the pros and cons, see real-life examples, study recent trends and get a detailed step-by-step guide tailored for a UK audience.
What Are LinkedIn Recommendations?
LinkedIn recommendations are written testimonials from your connections that appear on your profile. They serve as third-party validations of your skills, work ethic and professional impact. Unlike skill endorsements (the simple “thumbs up” for a skill), recommendations provide richer narrative context: who you’re writing for, what your role was, how you performed and what you achieved.
In the UK network context, they act as digital equivalents to references or word-of-mouth endorsements in British professional culture. When a colleague, manager or client writes about you they are effectively giving you a public endorsement that potential employers, clients or collaborators can see at a glance.
Why LinkedIn Recommendations Matter for Your UK Professional Network
Building credibility and trust
In a competitive environment where many candidates share similar qualifications, recommendations add social proof. As one UK-based blog put it, they act like “five-star reviews” on your profile.
Improving visibility and differentiation
LinkedIn itself suggests a complete profile is “40 times more likely” to receive opportunities. While that figure covers full profile optimisation, having detailed recommendations enhances your uniqueness. Also research indicates that recommendations boost profile views and hiring chances.
Supporting hiring and business decisions
Recruiters increasingly use LinkedIn to assess candidates beyond CVs. For example a 2024 survey found that about 70 % of hiring managers trust recommendations more than traditional references. For UK professionals this means endorsements added to your LinkedIn profile can directly influence how you’re perceived by hiring managers, clients and network contacts.
Strengthening network relationships
Asking for a recommendation often opens a conversation, refreshes an old connection and leads to deeper network engagement. Writing one for someone else can prompt reciprocity.
Supporting UK market dynamics
The UK market places high value on references and testimonials. Having visible, credible endorsements on LinkedIn aligns with that cultural expectation. It sends a signal: you’ve been trusted and recommended by others in your field.
How to Gather LinkedIn Recommendations – Step by Step (UK Focused)
Here is a detailed walk-through tailored for professionals in the UK wanting to gather and make the most of LinkedIn recommendations.
Identify whom to ask
- Pick people who have worked with you recently or in roles relevant to your current ambitions (e.g., managers, clients, senior colleagues).
- Make sure they can speak to your performance in context (UK projects, UK clients or UK market experience).
- Prioritise people whose endorsement will carry weight in your industry or locale (UK-based senior figures or recognised companies).
Prepare your request
- Reach out personally (via LinkedIn message or email) to explain why you value their recommendation and what you’d like them to emphasise. Offer a brief reminder of your shared work, your role and one or two achievements – so they don’t start from scratch.
- On LinkedIn click More → Request a recommendation, select the relationship and role etc.
Guide what to write (without scripting)
Provide suggestions or context so the recommendation is specific:
- Start by stating your working relationship.
- Point out one or two strengths or results (for example “delivered a UK-wide campaign”, “managed stakeholder relationships in London and Manchester”, etc.).
- Highlight a concrete outcome (e.g., increased leads 25 % or delivered project ahead of schedule).
- Close with a clear endorsement of why you’d be an asset to future roles or clients. Step 4: Manage the recommendations on your profile
- When a recommendation arrives you can choose to show or hide it on your profile show those most relevant to your target role.
- Consider thanking the endorser publicly (comment or message) – this strengthens the relationship.
- Arrange them so that the newest or most relevant appear first (LinkedIn allows reorder).
Leverage recommendations for UK networking
- In your LinkedIn summary or headline you can include phrase like “Recommended by senior managers at …”.
- In your UK-focused job applications or proposals you might insert one-line quotes from a recommendation (with permission).
- Share a post thanking someone for a recommendation – this both highlights your profile and elevates the recommender (reciprocity).
- Regularly review and refresh: as you change industries, geographies or roles update your ask-list accordingly.
Pros and Cons of Leveraging LinkedIn Recommendations
Pros
- Adds credibility via social proof.
- Differentiates you from peers with similar qualifications.
- Encourages stronger network ties and reciprocal activity.
- Helps visibility and trust within UK professional networks.
- Useful content for CVs, proposals, and personal branding.
Cons
- Getting strong, genuine recommendations takes effort.
- They may appear generic or weak if not well written.
- Over-reliance on quantity rather than quality may dilute impact.
- If you change sectors or roles, some recommendations may become less relevant or outdated.
- The field is public a bad or irrelevant recommendation can negatively affect your image if you don’t control visibility.
Real-Life Examples & UK Case Studies
- A UK recruitment-advice blog noted that recommendations act like “online references” and can tip the balance between two similar candidates. According to one British career consultancy: “In a competitive market candidates with strong LinkedIn recommendations have a clear advantage.”
- While not UK-specific, a 2024 survey found 79 % of recruiters consider recommendations significant in hiring decisions. Example: A marketing professional in the UK asked a former client to write a recommendation on LinkedIn referencing a campaign delivered ahead of schedule in London; that endorsement was then quoted in her proposal document and helped win further UK-based freelance work.
These examples show how recommendation utilisation crosses the line between “nice to have” and “strategic asset”.
