Rock the reach out! Get noticed with these hiring manager messaging tips

Scores of LinkedIn “experts” say that no one reads cover letters.

As a former hiring manager, I can tell you that’s b.s.

But I can tell you that there’s no point in creating a cover letter if you don’t bother saying the right things. The same applies to direct messages to hiring managers and recruiters. Especially if you’re messaging someone outside of your network.?

LinkedIn limits the number of characters you have to send someone a message. And you only get so many InMails each month.

Today, I’ll share some important messaging tips when reaching out to hiring managers or writing your cover letters.?

The goal isn’t to write the greatest message or cover letter of all time. You want to get the hiring manager to feel that you are uniquely positioned to help them solve their burning problems. With a well-crafted message, they’ll take notice of your resume, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio.

Who’s the hiring manager?

Before you can craft your cover letter or well-tailored DM, you’ve gotta know who the hiring manager is.

Now, you can still write an effective message without knowing exactly who the hiring manager is, but it helps to have a name and title of someone in the hiring chain. There are 4 easy ways to find the hiring manager. We’ll start with the easiest and work our way to the hardest.

1. Check the job posting

The easiest way to know who to reach out to is to check the job posting (on LinkedIn).?

Usually, the job posting will list who posted the job, along with a photo, name, and title of the job poster. This is often a recruiter, but sometimes you’ll get lucky and see that the hiring manager posted the role.

While I’d recommend finding and reaching out to the hiring manager (see the next steps), worst-case scenario, you have a recruiter you can contact.

2. Check the job description

Many job postings share the role of the person you’re reporting to. For instance, this Senior Compensation Partner role lists the title of the hiring manager right in the summary of the job description.?

To find the name of the person to reach out to, enter “Director, Compensation @ Company Name” in the LinkedIn search bar and check out the profile of the person matching that title.

In a larger company, there might be more than one person with the same title. In that case, you can address your cover letter or message to one of them. It’s likely that they will pass your message on to the correct hiring manager if you’re a good fit.

3. Go for the jugular

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to find out who the hiring manager is. If you’re applying for a job at a smaller company (think less than 1,000 employees), your best bet is what I call the “go for the jugular” method. That means target your outreach to the highest ranking role in your department.

For example, if you’re applying for a Senior Compensation Partner role in a smaller organization, you could target your cover letter or DM to the Head of People, VP of Human Resources, Head of Total Rewards, or CHRO.?

You’ll have to do some digging on LinkedIn by entering “Title @ Company Name” to find the name of the person with the highest ranking title in your department.

Thankfully, most companies are consistent with title usage. If you’re experienced in your field, you probably have a good idea of the title of the top ranking person in your department.

Now, what if the company you’re interested in has over 1,000 employees? “Going for the jugular” may not work there.

Instead, search for a title that is at least one level above your own.?

For individual contributors (those who don’t manage others), that might be a Manager, Accounting or Customer Service Manager (for example).?

If you’re in a management role or applying for one, your best bet would be to search for someone with a Sr. Manager or Director title to address your outreach to.?

4. Ask someone

If you have a 1st or 2nd level connection at the company you’re looking at, your best bet would be to send that person a message asking who the hiring manager is. Or better yet, seeing if that person can put you in touch with the manager!

This is often called an “employee referral” and is one of the best ways to land jobs.?

If you have someone on the inside that can vouch for you, you’re much more likely to get an interview and potentially an offer if you impress at the interview stage.

You can write something like this:

Hey Betty,

It’s been so long since we worked together at Acme Corp! How are you liking your new gig at New Company, Inc??

I’ve been very impressed with how fast the team has grown in just a few months. It looks like a Widget Warrior position was just posted and I think it would be up my alley.?

Do you know anything about it or who the hiring manager might be?

Dazzle with the DM

Direct messages are a great way to get traction in your job search.

Even if you aren’t a perfect fit for a recruiter or hiring manager’s job, they’re usually willing to point you in a direction that might even be a better fit. Maybe it’s for a role with another team or a completely different opportunity in their network.

Draft a short, friendly connection request that shares how you can help solve the hiring manager’s problem that they posted in the advertised job.

Here’s an example of a message you could send:

Brenda,

I saw the Sr Accountant job posting at NOP Jokes Inc. I’ve spent the last five years as a Sr Accountant for QRS Industries and have significant experience maintaining the general ledger and setting up new accounts.

