At first, writing a job report may seem difficult, but it's actually easier than you think. Work reports are usually used to describe the progress of a particular project or provide conclusions and recommendations on a particular issue in the workplace. In order to easily write an effective work report, start by considering your purpose, audience, research, and message. Draft a report using the business report format. Make revisions so that the report becomes effective.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Planning a Work Report
Step 1. Identify the purpose and topic of the report
Sometimes, you may be asked to make a report. The purpose or topic of the report will most likely be stated in the request. If you're not sure about a goal or topic, consider the message you want to convey to your readers. You can also clarify with your supervisor or superior.
For example, your goal might be to analyze a business issue, explain the results of a project you are working on, or provide a supervisor with an outline of the progress of your work
Step 2. Choose a tone and language that suits the reader
Consider the reader's knowledge and the jargons they know. When you write a report, you can use jargon and more professional language than when you write for the public.
- Who will read the report? Consider any readers who are likely to use your report.
- If your readership is heterogeneous, write down the entire information for the reader who has the least knowledge of what you are writing about. However, use headings for each section so that more educated readers can skip over information they don't think is necessary. You can also write specific sections to address specific groups of readers.
Step 3. Collect data and supporting materials if any
Include the material you used as the basis for your conclusions or recommendations. You will refer to these materials when preparing the report. You may also need to include these materials in the appendix to the report. Below are the types of material you can include when preparing a report:
- Financial information
- Diagram
- Chart
- Statistical information
- Survey
- Questionnaire
- Results of interviews with experts, coworkers, clients, etc.
Step 4. Review your progress if you are writing a progress report
Instead, give an outline of the work you have done, the work you will do, and whether the work has been in accordance with the initial target. Think of the report as an answer to the questions people may have about your project. Below are the questions you should answer in the report:
- Has the scope of work changed?
- What work have you completed since the last report?
- What work will you do?
- Will your project be completed on time? If not, why?
- What problem did you face and how did you solve it?
- What lessons did you learn this month?
Step 5. Outline the information you should include in the report
Write an outline of your idea as a guide. When outlining, develop report headers to help organize what you are going to say. This outline doesn't need to be neat or well-written because only you will be using it.
- Generally, the report starts with an explanation of the results, conclusions, or recommendations. After that, explain how you came to that conclusion and your way of thinking if possible.
- If you are going to make a controversial conclusion or recommendation, explain your process and reasoning so that the reader understands the reasons behind your conclusions and recommendations.
Part 2 of 3: Drafting a Work Report
Step 1. Use a cover page or title page
The title page should contain the name of the report followed by the date of submission on a separate line. On the third line, write the names of all the report authors. After that, write the name of the organization on the fourth line.
- In some cases, you may include a cover letter explaining why you are writing the report, what is in it, and what to do next. This kind of letter is commonly used when the process of writing a report takes a long time or the author feels that the reader needs additional explanation before digging into the report.
- For progress reports, write your name, project name, date, and reporting period on the title page. Write them on different lines. You can label each line with words, such as 'name', 'project name', 'date', and 'report period'. You can also write information about these things without labels.
- Ask your boss if there are any specific recommendations on the work report. These recommendations are the best source of material for preparing reports.
Step 2. Create an executive summary containing key information
Include your conclusions, justifications, and recommendations. The reader will understand the key points of the report without having to read it in its entirety. You don't need to go into too much detail, but the reader should understand the description of your report. The executive summary should be half to one page.
- You don't need to summarize the entire report. Focus on the important ideas in the report, such as your main recommendation or conclusion.
- If you're writing a progress report, skip this section.
Step 3. Create a table of contents
List all the section headings of the report and their page numbers. This list will make it easier for readers to use your report and find the information they need.
- Use headings and headings for each section so the report is easy to read.
- If you're writing a progress report, you usually don't need to create a table of contents unless your boss asks you to. However, include a title and heading for each section to make the report easy to read.
Step 4. Write an introduction to give you an idea of your report
Tell the reader why you wrote the report. Summarize the context behind the report and explain your purpose. Indicate the questions you will answer in the report or the issues you will solve. Describe the scope and organization of the report.
- The introduction need not be long. Write clearly and specifically so that readers know the context and purpose without having to read too long an explanation.
- Write 2-4 paragraphs for the introduction.
- For a progress report, an introductory section of 1-2 paragraphs is sufficient. The introduction should summarize your project and goals. You can also mention the work you have completed and your next plans.
Step 5. Explain the results or conclusions you have mentioned
Outline any research or evaluation you have completed regarding the project. Write a discussion and interpretation of the findings and their relationship to the topic of the report.
- Generally, this section consists of an introductory paragraph and a list of your conclusions.
- The conclusion can be written like this, “1. The population is aging so the health risks of our clients are increasing.”
