How to find the hiring manager's name
Start with the job posting itself: many listings already name a contact person along with a phone number or email address, often in the fine print at the bottom. If none is listed, check the company website under "Team," "About Us," or "Careers" — smaller and mid-sized companies frequently list HR staff by name there. For larger companies, LinkedIn gives the most reliable results: search "[Company Name] + Recruiting" or "[Company Name] + Talent Acquisition" to identify the person responsible for your department. A short call to the front desk asking "Who's handling hiring for the [job title] position?" also works almost every time — and reads as engaged, not pushy.
Spelling the name correctly and choosing the right greeting
Finding a name is useless if you misspell it — that's worse than no name at all, because it signals carelessness rather than diligence. Verify the spelling against two independent sources (e.g., the job posting and a LinkedIn profile) before using it. For the greeting itself, "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" or "Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]" both work in English-language applications, with the more formal "Dear Mr./Ms." preferred for traditional industries (finance, law, government) and first-name greetings increasingly common at startups and tech companies. If gender isn't clear from the name, using the full name ("Dear Jordan Smith") sidesteps the issue entirely — safer than guessing wrong.
When you truly can't find a name
Sometimes the search comes up empty — for example, with anonymized job postings or a shared HR inbox at a large corporation. In that case, "To Whom It May Concern" is technically acceptable but not your strongest option. Better alternatives address the function or team instead: "Dear Hiring Team at [Company]," "Dear [Company] Recruiting Team," or, if you know the department, "Dear Marketing Team." These are more specific than the generic default without risking an incorrect name. At startups or companies with a casual internal culture, "Hi [Company] Team" can also work — but match the tone to the rest of the job posting rather than defaulting to informality just because it feels modern.
Common mistakes to avoid
Don't invent a name or pull one from an unreliable source just to have something personal to write — an incorrect name is immediately noticeable and reads worse than a correct, general greeting. It's equally risky to address someone who has already left the company; checking the "last updated" signal on a LinkedIn profile helps confirm they're still there. Avoid greetings that are too casual ("Hey team!") for companies with a formal communication culture — it clashes with the otherwise professional tone the rest of the letter should carry. And a misspelled name is treated as a disqualifying error by many hiring managers, since it suggests a lack of attention to detail.
In short
Research the name first in the job posting, then on the company website and LinkedIn, and double-check the spelling before using it. If you genuinely can't find anyone, a team- or function-based greeting beats the generic default.