How to Address a Cover Letter When You Don't Know the Name (2026)

The first line of your cover letter is the first thing a recruiter reads — and if it starts with "To Whom It May Concern," it's also the first sign that you didn't do 90 seconds of research. Here's how to address a cover letter in Canada, in the right order of preference.

The name-first rule

Every recruiter survey since 2020 says the same thing: a named salutation raises the odds a hiring manager reads past the first paragraph. It signals you know who the team is, not just that a job exists.

The correct format when you have a name:

Dear [First name] [Last name],

Dear Priya Sharma,

No "Mr." or "Ms." unless the person uses one publicly. First + last with no honorific is the safest 2026 default in Canada.

How to find the hiring manager's name in 60 seconds

1. Check the job posting. LinkedIn postings list the poster at the top. Indeed and company career pages sometimes list a contact.
2. Search LinkedIn. Filter by company + relevant title ("Talent Acquisition", "Recruiter", or the manager of your target team — e.g. "Marketing Manager" if you're applying for a Marketing Coordinator role).
3. Check the company website's team page. Small and mid-size companies often list department leads.
4. Check the company's newsroom or blog. The author of a recent post is often the person who runs the team you'd join.
5. Call reception. Old-school but effective: "Hi, I'm applying to a role and want to address my cover letter correctly — could you tell me who leads the [team]?" Works ~60% of the time.

Five acceptable fallbacks (ranked)

When you truly can't find a name, use these in this order:

1. Dear Hiring Manager, — the universal default. Never wrong.
2. Dear [Team] Hiring Team, — e.g. "Dear Marketing Hiring Team," when the JD names the team.
3. Dear [Company] Recruiter, — good when the posting is clearly recruiter-owned.
4. Dear [Company] Team, — acceptable but a hair generic.
5. Dear [Department] Team, — e.g. "Dear People Team," for HR applications.

Avoid: "To Whom It May Concern", "Dear Sir/Madam", "Hello," (no addressee), and "Hey!" (too casual for any application).

Gendered vs neutral salutations

Canadian workplaces have moved away from Mr./Ms./Mrs. for cover letters. Reasons:

• You avoid guessing gender from a name you're unfamiliar with.
• You avoid guessing marital status (Mrs. vs Ms.).
• Non-binary and gender-diverse professionals prefer no honorific or "Mx."

Default to first + last name. Use "Dr." if the person is a physician, dentist, or holds a PhD relevant to the role. Use "Mx." only when the person uses it publicly.

Formatting the header

Modern Canadian cover letters skip the paper-mail block address. Include:

• Your name (bold, larger than body text)
• One contact line: phone · email · LinkedIn URL · city, province
• Date (optional, but helpful if the letter sits in an inbox for weeks)
• Salutation — see above

You do not need:

• Your street address (unless the posting asks — federal jobs sometimes do)
• The employer's mailing address
• A subject line inside the letter (the email subject or file name handles it)

Related: how to start a cover letter · how to end a cover letter · cover letter format Canada.