How to Find Hiring Managers on LinkedIn
What if you were told that there was a simple way to greatly increase the chances that your resume would be seen by a hiring manager? You’d probably want to know what it is, right?
We’ll forego the suspense and just tell you the secret. After you apply for a job online, reach out to the hiring manager and let them know you applied and are interested in the position.
You may be thinking to yourself, “I can do that?”
We get it. Contacting a hiring manager after you’ve already applied may sound scary and unconventional but believe us—you absolutely should do it. Plus, you already have a tool at your fingertips to help you make these important connections: LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is an awesome tool for finding and making professional connections. You definitely need a presence on LinkedIn if you are a job seeker because more than 95% of hiring managers say they use LinkedIn to find talent.
How to Search for Hiring Managers on LinkedIn
Prior to 2017, there was an “advanced” search function on LinkedIn that let you narrow down your search terms and find the people you were looking for very quickly.
That specific feature is now hidden behind LinkedIn Sales Navigator, a paid version of the app that enables users to more quickly connect with decision makers.
Fortunately, there are three easy steps to finding hiring managers on the free version of LinkedIn.
- Locate the search bar at the top of the page.
- Type in your search in this format – title: “position” and company: (company name) and hit enter.
- After the search results appear, click on the people button to further narrow your findings.
For example, if you are looking for an accounting manager at Bank of America, you’d format your search exactly like this:
Title: “Accounting Manager” and Bank of America
If you’re interested in a sales role, then search for Sales Manager or Vice President of Sales. If you’re a graphic designer, then you’ll most likely want to get the attention of a Creative Director or Art Director. Are you a marketing professional? Then find the VP of marketing or Marketing Director of the companies you want to work for.
If you invest just a bit of time searching on LinkedIn, you’ll more than likely find the person you need to connect with.
You’ve Found the Hiring Manager. Now What?
Now, let’s say you’ve found the hiring manager. The next step is to send that person a message directly. The most powerful way is physically mailing a printed hard copy of your resume & tailored cover letter directly to the hiring manager.
You can also message the hiring manager directly in LinkedIn. The message should be friendly, professional, and brief without being overbearing.
Here are two examples of messages that may go over well with a potential hiring manager:
Example #1
Hello [Hiring Manager Name],
I recently applied for the sales position on your team I saw posted on LinkedIn. I’m hoping my past experience and performance outlined in my resume catches your attention.
I would love to bring my expertise and enthusiasm for sales to your organization. At my previous place of employment, I regularly exceeded my sales quotas and was named salesperson of the year three years in a row.
I hope we can speak face to face. But, if there are any questions I can answer for you right now, please let me know. I wish you good luck in your search for the right candidate.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Example #2
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
I’m [Your Name], a data analyst with years of experience in the financial services industry. I’ve followed JP Morgan for some time now, so when I saw the open data analyst position on your team I applied immediately.
I am sure you’ll be flooded with resumes, but I wanted to reach out to you directly because I think I am ideally suited for this role. My resume tells the full story, but please also look at my LinkedIn profile, which highlights some of my most recent accomplishments.
Thank you for considering me for this role and good luck in your search.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Each of the examples above gives the hiring manager just enough information to make them want to learn more. It increases the likelihood that they’ll pull your resume from the stack for a closer look.
Help! I Can’t Find the Hiring Manager on LinkedIn
If you can’t find the hiring manager on LinkedIn, have no fear. It may be hard to believe, but there could be some unusual circumstances where the person you’re trying to reach doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile.
If that’s the case, then try going directly to the company’s website and looking on the About Us page or Management Bios section for an email address of the hiring manager.
If all else fails, you can go to everyone’s favorite search engine: Google. Type the search terms you used for your LinkedIn research into the Google search bar and chances are, you’ll get the name and contact information of the person you’re looking for.
Using LinkedIn to Find a Hiring Manager is a No Brainer
There’s no worse feeling than applying for a job and then wondering if a human is even going to lay eyes on your resume. Finding the hiring manager on LinkedIn greatly increases your chances that a real human will see your resume and call you for an interview.
Still feeling a bit shy about making the bold move of reaching out to a hiring manager?
Think about it from the manager’s point of view. They can potentially contend with hundreds of applicants for a single position. Plus, they’re likely getting pressure from their bosses to hire someone ASAP.
So, if you can use LinkedIn to get the hiring manager’s attention—and make them quickly see what a capable, skilled, and proactive candidate you are, you’ve actually made their job a bit easier. They’ll know which candidate to focus their energy on.
Chances are, if they think you’re a match for the position, then they won’t spend too much time looking through the rest of the applicants.
We hope we’ve convinced you to reach out to a hiring manager through LinkedIn the next time you apply for a job. Remember, if you don’t do it, then someone else might.
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Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate and motivate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. Her interests range from writing to programming and design. She is also passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.
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