How to address a cover letter?

[PeterJohnson]

Do you still write Dear Sir/Madam if you don't know and can't find a name? I've seen a couple of examples of Dear Hiring Manager but I'm so out of touch I don't know if this is normal now, or informal or because a lot of examples are US based. I've trawled the website - no personal info is available on anyone apart from the boss and I've looked on LinkedIn but I can't find anyone listed under HR for their company. The phone number the website gives for general enquiries isn't recognised (tried on my mobile) so I can't call and ask, no email is given.

I think either of your suggestions will work. I'm sure if we're out of touch someone will be along to let us know. Alternatively, depending on the job role you may be able to find details on the company website or social media, particularly LinkedIn e.g. if it's a marketing role find out who the marketing manager or director is.

Yes I would address it as Dear Sir/Madam if it was a letter. If it’s an email in this situation I would simply say Good morning/afternoon/evening - whatever time it was when I was sending it.

I’ve thought about this recently and have to send a lot of formal
emails and letters (I am a lawyer) and still revert to “Dear Sir/Madam”. It might not be woke enough but that is what I am sticking to.

I did Dear Hiring Manager on my last one, it's possibly a bit American (?) but Sir/Madam seems pretty old fashioned and not how I address people so if the letter is written by me, it may as well sound like it is!

My son chased up the actual person who was dealing with the application and addressed it to them.

@Alfreddoeblin I know that's the best way to go about it, but the company doesn't have any of this info available, I'm assuming, going by the vitriol on their company linkedin page, for privacy and safety issues. Not even their phone number works!

I used Dear Hiring Manager only yesterday. I didn’t know that was an Americanism? We call them hiring managers in the UK too. I think Dear Sir / Madam is fine too though.

For reference: I am late 40s

Vitriol on their LinkedIn page?! Are these comments from external people or what?

yes!

"Listen up dweebs. Who has two thumbs and is perfect for this job?"

Then a picture of you pointing at yourself with both thumbs.

Then the main body of the letter.

Good luck.

I always write dear sir/madam..... maybe old school but that's how I was taught

Personally I think "Dear Hiring Manager" is very American and also a bit rude. It's also not very accurate because whilst the HR/recruitment person (who has never had the Hiring Manager title in any organisation I've worked in) might process the application, chances are it will get passed on to someone more senior, like your future manager, at which point it no longer makes sense.

In contrast "Dear Sir or Madam" is the accepted norm and works whoever reads it.

Still Sir/madam here as well.

@Zippedydoodahday in this day and age you can't even assume someone identifies as a sir or a madam lol. Don't be daft, it's not rude, if you'd be genuinely put out at someone addressing you as a hiring manager then that person probably shouldnt be hiring at all. It's 2024. I haven't called someone sir since secondary school, and I sure as fuck haven't dared call someone madam!

As a hiring manager, as long as it was appropriate and formal (so not ‘hi there’ etc) then I really wouldn’t care. Hiring manager is probably the most used although in many organisations we don’t get the full cover letter anyway, just the main body of the text (hr system)

And in reference to a pp, in my organisation the hiring manager is the business person who would be the manager, not the recruitment team.

Unless they have asked for it to be sent to a named individual they don't expect you to address it to an individual. Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Hiring Manager are both completely normal and acceptable.

For info: The hiring manager is the line manager of the role being recruited.

interesting though that at least some people think it’s rude. I will reconsider in future.

Perhaps it depends on the industry, but in many professional services firms Sir/Madam is the norm. No one calls anyone Sir or Madam out loud, but it is the accepted convention for written correspondence where the names are not known. If you were applying for a job in my firm "Dear Hiring Manager" would stand out a mile. Not least because the senior people are partners not managers.

@Zippedydoodahday yeah see if someone didn't hire me because I wrote "dear hiring manager" it wouldn't be a place I'd want to work anyway, I suspect that would be a small issue in comparison to others there. I'm in a good professional career, but it's not pretentious, thankfully.