I’d love to share how I can help you. Do you have time to chat this week?

What you’re doing here is explaining why you’re contacting the hiring manager (you saw the job posting). Then, you’re following up by hinting at your past experience. If you’ve worked for a competitor of the company you’re inquiring about, definitely mention it.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that you’ve performed the top couple of duties listed in the job posting if you have that experience.?

If you’ve taken time to craft stories for each duty listed in the job posting, you’ll feel more confident in writing about your experience and sending the DM.

Let’s cover Cover Letters

Yes, hiring managers still read cover letters.?

When I was a hiring manager, I was much more likely to give a candidate a chance if they took the time to write a cover letter. Not because they needed to do “homework” to impress me, but because it gave me valuable perspective on why they applied for the job, what skills they bring to the table, and how they can use their experience to be successful in this new role. A candidate’s resume won’t always spell this out as clearly.

The way I see it, there are 3 key sections of cover letters.

Once you know how to write each section, scaling your cover letters for other jobs will be easy peasy.

1. Introduction/company brag

Similar to the DM example I shared above, this is where you introduce yourself to the hiring manager.?

Only, you’re not just sharing that you’re interested in their job. You should take the time to research the company and ingratiate yourself to the hiring manager (this is the company brag part). Using information you find on Google, the company’s website, Glassdoor, press releases, articles, or even ChatGPT (always verify the info) can help you find a nugget of wisdom to include in your cover letter.?

As a bonus, see if you can find anything where your hiring manager was mentioned.?

If you can find a recent news piece where they were quoted, or info about a project they worked on, sharing how cool it is with the hiring manager is a great way to get noticed.

Here’s an example of a company brag paragraph you can include in your cover letter that shows you’ve done your research on the organization:

Dear Mr. Hickenlooper,

I was pleased to see the Customer Service Manager job posting at XYZ Healthcare Corporation. I’m very inspired by XYZ Healthcare’s mission to improve access to care in low-income communities. A recent article about how XYZ Healthcare reduced patient hospitalizations by 40% thanks to the great primary care your organization provides left me very impressed.

2. Relevant background/hero story

You’ve been a hero before in your career.?

You may not realize it, but you have. You’ve saved companies money, managers time, and affected the lives of people you may never have met personally. In the second section of your cover letter, you’ll transition from understanding the hiring manager’s problem to showing how you can solve it.

Using those hero stories you learned how to create in my last post will show the hiring manager you can complete the job tasks and solve their problems.

Here’s an example of how to share this part of your background in the hero story section:

I manage the Customer Service team at ABC Finance Company, where we focus on helping our customers pay down their debt fast and without headaches. During my time at ABC Finance Company, I implemented customer-first service standards while also leading operational excellence initiatives. At ABC, I led with empathy in doubling the growth of our call center staff, coached our teams to improve their customer service skills, and led workshops to enhance their knowledge of our product.

3. Conclusion/request to discuss further

After sharing why you’re a good first for the job, end your cover letter with a request to discuss further.?

In the marketing world, this is referred to as a CTA or “Call to Action.” You want the hiring manager to pick up the phone or email you right away asking to schedule an interview. When you do this well, you’ll reinforce that you can be the partner the hiring manager needs to solve their urgent problems.

Here’s how you might word it:

I’m very interested in discussing your customer service challenges with you and suggesting ways in which I can help XYZ Healthcare Corporation put their patients first. I’d love to join XYZ and lead the charge of growing the customer service team. Should you wish to contact me for an interview, you can reach me at (xxx)-xxx-xxxx or [email protected]. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

This last paragraph reiterates you’re a partner in helping the hiring manager solve their problems, not a desperate job seeker. Ending with a simple way to contact you ensures the hiring manager can follow up.

Final thoughts

Instead of waiting for a recruiter or hiring manager to reach out to us, we can reach out to them.?

Now that you know how to find your hiring manager, craft a dazzling direct message, and a hero story-laden cover letter that positions you as a problem-solving partner, you’re well on your way to success in your job search. Of course, there’s much more to job searching than writing these important messages. Yet they’ll help you get your foot in the door instead of being stuck standing at the curb.

So craft those hero stories, take a deep breath, and reach out to your next boss today.

You never know what might happen until you reach out!

Have you reached out to recruiters and hiring managers in your job search? What’s your success rate been like? I’d love to know your experience in the comments.