The salutation of your cover letter is the first line a hiring manager reads, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. Address the letter to a specific person and you signal that you did your homework. Use a vague, outdated greeting and you signal the opposite, that this is a mass application you did not bother to personalize.
The problem is that many job postings do not include the hiring manager's name. You are left staring at a blank line, wondering what to write. This guide covers how to find the right name when possible, and what to write when it is not. If you are looking for broader advice on opening your letter, our guide on how to start a cover letter covers everything after the salutation.
How to Find the Hiring Manager's Name
Before you settle for a generic greeting, invest five to ten minutes researching. In most cases, you can find a name. Here are the most reliable tactics:
Check the Job Posting Carefully
Read the entire listing, including the fine print at the bottom. Some postings name the hiring manager, department head, or recruiter in the application instructions or the "about the team" section. If the posting says "Reports to Sarah Chen, Director of Marketing," you have your name.
Search LinkedIn
Go to the company's LinkedIn page and filter employees by the department that posted the role. Look for titles like "Hiring Manager," "Head of [Department]," or "Talent Acquisition." If you find a likely match, use that name. Even if you are slightly off, addressing a real person in the correct department shows initiative.
Visit the Company Website
Many companies list their leadership team or department contacts on an About or Team page. Smaller companies are especially likely to publish this information. Check the page that corresponds to the department you are applying to.
Call the Company
This sounds old-fashioned, but it works. Call the main line and say: "I am applying for the [Job Title] position and would like to address my cover letter to the right person. Could you tell me who manages hiring for that team?" Receptionists are often willing to share a name. It takes sixty seconds and gives you a significant edge.
Check the Email Address in the Posting
If the posting says to send applications to a specific email address, the name may be embedded in the address itself. An email like j.martinez@company.com tells you the recipient's last name, which you can cross-reference on LinkedIn or the company website.
7 Professional Alternatives When You Cannot Find a Name
If your research turns up nothing, do not panic. A well-chosen generic salutation is far better than a forced or incorrect name. Here are seven options, ranked from strongest to weakest.
1. Dear Hiring Manager
This is the safest and most widely accepted alternative. It is specific enough to signal that your letter is directed at the person making the hiring decision, and it is neutral enough to work in any industry. When in doubt, use this one.
Best for: Any job application where you cannot identify the hiring manager by name.
2. Dear [Department] Team
Replace the bracket with the actual department name: "Dear Marketing Team" or "Dear Engineering Team." This salutation works well when the job posting clearly identifies the department but not the individual. It feels more personal than a fully generic greeting because it shows you know where the role sits within the organization.
Best for: Applications where the department is named in the posting but no individual contact is provided.
3. Dear [Job Title]
If you know the title of the person who will read your letter, use it: "Dear Director of Operations" or "Dear Senior Recruiter." This is more targeted than "Dear Hiring Manager" and demonstrates that you understand the reporting structure.
Best for: Roles where the posting mentions the title of the supervisor or hiring authority.
4. Dear Hiring Committee
Some positions, particularly in academia, government, and nonprofits, are reviewed by a panel rather than a single manager. If the posting references a committee, search panel, or review board, this salutation is the correct choice.
Best for: Academic positions, public sector roles, and any posting that mentions a committee-based review process.
5. Dear Recruitment Team
Use this when you are certain the letter will first be reviewed by the HR or talent acquisition team rather than the direct hiring manager. It is slightly less targeted than "Dear Hiring Manager" but still professional.
Best for: Large companies with dedicated recruiting departments, or postings that route applications through HR.
6. Dear [Company Name] Team
"Dear Acme Solutions Team" is a workable option when you have no information about the department or hiring manager. It personalizes the greeting to the company, which is better than nothing, but it is vague enough that it should be a backup rather than your first choice.
Best for: Applications where you know the company but not the department, team, or hiring contact.
7. To Whom It May Concern
This is the last resort. While still grammatically correct and technically acceptable, it reads as formal to the point of being impersonal. Most hiring managers and recruiters view it as outdated. Use it only when none of the alternatives above apply. For a deeper look at when this phrase works and when it does not, see our dedicated guide on To Whom It May Concern cover letters.
Best for: Formal letters of inquiry where you genuinely do not know the recipient or the organization's structure.
What to Avoid in Your Salutation
Certain greetings actively hurt your application. Steer clear of these:
- "Dear Sir or Madam." This phrase assumes a gender binary and sounds like it belongs in a letter from the 1980s. It is one of the most commonly criticized salutations among hiring professionals.
- "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam." Unless you know both the person's name and their preferred title, guessing their gender is a risk with no upside.
- "Hey" or "Hi there." Too informal for a cover letter, even at startups. Save this tone for a follow-up email after you have established a relationship.
- "To Whom It May Concern" as a default. Using it because you did not bother to research, rather than because you genuinely could not find a name, tells the reader you took a shortcut.
- Misspelling the name. If you do find a name, triple-check the spelling. Nothing undermines a personalized greeting faster than getting the name wrong.
For a complete walkthrough of letter structure from the salutation through the closing, visit our cover letter format guide.
Example: A Well-Addressed Cover Letter Without a Name
Below is a full cover letter that uses "Dear Hiring Manager" effectively. Notice how the rest of the letter compensates for the generic salutation by being highly specific about the role and company.
Cover letter addressed without a name
The greeting is generic, but the content is tailored. That combination works.
Subject: Application for the Financial Analyst position
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "Dear Hiring Manager" acceptable on a cover letter?
Yes. "Dear Hiring Manager" is the most widely accepted generic salutation for cover letters in the US. It works across industries and seniority levels. While addressing the letter to a specific person is always stronger, "Dear Hiring Manager" is a professional and safe fallback when you cannot find a name.
Should I use "Dear Sir or Madam" if I do not know the hiring manager's gender?
No. "Dear Sir or Madam" is considered outdated and makes assumptions about gender. Use "Dear Hiring Manager" or one of the other alternatives listed above. These options are gender-neutral, modern, and viewed more favorably by recruiters and hiring teams.
Does the salutation really matter that much?
It matters more than most candidates think. The salutation is the first thing the reader sees, and it shapes their initial impression of your attention to detail and professionalism. A personalized greeting signals effort. A lazy or outdated one signals the opposite. That said, the body of your letter matters more overall. A strong salutation with weak content will not get you an interview.
What if I address my cover letter to the wrong person?
If you use the correct name but the wrong person ends up reading it, the impact is usually neutral. The reader will see that you made an effort to research the team, which is still a positive signal. If you misspell the name or use the wrong gender title, the impact is negative. When in doubt about the specific individual, a well-chosen generic greeting is safer than a guess.
How do I address a cover letter for an internal job posting?
For internal applications, address the letter to the hiring manager by name since you likely have access to the company directory. If the internal posting does not name a contact, use "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear [Department] Team." Avoid using first names only unless the company culture is explicitly informal. For more on structuring the rest of your letter, see our full guide on how to write a cover letter.