Areas of Improvement for a Job Reference: 25 Examples
Asked for areas of improvement when giving a job reference? 25 diplomatic but truthful examples by category, plus what not to say on a reference call.
You agreed to give a former colleague a reference. The call’s going fine until the recruiter asks: “What are their areas of improvement?” Suddenly you have to thread a needle — answer honestly without torching the candidate, but don’t sound coached or evasive either.
This is a different problem than writing a performance review. The audience isn’t HR mapping a development plan — it’s a recruiter listening for red flags. Below are 25 ready-to-use examples of areas of improvement for a job reference, grouped by category, plus the phrases to avoid entirely.
For performance review feedback (a different context with different stakes), see our list of areas of improvement examples for performance reviews.
Why reference areas of improvement are different
A job reference is not a performance review. The reference checker assumes the candidate already cleared an interview bar and is now in final due diligence. Your job is to confirm the picture they’ve already built — not surface new concerns. The best reference improvement areas describe growth trajectory: skills the person is actively building, not gaps that should worry a hiring manager.
The pattern that works: name something real, frame it as an area of continued development, and ideally tie it to the next stage of the candidate’s career. “Still building experience presenting to C-suite audiences” sounds different than “weak public speaker,” even when the underlying observation is similar.
Communication and presentation
Communication improvements are some of the safest reference answers because almost every candidate has one — and recruiters expect them. Frame around specific contexts (audience size, seniority, format) rather than general communication skill.
- “Still developing experience presenting to large external audiences — most of her presentation reps have been to internal teams.”
- “Written communication is strong; verbal communication in high-pressure rooms is the area she’d say she’s still building.”
- “Could lean more on storytelling — her analysis is rigorous, but she’s still finding her voice in narrative-driven contexts.”
- “Continuing to develop executive presence in stakeholder meetings as she takes on more senior-facing work.”
Time management and prioritization
Be careful here. Anything that sounds like “misses deadlines” or “always rushing” reads as a reliability concern. Stick to prioritization, scope, and workload management — areas that read as development, not red flag.
- “Building the muscle to say no to lower-priority requests as her scope grows — she defaults to taking on more than she should.”
- “Continuing to learn how to break very large projects into smaller, more shippable milestones.”
- “Could push back earlier when scope expands mid-project — she tends to absorb the work rather than renegotiate.”
- “Still calibrating how much time to spend on perfecting drafts versus shipping a rough version for feedback.”
Scope, ownership, and leadership
Reference questions often probe whether someone is ready for the next level. Improvement areas here are best framed as the natural next step in their growth, not gaps they need to close before they’re trusted.
- “Still developing experience managing budgets at the size this role would involve.”
- “Continuing to grow into a player-coach role — she’s an excellent IC, and managing larger teams is the next stretch.”
- “Could be more aggressive about delegating routine work as her team grows.”
- “Learning when to escalate versus solve in place — she sometimes carries too much herself before flagging blockers.”
- “Building experience leading cross-functional initiatives that span multiple teams she doesn’t directly own.”
Technical depth and skill range
Frame technical improvement areas around breadth (skills they haven’t been exposed to yet) rather than depth (skills they should already have). The former reads as opportunity, the latter as deficiency.
- “Most of her experience is in [domain A] — [domain B] is the area she’d want to deepen next.”
- “Strong fundamentals; the next stretch is going deeper on [specific advanced area].”
- “Has good instincts but is still building the formal training in [skill] she’d want long-term.”
- “Could broaden her toolkit beyond [specific tool] — she’s been deep in one stack and is curious about others.”
Work style and collaboration
Stay diplomatic. Avoid anything that hints at interpersonal friction. Frame around working preferences and self-awareness — recruiters appreciate references who can describe how a candidate operates, not just whether they’re “easy to work with.”
- “Works best with clear goals and autonomy — gets less energized by ambiguous, exploratory work without a defined outcome.”
- “Tends to internalize feedback strongly — continuing to build the muscle to separate the critique from her self-evaluation.”