Trends and What’s Driving Change in 2025
- The importance of social proof and peer-endored content in professional contexts is rising. One study predicted that by 2030, 80 % of hiring decisions will incorporate social proof such as recommendations. Digital-first UK hiring (remote, hybrid) means recruiters are relying more on online presence so LinkedIn recommendations become even more relevant.
- LinkedIn profile optimisation continues to evolve: long-form content, visuals and rich testimonials now drive higher engagement. Peer-to-peer networks in the UK are becoming stronger; recommendations help surface your profile among UK-based network clusters.
- There is an increased focus on authenticity: generic endorsements are less valued than detailed, outcome-based ones. Platforms like LinkedIn emphasise meaningful interaction vs superficial validation.
Guide Summary for UK Professionals
- Audit your current LinkedIn profile: ensure core sections (photo, headline, summary, experience) are complete.
- Identify target roles/clients in the UK and the skills/results you want to highlight.
- List 5-10 people who can provide meaningful recommendations – past UK managers, clients, senior colleagues.
- Reach out with a personalised message explaining why you’re asking, what you’d like them to mention and a reminder of your shared work.
- Use LinkedIn’s “Request recommendation” tool, select the correct relationship and role.
- Provide a mini-brief to the recommender: working context, your role, one or two key achievements, what you hope future employers/clients will understand.
- Once you receive the recommendation, review and reorder it on your profile, show/hide as necessary.
- Use the endorsement: mention in your summary (“Endorsed by managers at …”), quote it in proposals or CV, share a LinkedIn post thanking the recommender.
- Monitor relevance: every 12–18 months review whether recommendations remain aligned with your current UK career path – archive or hide those that no longer serve you.
- Consider writing recommendations for others in return – this strengthens your network and can prompt reciprocity.
Internal Linking Suggestion
You might link this blog to other content like:
- “How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile for UK Employers”
- “Lead Generation via LinkedIn: Strategies for Freelancers”
- “Digital Portfolio vs Traditional CV: What UK Employers Want”
External References
- CV Pilots: How to Request and Write LinkedIn Recommendations.
- InsideA: Effective Tips for Writing LinkedIn Recommendations to Boost Your Profile. Kinsta: Mind-Blowing LinkedIn Statistics and Facts (2025).
- Yoh blog: How LinkedIn Recommendations Can Help Your Career and Business. SoftwareOasis: LinkedIn Recommendations Impact: 2025 Hiring Data.
Conclusion
In the UK professional landscape your digital presence on LinkedIn is often the first impression you make. Using recommendations isn’t just an optional extra it’s a strategic asset. By carefully selecting the right people to ask, guiding them to write meaningful and specific endorsements, and then leveraging those endorsements across your profile, proposals and network outreach you can elevate your credibility, boost visibility and create stronger connections. Whether you’re seeking a new job in London, expanding a consultancy across the UK or positioning yourself as a thought-leader in your field, these LinkedIn recommendations act as trusted voices speaking on your behalf. Start today: audit your profile, request your first strategic recommendation and watch how your professional brand begins to stand out.
Ready to transform your profile? Ask three influential UK contacts for recommendations this week and set the stage for your next opportunity.
FAQs
1. How many LinkedIn recommendations should I aim for?
Quality matters more than quantity. A handful (5-10) strong recommendations from senior or relevant contacts is generally better than dozens of generic ones.
2. Can I request a LinkedIn recommendation from someone I only worked with briefly?
Yes you can, but ideally choose someone who has observed you in a role relevant to your target career path so their endorsement has credibility.
3. Do LinkedIn recommendations help in the UK job market specifically?
Yes they do. The UK market values references and testimonials and LinkedIn recommendations translate that into a visible digital format.
4. What should I avoid when asking for a LinkedIn recommendation?
Avoid generic wording, asking too many people at once without personalization and not providing context for the recommender. Avoid letting old or irrelevant recommendations remain front-and-centre if they no longer align with your goals.
5. How do I write a recommendation for someone else on LinkedIn?
Begin by outlining your relationship (e.g., colleague, manager), mention their key strengths, provide a specific example of their work or impact, and close with an endorsement of what kind of roles they’re suited for. 6. Can I hide a LinkedIn recommendation if it’s no longer relevant?
Yes – you can control visibility on your profile. Hide or move it further down if it no longer aligns with your career direction.
7. Will LinkedIn recommendations increase my profile views?
Yes they can. Profiles with recommendations are viewed as more credible and active, which may lead to higher engagement and visibility. 8. Are LinkedIn recommendations the same as skill endorsements?
No they differ. Skill endorsements are simple one-click validations of a skill. Recommendations are narrative testimonials giving context, credibility and detail.
9. Can recommendations help me generate business leads on LinkedIn in the UK?
Absolutely. For freelancers or consultants in the UK your profile acts as a digital brochure. Recommendations from clients or collaborators demonstrate trust and experience which are key in winning leads.
10. How often should I update or refresh my LinkedIn recommendations?
Review every 12-18 months: check if the recommendations still reflect your current role or goals, remove or hide those that are outdated and request new ones that align with your evolving career path.