How to Find the Hiring Manager of Any Company in 2025

Michelle Wilson - October 31, 2022

When applying for a new job, adding a personalized touch to an application can make all the difference. Addressing the hiring manager by name helps a company recognize you as someone detail-oriented, building a connection with the company’s human resources department. If you’re adding a cover letter for an emailed job application, it’s essential to learn how to find the hiring manager’s name to improve your chances of standing out in a sea of applications.

In this article, we’ll discuss the comprehensive role of a hiring manager and the best ways to locate this individual’s name when it’s missing from the job posting.

What is a Hiring Manager?

A hiring manager typically works with recruiters to uncover the best candidates for an open position. They will initiate the hiring process after determining the role’s specific needs. Although other professionals within human resources may help throughout this discovery process, a hiring manager makes all final hiring decisions and extends the job offer to the applicant.

How to Find the Hiring Manager of a Company

There are several steps an applicant can take to learn the name of the hiring manager within a company. These steps include the following methods of discovery:

Search Social Media

Human resource professionals will typically include their job titles and the company name on popular social media platforms. To start your search, enter the company name and relevant keywords like “hiring manager” into the search box at the top of the screen. Once you’ve found the hiring manager’s profile, consider sending them a personalized message before submitting your application.

Reach Out to Company Employees

When you’ve looked through the company’s website and need help finding an obvious match, consider connecting with someone in the company who works in the same department. Try to build a personalized connection with this individual before sending a message. Maybe you’re both members of a professional industry or alumni. Use a friendly approach in your message and directly reference the job position. Building contacts within the company might extend beyond learning the hiring manager’s name; it may even get you an introduction now.

Contact the Company Directly

If you haven’t visited the company’s website yet, go online to see if they list the hiring manager’s contact information. A few websites will have an employee directory posted to the website, including email addresses and phone extensions. If the website doesn’t list the name directly, contacting the company can be a simple solution. Consider calling the main office to inquire about the position and ask for the hiring manager’s name. The secretary will offer the information directly or direct you to the appropriate department.

Network with Professional Contacts

As you continue to build a professional career, you’ll likely meet people who can help you make connections with valuable industry contacts. Depending on your situation, consider reaching out to those with similar backgrounds to see if they can help. Maybe they know the hiring manager directly or another member of the department. Consider calling them or reaching out through social media with a friendly message. Revisit the last interaction with them and explain your interest in the specific company.

Find a Trade Publication

Often overlooked, a trade publication can offer valuable information about your industry and the helpful team players within the company. You don’t need to hold an active subscription to access the data; search through publications online to read about the latest trends. Many of these publications include the names of essential employees within a company.

Revisit the Job Listing

Occasionally, time limits prevent essential details like contact information from slipping through our focus. Take some time to revisit the job listing more than once, combing through it for relevant information. Doing so can improve your confidence and help you uncover missing information you may have overlooked the first time. Consider having a friend or family member look through the listing for a fresh perspective.

Use the Email Address on File

A job listing frequently contains an email address as a resource for questions or application submissions. To ensure you address the cover letter correctly, consider sending a friendly email ahead of time asking for the hiring manager’s name. Alternatively, analyze the letters within the email address to see if it contains the name. If there is an identifiable name within the email, search for it online. The name results often include a full name and job title.

Check Out the Recruiting Agency’s Website

A recruiting agency will often create job postings on behalf of companies. If this is the case for the position you’re applying to, visit the agency’s website and search through the web pages for specific names of recruiters. Occasionally, the descriptions will list the names of particular companies they’ve worked with, which can tell you who to contact.

Look Through Other Job Sites

A job listing will typically appear on multiple platforms, so copying the text and posting it to various search engines can help you uncover hidden details. Put quotation marks around the text before hitting the search button to target specific content. You’ll likely discover the original job posting, which may include the hiring manager’s name and email address.

Reach Out to Senior Management

When you’ve considered every other avenue of searching, consider reaching out to the company’s executives. These executives are often fabulous networkers and will often welcome communication from people outside the company. You may receive a response from the chief information officer, or the head of a department related to the position, as they’re typically involved in the hiring decisions.

How to Approach the Hiring Manager?

Contacting the hiring manager can prove beneficial and often streamlines the job search process. It’s essential to follow the employer’s application process, ensuring there are no stipulations against direct contact. Contacting a hiring manager isn’t a substitution for submitting your application through the hiring process.

Conclusion

When emailing the hiring manager, aim for a personal and professional relationship that could outlast the application cycle. This way, even if you aren’t selected for an interview, holding networks with other professionals in the field is always a good idea. As technology development continues to push into hiring decisions, resume screening software is becoming increasingly popular. These applications are automatically sorted through keywords, occasionally rejecting a candidate who doesn’t include them in the resume. A personalized email can help the hiring manager determine your eligibility while bypassing the automated screening process. Although having the hiring manager’s name with your cover letter or resume isn’t a guarantee for an interview, it will set you apart from the competition.