- If you write a progress report, you have no results or conclusions. Write down achievements or work that you have completed after the introduction. You can write 2-4 paragraphs for this section. However, usually a list will suffice. Write, “Raised IDR 200,000,000 to rent festival tents,” “Signed a contract with Party Planning Company to plan the festival,” and “Conducted a survey of 1,500 residents to gather public opinion.”
Step 6. Provide recommendations for future steps
Recommendations should describe what will happen in the future. Describe what problem could be solved using your solution and how it relates to the conclusion you drew. After writing the explanation, list the recommendations by number. Begin each sentence with a verb. Make a list of recommendations and start with the most important.
- For example, you might write, “1. Provide Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training to employees.”
- If you are writing a progress report, you should make a list of jobs or targets that you will work on/achieve in the next period. For example, you might write, “Find a vendor for the festival,” “Determine the design of the festival,” and “Order a promotional poster.”
Step 7. Discuss the process and framework that underlies the conclusion
Describe the approach you used to analyze the topic, issue, or problem. Review your findings, then explain how they were used as the basis for recommendations. Break the discussion into sections. Title the sections according to their contents.
- This section also contains a longer discussion of research and evaluation.
- This should be the longest section in your report.
- If you are writing a progress report, you can skip this section. You can replace it with a section on bottlenecks while working on a project and how to overcome them. You might write, “Many residents don't return surveys because they don't come with prepaid postage. After this, we will include prepaid postage or provide a digital survey option.”
Step 8. List the references you used to prepare the report
References can be in the form of journal articles, news, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, statistical findings, and other related information. Cite these references at the end of the report. Title it "Bibliography."
- Unless you are asked to use a specific citation style, use the APA format in business reports.
- Skip this step if you are preparing a progress report.
Step 9. Attach attachments to materials such as surveys, questionnaires, or emails
Not every report requires an attachment. However, you can include them if you want to provide material you cite or additional information that can help them more easily understand your topic or findings. Label each attachment using a different letter.
- For example, you could have “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, and “Appendix C”.
- If you are writing a progress report, you do not need to include this section.
Step 10. Write a short conclusion summarizing all of your findings or progress
You may not need to write a conclusion, but a conclusion can highlight the efforts you have made. Make a conclusion of 3-4 sentences to summarize all the information you have presented in the report.
You might write, “The art festival planning project has been carried out as scheduled. We have completed 90% of the planning activities and have moved into the material purchasing process. Currently, the project is not facing any obstacles, but we will deal with any issues that may occur in the future.”
Part 3 of 3: Writing Effective Reports
Step 1. Use a clear title to make the report easy to use
Make the title clear and not verbose. By looking at the title, the reader should immediately understand what your report is about.
- Titles you may need include: Introduction, Work Completed, Next Period Target, Barriers and Solutions, and Conclusion.
- Create a title that matches the information in the report.
- For progress reports, your readers are likely to be supervisors, teams, or clients.
Step 2. Use simple, straightforward language to convey ideas
Work reports do not require complicated words and flowery sentences. You just need to convey the important points to the reader. Convey ideas using the simplest possible words and get to the heart of the idea.
Write, “Revenues up 50% in Q4,” rather than, “Revenues soared by 50% and made fourth-quarter earnings brilliant.”
Step 3. Use concise writing to keep your report brief
Writing that is too long is a waste of time for you and the reader. Eliminate unnecessary words and get straight to the point of your statement.
- Some work reports are naturally long because they contain a lot of information. However, the way you write it should remain concise.
- It's better to write, "Sales increased in the last quarter after staff did telephone marketing," rather than, "Revenues increased sharply in the last quarter as our talented and dedicated sales force marketed potential clients over the phone to get them to buy. more products."
Step 4. Present ideas using objective and unemotional language
Write down the facts and let readers build their own conclusions based on an objective point of view. You may make recommendations on how to handle a particular issue, but don't try to provoke the reader's emotions into persuading them. Let readers build ideas and decisions based on an objective perspective.
Instead of writing, “Unhappy staff usually lacks morale so the office feels like a soulless machine,” you might write, “Staff with relatively low productivity say they feel unhappy.”
Step 5. Don't use informal language and the words “I” or “I
” You may be able to use the word “I” in a progress report if you are working on a project alone. Otherwise, don't use the word “I” or very informal words in job reports. However, you can use the word “you” when directing certain sentences to your target audience.
Use professional language in reports
Step 6. Reread the report to make sure there are no errors
Grammar and spelling errors will lower the reputation of the report's professionalism. Read it again to make sure there are no misspellings, bad phrases, or incorrect word choices. It would be better if you could reread the report twice.
- If possible, ask someone else to read the report as it can sometimes be difficult to find fault with yourself.
- If you have time, leave the report for 24 hours before rereading it.
Tips
- After writing the first work report, use it as a template for subsequent reports.
- Your workplace may have a work report template. Ask your supervisor if you can use the office template.
- If you can do this, use the existing job report format of the organization you work for. Check files at the office or ask a supervisor or coworker for a copy of the report.
