Dear Hiring manager,

← Cover letter salutations

"Dear Recruiter" — When the Recruiter Owns the Thread

Use "Dear Recruiter" only when a specific recruiter posted the job or emailed you first — otherwise find their name or write to the hiring manager.

By DearHiringManager.io

“Dear Recruiter” works when a named recruiter posted the job or signed the outreach email — otherwise find the specific person or use “Dear Recruiting Team.”

Example openings

Dear Recruiter,

Thank you for reaching out about the Data Engineer role at Acme Corp.
As discussed, I am submitting my formal application.
Dear Recruiter,

I saw your LinkedIn post about the Marketing Manager opening and
would like to be considered.

What to write instead

  • “Dear [Recruiter Name],” when they identified themselves
  • “Dear Hiring Manager” when you want the decision-maker, not the screener
  • “Dear Recruiter or Hiring Manager” only if the posting uses that exact phrase — otherwise pick one

Need the actual name instead of a generic salutation? Paste the job URL into DearHiringManager.io — find the hiring manager's name in about a minute, then open with “Dear [Name],” instead.