7 Ways To Find The Hiring Manager (Step-by-Step Guide + Examples)

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Introduction

Finding the right hiring manager is one of the most effective ways to get your application noticed and land an interview.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to find and contact the hiring manager for any job—even if you don’t know anyone at the company. This method will help you to connect directly with decision-makers.

Understanding Company Hierarchy

When trying to find the right hiring manager, it helps to understand how company structures vary by size.

The above is a standard hierarchy of a tech organization - which you might already be familiar with.

The important thing to note here however is:

✅ Smaller companies tend to have a flat hierarchy, meaning fewer management layers and more merged departments. For example, a small company may have one analytics team handling everything, from marketing to supply chain analytics.

✅ Larger companies, on the other hand, have a more complex structure with additional layers of leadership—like Senior Directors, Executive Vice Presidents, and specialized teams. So let's say instead of one analytics team, they might have separate teams for marketing analytics, supply chain analytics, and ad analytics.

To make this clearer, we’ll walk through examples of small, medium, and large companies and show you exactly how this hierarchy affects your job search.

Let’s dive in! 🚀

#1: Finding Hiring Manager When They're The Job Poster

In many cases(as shown below), the hiring manager is also the job poster, which is a great opportunity because it means they’re open to hearing from active job seekers.

You can reach out in three key ways:

1️⃣ LinkedIn Messaging (if available) – If the hiring manager has an “open” profile, LinkedIn allows you to send a free direct message. If not, you may need to use InMail credits (available with LinkedIn Premium). If you don't have premium, you cna send them a connection request first, and once they accept, you can send a follow up message.

2️⃣ Email Outreach – Use tools like Apollo.io, to find the hiring manager’s professional email. Most jobseekers reach out to hiring managers on LinkedIn. Few adopt the email route, thus the competition is lesser on that channel.

3️⃣ Ideally, both! – Reaching out via LinkedIn + Email increases your chances of getting noticed. If they don’t check one platform, they might see your message on the other.

Where to Find Hiring Manager Email Addresses

To find the hiring manager’s email address, you can use tools like:

✅ Apollo.io – A free tool for finding professional emails.

✅ RocketReach – A reliable option for contact lookup.

✅ ZoomInfo – A premium tool often used for B2B outreach.

Important: Ensure the Email Is Valid

Before reaching out, make sure the email is verified. Most email-finding tools provide a validation indicator:

🔹 Look for a green checkmark (or similar notation) next to the email.

🔹 Different tools use different icons, but the goal is the same—it confirms the email is valid and deliverable.

Why Email Outreach Works

Reaching out via email is highly effective because:

📩 Less competition – Fewer candidates use direct email vs. LinkedIn messaging.

🔁 Follow-ups are easier – You can send multiple follow-ups without being intrusive.

Using validated emails ensures your messages reach the right person—giving you an edge over other applicants.

Reaching Out on LinkedIn

Reaching out to a hiring manager on LinkedIn is simple—especially if they have an open profile.

🔹 If you have LinkedIn Premium, you may be able to send a free message if their profile is open.

🔹 If their profile isn’t open, you may need to use InMail credits to contact them.

🔹 If neither option is available, send them a connection request with a short, personalized note. Once they accept, you’ll be able to message them directly.

#2: Finding the Hiring Manager Through Their Internal Network

Sometimes, the job posting won’t explicitly mention the hiring manager, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find them. Instead, you can tap into their internal network to uncover the right contact.

To find hiring manager, We searched for the “Job Title” and looked to see if anyone had posted regarding this role.

Turns out, the VP is hiring...

We’re in luck.

Lot of people don't do this type of searching because it does not work every single time, but you'd be surprised how commonly it does work.

This may not work out every time, but it’s more common than you think.

Definitely do give it a try. We have it as a checklist item for any time we are searching for a hiring manager for our clients.

#3: Finding The Hiring Manager When Mentioned as "Reports To" In The Job Description

Some job descriptions make it easy by directly stating who the position reports to.

In this example, both the recruiter and the hiring manager are mentioned.

In such a case, we recommend that you contact both.

