You're sitting there, staring at a blinking cursor. The job application is perfect, the resume is polished, but the cover letter feels like a wall. You don't know who is reading it. Is it a recruiter? A hiring manager? The CEO’s assistant? So, you type those five dreaded words: To Whom It May Concern.
Honestly? It’s a bit of a relic.
It feels safe. It feels professional. But in 2026, where personalization is basically the currency of the internet, using this phrase is like showing up to a tech interview wearing a powdered wig. It’s stiff. It’s impersonal. Most importantly, it tells the reader you didn't spend thirty seconds on LinkedIn trying to find a name.
The Origins of To Whom It May Concern
Back in the day—we're talking the era of typewriters and physical mail—this was the gold standard. When you sent a letter to a massive corporation, you literally didn't know who would crack the envelope. It was a functional necessity.
But things changed.
The digital age turned "gatekeepers" into public profiles. According to data from various career sites like Glassdoor and Indeed, personalized applications have a significantly higher response rate than generic ones. Why? Because humans like to be recognized. When a recruiter sees To Whom It May Concern, their brain often registers it as "To Anyone Who Will Listen." It lacks intent.
It’s the "Dear Valued Customer" of the professional world. Nobody wants to be a "valued customer"; they want to be Sarah from Accounting or Mike from HR.
Why Recruiters Actually Hate It
I’ve talked to enough hiring managers to know that they don't necessarily toss your resume in the trash because of this salutation, but it definitely doesn't help.
Think about the psychology.
Recruiting is exhausting. They are sifting through hundreds of PDFs. When they see a letter addressed to a specific person—or even a specific team—it signals that the candidate did their homework. It shows a level of resourcefulness. If you can't find the name of the department head, how are you going to solve complex problems once you're actually on the clock?
Some people argue it’s "polite." Is it, though? Or is it just a way to avoid the work of research? In a world where information is everywhere, staying generic feels less like politeness and more like laziness.
The "Cold Email" Factor
If you're using this in a sales context, stop. Just stop.
A cold email starting with To Whom It May Concern is a one-way ticket to the spam folder. Modern email filters and even the human eye are trained to spot mass-blast templates. If you aren't addressing a person, you aren't building a relationship. You're just making noise.
Better Alternatives for 2026
So, what do you do instead? If you truly can't find a name, you still have better options than the "Whom" bomb.
- Dear [Department Name] Team: This is much better. It shows you know which group you're targeting.
- Dear [Job Title] Hiring Manager: Specific. Direct.
- Greetings: A bit casual, but honestly, in many creative or tech fields, it’s refreshing.
- Dear [Name]: The holy grail.
Finding the name isn't as hard as it used to be. You go to LinkedIn. You look at the "People" tab of the company page. You filter by "Recruiter" or "Head of [Department]." If you find three potential names and you aren't sure which one is right, pick the most likely one. Even if you're slightly off, the effort of trying to find a name carries weight.
When It’s Actually Okay to Use It
I’m not saying you should banish it from your vocabulary forever. There are niche cases where it still works.
If you’re writing a formal letter of recommendation that the person will carry with them to multiple different places, you can’t address it to one person. It’s a general document. In that case, To Whom It May Concern is technically correct.
Same goes for formal complaints to a giant utility company or a government agency where the "Recipient" is a literal black hole of bureaucracy. If you’re complaining about a billing error to a massive conglomerate, nobody expects you to know the name of the person in the "Disputes" department.
But for your career? For your networking? For anything involving a human connection?
Avoid it.
The Impact on SEO and Digital Presence
Interestingly, this applies to content writing too. If you’re writing an "About Us" page or a "Contact" blurb, don't use this language. Search engines and users both prefer specific, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) focused content.
Using archaic, "template-style" language can actually make your site look like it was generated by a low-quality bot. Google's algorithms are increasingly good at identifying "helpful content." Helpful content sounds like a person talking to another person. It doesn't sound like a legal summons from 1954.
How to Phase It Out
If you have a dozen templates saved on your hard drive that start with this phrase, it’s time for a spring cleaning.
Go through your files. Update your "Master Cover Letter."
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Instead of a fixed salutation, leave a bolded placeholder like [INSERT HIRING MANAGER NAME OR TEAM NAME HERE]. This forces you to do the research for every single application. It prevents that "auto-pilot" mode that leads to so many rejected resumes.
Honestly, the "Whom" in To Whom It May Concern is the weirdest part. Who even says "whom" in a casual conversation? It creates an immediate power imbalance and a sense of formality that most modern offices are trying to move away from. Even Goldman Sachs and big law firms are trending toward more direct, less flowery language.
Specific Scenarios and Solutions
Let's look at a few real-world spots where this phrase pops up and how to fix it.
- The Job Posting is Anonymous: Sometimes, companies post on boards without revealing their name. In this rare case, "Dear Hiring Manager" is your best bet. It’s professional without being weirdly Victorian.
- The Reference Letter: As mentioned, this is the one "safe" zone. However, even here, you could use "To the Admissions Committee" or "To the Hiring Team" to sound a bit more modern.
- Formal Inquiries: If you are asking a company about a partnership but don't have a lead, try "Dear [Company Name] Partnerships Team." It shows you’ve at least categorized your own request.
Actionable Steps to Better Communication
Ready to ditch the 19th-century vibes? Here is how to actually move forward.
- The 5-Minute LinkedIn Rule: Before sending any professional document, spend exactly five minutes trying to find a specific name. If you find it, use it. If you don't, move to a "Team-based" salutation.
- Audit Your Templates: Open your "Documents" folder right now. Search for the word "Whom." Delete every instance of it in your templates.
- Update Your Signature: Sometimes people use this in their automated "out of office" or "contact" forms. Change it to "Hi there!" or "Thanks for reaching out."
- Match the Culture: If you are applying to a startup, "To Whom It May Concern" is a death sentence for your application. If you’re applying to a very traditional bank, it’s "fine," but "Dear Hiring Team" is still better.
The goal of any communication is to be heard. You want to bridge the gap between you and the reader. Starting that bridge with a cold, faceless, and outdated phrase just makes the gap wider. Be specific. Be human. Be direct. Your response rates will thank you.
Stop letting your first impression be a reminder of a time before the internet existed. Update your greeting, find the person behind the screen, and start the conversation on a human level.