How do I find a hiring manager's name for my cover letter?

What do you do when the name of the hiring manager isn't mentioned in a job posting?

It's tempting to start your cover letter with "To Whom It May Concern..." but using a hiring manager's full name in the greeting increases the chances of them reading your cover letter.

• It creates an instant rapport with the hiring manager.

• It shows you pay attention to detail and makes a good first impression.

So how do you find the hiring manager's name?

This seems obvious, but important details like contact information are easy to overlook. Have a friend or family member read through the posting to make sure you didn't miss the name of the hiring manager in the job ad.

Job postings are often listed on multiple job sites.

Copy and paste the text of the job posting into your preferred search engine with quotation marks around the text and hit "search". You'll likely find the original job posting this way, which might include the hiring manager's name and email address.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

1. Go to the LinkedIn website (better to do this on laptop or tablet rather than a small phone screen).

2. Go to the search box at the top.

3. In the search box, type the name of the company, then click the company name from the suggested search results.

4. On the company’s profile, click the "People" option.

5. Find the "People" search box.

6. Search for the most relevant keyword(s) you have:

• The hiring manager’s job title, for example, "Marketing Manager".

• The department where the applied-for job sits, for example, "Finance".

7.  Browse the LinkedIn profiles, and try to figure out who the manager is.

• You may be lucky and hit on one profile that could be the hiring manager's, but you can’t be sure.

  • A personal connection is often the best way to find something out about a company.

• If you know someone (or have a LinkedIn connection) who works for the company, ask them, “Do you know who the hiring manager is for [insert the Job Title here]?”

  • If you ask, make it clear you know they might not be able to reveal the information due to company rules on sharing information.

• If you get an interview, read the hiring manager's LinkedIn bio before and prepare some specific questions for them, such as their specialty or even common interests you both have.

Some company websites have an employee directory or "Contact Us" section.

If they haven't listed the job title and a name, contact the company directly. There's nothing wrong with calling or emailing to ask for the name of the hiring manager!

• Be polite and honest with the administrative assistant or customer service representative.

• Explain that you’re about to apply for a job and you’d like to know who you should address in your cover letter.

• If they aren’t able to provide an answer or transfer you to someone who knows, let it go.

Ready to make a strong first impression?