Writing Work Report

​Business reports are often a common part of many peoples' work responsibilities. There are several types of work reports that you may be required to write, including daily work reports, sales reports and analyses.

​A work report is a formal document that discusses information about a specific topic related to an aspect of your job. Most work reports are addressed to a particular audience, such as a manager.

​The following are steps you can take to write a professional report in the workplace:

• Identify your audience

• Decide which information you will include

• Structure your report​

• Use concise and professional language

• Proofread and edit your report

​Knowing who will be reading your report is an important step in determining how you will format your report, what to include and the tone you should use when writing it.

​Formal

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Being formal does not necessarily mean being complicated or hard to read, but you do need to take care with your word choice and expression.​

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Avoid using language features that are characteristic of spoken casual conversation, such as:​

• colloquial or slang words

• contractions

• abbreviations

​Impersonal

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Your reader just wants to know what the situation is, how they should think about it, and what they should do about it. Even your analysis of the situation/problem and your recommendations need to be presented in impersonal terms.

​Technical

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You are writing your report about a specific topic in a specific academic discipline, and/or for a professional audience familiar with the concepts of the industry. So you should use technical terms associated with that topic and that discipline.

​Abstract

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Your report may be about real-world problems, but most of it should be expressed in conceptual terms. The recommendations section is where it might get a bit more concrete, as you apply your analysis to suggest future actions.

​If you know who will be reading the report, you could ask questions regarding what they expect to see. Choose to include information that will provide the clearest picture of what you are trying to convey.

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For example, if you're writing a sales report, your report may need to include information about whether sales goals are being met, products and services that are selling the most, challenges you or your team are facing and your sales forecast for the next month or quarter.

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​When writing a report, you should structure it so that it can be easily read and digested. While each report will vary in the sections you should include, you can use the following report components as a guide when writing your report:

• Title or title page

• Executive summary/abstract that briefly describes the content of your report

• Table of contents (if the report is more than a few pages)

• An introduction describing your purpose in writing the report

• A body paragraph where you include the information you are conveying with the report

• Conclusion or recommendation depending on the purpose of the report

​You should strive to use clear and concise language when writing your report. Try to get the point across as clearly and quickly as possible and use simple yet professional language. Avoid using "fluff" or wordy sentences when possible.

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For example, rather than saying, "You might find it helpful to regularly refresh your inbox to stay up-to-date on emails," you could say, "Regularly refresh your inbox."

​Proofreading also allows you to cut out any unnecessary information and make sure your report is as efficient and effective as possible. Once you have finished writing your report, set it aside for an hour or more before you proofread it. This will allow you to look at the report in a fresh way and catch mistakes you may not have seen before.