The majority of your competition will be reaching out to the recruiter only (easy path)...

Whereas you can make the difference and reach out to the hiring manager directly. Because once you look for that person on Apollo, we were able to get their verified emails. Not many will go this route.

But here's a little caveat that, if you're reaching out to someone at a C level or a president level, the messaging should be so on point that it gets passed because a lot of people at this level would have assistants.

So if it's a generic messaging, then they will filter it out. But if it's a very precise messaging, they will let it in.

Additional example for “Reports To”

This role also says, this roles reports to COO, which is the guy on the right.

The reason I wanted to show you this example is simple:

For this role alone, 2,900 people applied.

With that kind of competition, it's virtually impossible to stand out just by submitting an application.

But instead of getting lost in the crowd, we went directly to the hiring manager—and not just one, but two of our clients landed interviews for this exact role.

✅ They bypassed the early-stage screening
✅ They stood out from thousands of applicants
✅ They made it closer to the final rounds

And yes—these candidates were highly qualified for the role, but their strategy gave them a real advantage.

This is exactly why reaching out directly to hiring managers works. Instead of competing with thousands in a pile, you’re positioning yourself right in front of the decision-maker. 🚀

#4: Finding the Hiring Manager Using Clues from the Job Description (Small Company)

In small companies, the organizational structure is typically flatter, meaning teams and departments are more merged compared to large corporations.

Because of this, job descriptions may not explicitly mention the hiring manager. Instead, you’ll need to analyze key clues to make an informed guess.

This is an example of a job description where there's no mention of the hiring manager.

So this is, Whatnot, a small company(<1000 employees).

Steps to Identify the Hiring Manager:

1️⃣ Identify the Department & Function

• In this example, the role is Senior Analytics Manager—so it likely falls under Data & Analytics.

• Look for who leads this function—typically someone with a title like Head of Data or Head of Analytics.

2️⃣ Check the Company’s Industry

• Whatnot is a livestream shopping platform, which means data plays a crucial role in their operations.

• If data is a core function, it’s possible they have separate leadership for Data Science, Machine Learning, or Analytics rather than a single Head of Data.

3️⃣ Validate by Searching on LinkedIn

• First, we found the Head of Data & AI, but something didn’t feel right—the company is data-heavy, meaning analytics might be a separate function.

• A further LinkedIn search revealed that there’s also a Head of Analytics, which means the hiring manager could be this person instead.

4️⃣ Confirm with Recent Activity

• A quick LinkedIn activity check showed that the Head of Analytics had recently posted about this role—confirming that they are likely the hiring manager.

✅ This is why validation is critical. Instead of assuming, always check multiple sources to ensure you’re reaching out to the right person.

💡 Pro Tip: In companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, it’s uncommon to have separate Data and Analytics teams unless it’s a critical business function.

If you see this happening, it’s a sign that there may be multiple leaders in charge.

#5: Finding the Hiring Manager Using Clues from the Job Description (Mid-Sized Company)

For mid-sized companies, the structure is more layered than small company but not as complex as large enterprises.

This means hiring managers might not be directly listed, but you can find them using strategic clues from the job description.

This example is of a Mid-sized company.

Steps to Identify the Hiring Manager:

1️⃣ Analyze the Job Description

• The role is Director of Cloud Operations, which is part of the Cloud Services team and directly involved in executing the company’s SaaS strategy.

• The job description also states that this role will partner with the SVP of Cloud Services—a key clue!

2️⃣ Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Apply a company name filter (e.g., Applied Systems).

• Set the Seniority Level to VP and Director—this helps capture both senior directors and potential hiring managers.

• Use "Cloud Services" + "SaaS" as keywords since the role is focused on these areas.

3️⃣ Validate the Hiring Manager

• After searching through profiles, one candidate stood out based on their experience with SaaS strategy and Cloud Services.

• The job description mentioned that this role reports to the SVP of Cloud Services, making it highly likely that this SVP is directly involved in the hiring process.

This guy whose profile resounded most closely to it. And then, when you check the job description, it clearly says like, hey, this role is going to partner with SVP of cloud services.

