Who to Address a Cover Letter To (When You Don't Know the Name)

The honest order of preference:

1. The hiring manager's name if you can find it (best).
2. "Dear Hiring Team" or "Dear [Company] Team" (great fallback).
3. "Dear Hiring Manager" (fine, slightly impersonal).
4. "Dear [Department] Team" (e.g. "Dear Engineering Team"), works.

What to avoid:

• "To Whom It May Concern", outdated.
• "Dear Sir or Madam", outdated and exclusive.
• "Hi there", too informal for most roles.
• Made-up names, risky.

How to find the hiring manager's name

LinkedIn search:

• "[Role title] [Company]", find current people in that role.
• "[Hiring Manager / Director] [Department] [Company]", the level above the open role.
• Check the team page on the company's website.

The recruiter who posted the job:

• LinkedIn job posting often shows the poster.
• Greenhouse / Lever pages sometimes name the recruiter.
• Email signatures from any prior contact.

Mutual connections:

• LinkedIn shows shared connections, ask if anyone can give you the name.

What if you can't find the name

Use "Dear Hiring Team" or "Dear [Company] Team." It's the modern, gender-neutral, professional default. Recruiters don't penalize this.

When to use a first name

• Tech and modern offices: first names are common.
• Traditional industries (law, finance, medicine, government): use the full name with title (Dr. Ms. Mr.).
• When in doubt, use the full name.

What if the company has explicit instructions?

Some applications say "Address to [Specific Person]", follow that. Others say "Use Dear Hiring Manager", follow that. The instructions trump general convention.

The bigger pattern

Salutation matters less than the substance of the letter. Don't spend 20 minutes searching for a name when the letter itself is generic. Tailor the content before optimizing the salutation.

Sorce auto-generates tailored cover letters, including the salutation, per application. Free swipes every day, AI agent applies.

Addressing a cover letter when you do not know the name

Use "Dear Hiring Manager" when the recruiter or manager is not listed. Avoid "To whom it may concern" unless the application is unusually formal. If you want a finished draft, use the cover letter generator and then edit the greeting once you find the right person.

For more: how to make a cover letter, cover letter without a name, how to end a cover letter.