How to Find the Hiring Manager for a Job (A Recruiter's Method)

The hiring manager is almost always the person the job reports to. To find them, read the ad for a "reports to" line or a team name, work out the title one level above the job, then look for the person with that title at that company and location, and confirm they still work there. While you're at it, find the recruiter too. You want to write to both.

I've been a recruiter for about 20 years, agency and corporate. Here is how I'd do it if I were sitting in your chair.

Why this is worth 20 minutes

Applying through the portal still matters. Do it first. But the pile behind every posting is huge. Greenhouse reports that applications per job went up 102% between late 2022 and late 2024. Gem's 2025 benchmarks put the average recruiter at 14 open jobs. I usually have 15 to 20 open at a time, and each one gets hundreds and hundreds of applicants.

When a candidate writes to me directly, it stands out. I read it. I often call them. If they look good, I forward them to the hiring manager. Hiring managers forward me candidates who reached out to them, too, and many of those people got interviews and offers. A short, specific note to the right person moves you from the pile to someone's inbox.

Step 1: Read the job ad like a recruiter

Most people skim the ad for requirements. Read it for clues about who's hiring.

• A "reports to" line. Many ads say it outright: "Reports to the Director of Finance." That's your answer, or very close to it.
• The team or department name. "Join our Revenue Cycle team" or "Pediatric Unit, 4 West" tells you which manager to look for.
• The location. A job in Tampa usually reports to someone in Tampa, or at least to someone who runs the Tampa team. At big companies, the manager can sit at headquarters instead. Keep that in mind.
• The "you'll work with" section. Phrases like "partner closely with the Controller" often point at the boss.
• Signs it's an agency ad. "Our client," no company name, or a staffing firm's logo means the real employer is hidden. That changes your approach. See how to tell if a job is from a staffing agency.

Step 2: Work out the title one level up

If the ad doesn't name the boss, figure out the title. Every job sits on a ladder, and the ladder changes with the setting.

• A Staff Accountant at a mid-size company usually reports to an Accounting Manager or Controller. At a small business, it may be the owner or the CFO.
• A floor RN at a hospital reports to the Nurse Manager of that unit. At a nursing home, it's usually the Director of Nursing.
• An Administrative Assistant often reports to an Office Manager, or straight to the executive they support.
• A Software Engineer reports to an Engineering Manager. At a startup, it might be the CTO.
• A Help Desk Technician at a smaller company often reports to the IT Manager. At an IT services firm, it may be a Service Desk Manager.

The rule: the smaller the employer, the higher up the hiring manager sits. At a 40-person company, the owner might be the hiring manager for almost everything.

Step 3: Check the job post itself

On LinkedIn, many job pages show a "Meet the hiring team" box. LinkedIn's help page says members can "connect and message the entire team listed in this section, including the job poster."

Look at who's listed. If the title says Recruiter, Talent Acquisition or HR, that's the recruiter. Great, you found one of your two people. If it says Manager, Director or Lead on the same team as the job, you may have found the hiring manager.

Don't stop there. Plenty of posts show nobody, and plenty show only the recruiter.

Step 4: Search for that title at that company

Now look for the person.

• LinkedIn search. Search the company, filter to people, and type the title you worked out. Narrow by location.
• Google. Search the title, the company name and the city in quotes, for example "Accounting Manager" "Brightline Logistics" Tampa. You'll find bios, staff pages, conference speaker lists and press releases.
• The company website. Leadership pages, team pages, "meet our staff" pages and news posts. Hospitals and law firms often list department heads.
• Press releases and local news. "Brightline names Sarah Kim Controller" is a gift.

Step 5: Confirm before you write

This is where most people go wrong. Check three things:

1. They still work there. Look at dates. A profile that hasn't changed in years, or a press release from 2019, isn't proof they're there now.
2. They're the right person, not a namesake. Common names repeat. Make sure the city and company match.
3. The title fits the job. A Director of Sales at headquarters is a long shot for a warehouse supervisor job in another state. Look for someone closer to the work.

If you can't confirm, it's still worth writing to your best candidate. Just know it's a best guess, and lean harder on the recruiter.

Step 6: Find the recruiter too

Most competitors tell you to skip the recruiter. I'm a recruiter, so take this with that in mind, but I think that's bad advice. The recruiter is the one person whose whole job is to fill this seat. We're on your side. A recruiter who likes you walks your resume to the manager's desk.

Who recruits for the job depends on the employer:

• Big companies: a corporate recruiter or talent acquisition partner, often one who covers that department.
• Smaller companies: HR, the office manager, or the owner.
• Agency jobs: the agency recruiter is your contact. The employer may be hidden on purpose.

Write each one a separate, short note. See hiring manager vs recruiter for what each person cares about.

A worked example

Jennifer Walsh applies for a Staff Accountant job at a regional freight company in Tampa. The ad says "Join our growing accounting team" and nothing about who's in charge.

She goes one level up: at a company that size, probably an Accounting Manager or the Controller. A LinkedIn search for "Accounting Manager" at the company, filtered to Tampa, shows one person, Mike Turner, with a current start date. The company's news page announced him two years ago. That's a strong match. The job post's hiring team box shows a recruiter, Dana Price, Talent Acquisition.

She applies through the portal, then sends Mike this:

Subject: Staff Accountant application, Jennifer Walsh

Hi Mike,

I just applied for the Staff Accountant role on your team. I've spent three years closing the books monthly for a distribution company, including freight accruals and intercompany reconciliations, so I know the pace month-end takes in logistics. I'd welcome a short call to hear what you need most in this seat. My resume is attached.

Thanks, Jennifer Walsh (555) 010-4477

She sends Dana a separate, two-line version saying the same thing and that she applied. Then she waits about a week before one follow-up.

What to do today

1. Apply through the portal first.
2. Reread the ad for a "reports to" line, team name and location.
3. Write down the title one level up for that setting.
4. Check the post's hiring team box, then search the title at that company and city.
5. Confirm the person is current and local.
6. Find the recruiter.
7. Send each a short, separate note. Put a reminder on your calendar for one follow-up in a week.

A shortcut, if you want one

This takes time, and it's the part most people skip. If you don't know who to write to, paste the job link at emailthehiringmanager.com. It looks for the most likely hiring manager and the recruiter for that job, shows you the names for free, and marks each email as verified or best guess. It isn't always right, so read the reasons it gives and use your own judgment. Either way, the method above works, and it's the same one I use.

Common questions

Is the person who posted the job on LinkedIn the hiring manager?

Sometimes, but usually not. Most jobs are posted by a recruiter or someone in HR. If the poster's title is Recruiter or Talent Acquisition, write to them, then keep looking for the person the job reports to.

What if the job ad doesn't say who the role reports to?

Work it out from the title. Go one level up the ladder for that kind of job at that size of employer, then look for someone with that title at that company, in that location or on that team.

What if I find two or three people who could be the hiring manager?

Pick the one whose title and location fit the job best and write to them. If you're wrong, a manager who isn't handling the job will usually pass a good note to the colleague who is. Also write the recruiter, so you have two doors.

Related guides

• Should I Email the Recruiter After Applying? A Recruiter Answers
• How to Find a Hiring Manager's Email (and Know If It's Right)
• How to Email a Hiring Manager After Applying (With Samples)

Sources

• Applications per job have doubled
• Average recruiter carries 14 open jobs
• LinkedIn job pages can show a hiring team