- “Prefers deep focus blocks — still finding the balance between heads-down work and the meeting load that comes with senior roles.”
- “Could be more proactive about sharing her own wins — she defaults to spotlighting the team and undersells her contributions.”
How to frame 3 strengths and 3 areas of improvement
Many reference check formats ask for three strengths and three areas of improvement. The trick is balancing the two without making the improvement column look heavier than the strength column. Use this matching pattern:
| Strength | Area of Improvement (paired) |
|---|---|
| Sets clear priorities under ambiguity | Still building experience saying no when scope keeps expanding |
| Strong written communicator | Continuing to develop executive presentation skills |
| Owns mistakes quickly and without defensiveness | Tends to internalize feedback strongly — still calibrating that |
| Excellent IC with deep technical instincts | Growing into people-management is her next stretch |
| Highly reliable on commitments | Could push back earlier when scope changes mid-project |
The pattern: each improvement area is the shadow side of a strength. This makes the reference feel honest and self-consistent rather than mechanical.
What not to say on a reference call
These phrases are reference-check killers. Recruiters listen for them specifically. Even gentle versions sink candidacies — if any of these are accurate, decline the reference instead.
- “Sometimes misses deadlines” → reads as reliability concern
- “Can be difficult to work with” → reads as interpersonal risk
- “Struggles under pressure” → reads as stress fragility
- “Had attendance issues” → near-instant disqualifier
- “Can be defensive about feedback” → reads as coachability concern
- “Doesn’t always follow through” → near-instant disqualifier
- “Has trouble with details” → reads as quality concern
- “We had to manage her closely” → reads as performance concern
Equally dangerous: refusing to name any area of improvement at all. “Honestly, I can’t think of one” reads as coached or unfamiliar with the person’s actual work. Have at least one diplomatic answer ready before the call.
When to decline the reference instead
If your only honest improvement areas fall into the “do not say” list, the right move is to decline the reference, not soften the truth. Saying “I don’t think I’m the right person to speak to her current strengths — it’s been a while since we worked closely” is far kinder than a faint-praise reference that ends the candidacy without the candidate ever knowing why.
Strong references take work. Inside companies, Windmill helps managers build a year-round record of accomplishments, peer feedback, and collaboration patterns — which makes writing recommendations, references, and reviews easier when the moment comes. Specific examples beat vague impressions, whether you’re writing a review or fielding a reference call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I put for areas of improvement on a reference?
Pick one or two genuine growth areas you observed, frame them as development opportunities rather than weaknesses, and pair each with evidence the person was already working on it. Strong examples include 'still building experience managing larger budgets' or 'continuing to develop executive presentation skills.' Avoid anything that signals reliability or integrity concerns.
How honest should I be in a job reference?
Be honest but proportionate. Reference checkers expect every candidate to have areas of improvement, and refusing to name any reads as either evasive or coached. Share real development areas the person has acknowledged themselves, but stay focused on growth trajectory rather than fixed weaknesses. If you can't give an honest, positive reference, the right move is to decline rather than damn with faint praise.
What are 3 strengths and 3 areas of improvement examples for a reference?
A balanced reference might pair strengths like 'sets clear priorities,' 'strong written communication,' and 'owns mistakes quickly' with improvement areas like 'still developing experience managing senior stakeholders,' 'building confidence presenting to large audiences,' and 'learning to delegate more aggressively as scope grows.' Match each improvement to growth, not deficit.
What should you not say in a job reference?
Avoid anything signaling reliability, ethics, or interpersonal red flags — 'sometimes misses deadlines,' 'can be difficult to work with,' 'struggles under pressure,' or 'had attendance issues.' These phrases are reference-check killers that recruiters listen for specifically. Even softened versions of these will sink a candidacy. If a real concern exists, decline the reference instead.
Is it bad to say someone has no areas of improvement?
Yes. Saying a candidate has no areas of improvement reads as either dishonest or unfamiliar with their work. Experienced reference checkers expect every candidate to have growth areas, and refusing to name one usually triggers more probing questions. A diplomatic but real development area is more credible than universal praise.