Writing Reports

Business English
Grau en Administració i Direcció d’Empreses
REPORTS
What is a report?
A report is a written document giving information or describing the findings of some

individual or group. The purpose of a report is to investigate, present and analyse
information thoroughly and logically with the final objective of recommending action to
solve a problem or making a proposal. It should be noted that reports are considered to
be legal documents in the workplace and, thus, they need to be precise, accurate and
difficult to misinterpret.
Tips for writing reports
• A report should be well organised with information presented in a logical order.

• There is no set layout (structure) for a report it will depend on the type and purpose
of the report and/or the company style.
• The report has an overall heading (a title) and is clearly divided into sections with
headings
• Each section is relatively brief and written in a way that can be easily scanned if the
reader is looking for specific information.
• Bullet points are a common feature (characteristic) of reports because they make
the content clear when the report is read quickly.
• The minimum sections that a simple report should contain are the following:
1. Title: a heading with the subject of the report

2. Introduction: it should explain the objective and what the report covers
(what it is about)
3. Findings: it should explain/describe the facts discovered during the course
of the report investigation.
4. Conclusion: it can be a summary of the main points of the report or what
you think about the facts and how you interpret them.
5. Recommendations: it tells the reader practical suggestions or what steps
to take next to deal with the situation, i.e. it states ideas for future action
based on the findings and conclusion.
• Other additional sections that could be included in a more extended report are:
o Executive summary: this should be placed between the title and the
introduction. This is a summary of the main points and conclusion of
the report. It gives the reader a quick overview of the total situation.
o Terms of Reference: following the executive summary, this section
gives background information on who has written the report and the
reason for the report. It usually includes the person requesting the
report.
o Procedure/method of investigation: this would come after the
introduction and before the findings. It provides the exact steps taken
and methods used for the report.
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Business English
• Reports should be concise and factual, i.e. based on facts and not opinions.
Opinions are given in the "conclusions" section. However, these opinions should
be based on facts presented in the "findings".
• Use phrases for suggesting or recommending in the “recommendations” section
(e.g. we should..., I/we would recommend that..., it is suggested that..., etc.). You
can also use the imperative form (Discuss the possibility ..., Give priority ..., etc.)
in different bullet points as these recommendations apply to the company as a
whole.
Example of a Report 1
A COMPARISON OF ERS AND WORLDWIDE RELOCATION (WR)
Introduction
The aim of this report is to assess which of the two companies, ERS or WR would be
the most suitable for the relocation of Fenway employees and their families from
Seattle to Dublin.
Findings
Both ERS and WR offer an accommodation and school search service. Both
companies can organise visas and work permits. In addition to these basic services,
ERS also offers removal and shipping assistance whereas WR offers an integration
programme and assistance with partner employment. The latter is a key requirement
for Fenway.
Conclusion
It was concluded that both companies go some way to fulfilling Fenway’s needs, but
neither meets all the needs.
Recommendation
We would recommend that WR is chosen to facilitate the relocation process as its

services match Fenway’s requirements more closely than ERS’s do.
Example of a Report 2
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SATISFACTION
Terms of Reference
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Business English
Margaret Anderson, Director of Personnel has requested this report on employee

benefits satisfaction. The report was to be submitted to her by 28 June.
Procedure
A representative selection of 15% of all employees were interviewed in the period

between April 1st and April 15th concerning:
• Overall satisfaction with our current benefits package

• Problems encountered when dealing with the personnel department
• Suggestions for the improvement of communication policies
• Problems encountered when dealing with our HMO
Findings
• Employees were generally satisfied with the current benefits package.

• Some problems were encountered when requesting vacation due to what is
perceived as long approval waiting periods.
• Older employees repeatedly had problems with HMO prescription drugs
procedures.
• Employees between the ages of 22 and 30 report few problems with HMO.
• Most employees complain about the lack of dental insurance in our benefits
package.
• The most common suggestion for improvement was for the ability to process
benefits requests online.
Conclusions
• Older employees, those over 50, are having serious problems with our HMO's
ability to provide prescription drugs.
• Our benefits request system needs to be revised as most complaints
concerning in-house processing.
• Improvements need to take place in personnel department response time.
• Information technology improvements should be considered as employees
become more technologically savvy.
Recommendations
1. Meet with HMO representatives to discuss the serious nature of complaints

concerning prescription drug benefits for older employees.
2. Give priority to vacation request response time as employees need faster
approval in order to be able to plan their vacations.
3. Take no special actions for the benefits package of younger employees.
4. Discuss the possibility of adding an online benefits requests system to our
company Intranet.
You can find additional information on report writing in:
LAWS, Anne (2004): Writing Skills, Oxford, Summertown Publishing
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Writing Reports

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Business English

Grau en Administració i Direcció d’Empreses

A report is a written document giving information or describing the findings of some

Tips for writing reports

• A report should be well organised with information presented in a logical order.

1. Title: a heading with the subject of the report

A COMPARISON OF ERS AND WORLDWIDE RELOCATION (WR)

We would recommend that WR is chosen to facilitate the relocation process as its

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SATISFACTION

Margaret Anderson, Director of Personnel has requested this report on employee

A representative selection of 15% of all employees were interviewed in the period

• Overall satisfaction with our current benefits package

• Employees were generally satisfied with the current benefits package.

1. Meet with HMO representatives to discuss the serious nature of complaints

You can find additional information on report writing in:

LAWS, Anne (2004): Writing Skills, Oxford, Summertown Publishing

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