I usually don't go with these types of clues until I have found the hiring manager because partnering could mean many things. But this person is in fact, a part of expanding the SaaS strategy, and this is what they're doing and you are partnering with this role.

And that's the only role that is mentioned. It's much likely that this person would have one of the biggest say in hiring for this position.

#6: Finding the Hiring Manager Using Clues from the Job Description (Large Company)

When dealing with large companies (We're using Wells Fargo as an example), it’s essential to narrow down the right organization and leadership structure due to multiple layers of management.

Steps to Identify the Hiring Manager:

1️⃣ Analyze the Job Description

• The role is Director of Product Management for Credit Card Servicing.

• The position sits within Strategy, Digital, and Innovation (SDI)—a key business unit.

• The main focus is on building digital customer experiences for credit card customers.

2️⃣ Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator (or Regular LinkedIn Search)

• Filter by company: Wells Fargo.

• Filter by seniority: Director & VP level (to capture potential hiring managers).

• Use relevant keywords: "Product Management" + "Credit Card Servicing." or "Product" + "Credit Card Servicing."

3️⃣ Validate the Hiring Manager

• After scanning multiple profiles, one leader stood out based on their credit card servicing expertise.

• Their profile confirmed they oversee product strategy and technology transformation for Wells Fargo’s credit card customers—directly matching the role’s responsibilities.

✅ Large companies have multiple organizational layers—you need to identify the exact department and team.
✅ Searching for leaders within the same function ensures accuracy.
✅ Validating the leader’s responsibilities against the job description confirms the right decision-maker.

#7: Finding the Hiring Manager for a Stealth Mode Company

This is one of the most advanced strategies—identifying the hiring manager for a stealth mode company.

These companies intentionally keep details hidden, making it difficult to figure out who’s hiring and where the role is coming from.

A lot of people will classify this as a hidden role.

Steps to Identify the Hiring Manager:

1️⃣ Extract Clues from the Job Description

• The company is Y Combinator-backed (YC Startup).

• They specialize in software testing automation using AI.

• They’re hiring for a VP of Engineering.

• Multiple Stanford/MIT mentions, indicating an affiliation.

2️⃣ Search the Y Combinator Database

• Run a search for Y Combinator-backed startups focused on software testing.

• Only two companies matched: Momentic & Rainforest.

3️⃣ Cross-Check the Leadership Team

• Searching for the leadership of both companies, Rainforest QA’s CTO turned out to be a Stanford alumnus—confirming a strong match with the job description’s clues.

And there are three interesting things, when you reach out to this person directly,

✅They would be surprised, like, hey, how do you even know that, a VP of engineering position has opened in my company?

✅It shows in-depth research skills—which is impressive.

✅ Almost no one else will be reaching out, making you the only applicant on their radar.

Most people would give up on applying for this role, assuming it’s "hidden." But by connecting the dots, you can pinpoint the right hiring manager—even for a stealth mode company.

This method puts you in a category of ONE, making it one of the most powerful and highly effective ways to land an interview where competition is virtually nonexistent. 🚀

You Found the Hiring Manager—Now Here’s What to Say

So there you have it—your complete roadmap to finding and reaching out to the right hiring manager.

But now comes the next big question:

What exactly should you say to secure an interview?

That’s what we’ll break down in our next blog, where we’ll cover:
✅ How to craft a compelling message that grabs attention
✅ What mistakes to avoid when reaching out
✅ How to follow up effectively without being pushy

Before you go, here’s something to remember: You only need one "yes."

Not every message will land, and you won’t always find the perfect contact on the first try—but that’s okay. Even a few right connections can lead to a career-changing opportunity.

💡 This strategy works. We’ve helped hundreds of IT and tech leaders land high-level interviews using this exact approach.

If you’re tired of guessing your way through the job search and want a done-for-you service that handles everything—from finding hiring managers to crafting winning outreach—Wolf Mentoring can help.

📌 Wolf Mentoring helps IT and tech leaders land interviews faster with our done-for-you job search services.

👉 Learn more here 🚀"