Quick answer
'Dear Sir or Madam' is a traditional formal salutation that assumes the reader is either male or female and that you know neither. It was standard in 20th-century business correspondence but has fallen out of favor in modern hiring — especially in tech, creative, and startup environments. Many recruiters view it as dated and impersonal. Gender-neutral alternatives like 'Dear Hiring Manager,' 'Dear [Full Name],' or 'Dear [Job Title]' are safer in 2026. Reserve 'Dear Sir or Madam' only for extremely formal contexts: legal submissions, diplomatic correspondence, or countries where local business culture still expects it.
When “Dear Sir or Madam” is acceptable
Use in formal British or Commonwealth business letters when no name or neutral title is available and the organization's culture is conservative. Acceptable for legal or compliance-related correspondence to a company. Some international applications to traditional industries (law, banking in certain markets) may expect formal salutations.
When to avoid this salutation
Avoid for US tech, startup, and creative industry applications — it signals cultural mismatch. Never use when you can find the reader's name or use a role-based greeting. Do not use in emails; it reads like a form letter from the 1990s.
Why addressing someone by name works better
Modern workplaces prioritize inclusion and directness. 'Dear Sir or Madam' fails on both: it assumes a gender binary and refuses to identify the reader. Hiring managers in progressive industries may subconsciously associate the salutation with mass applications. A full name ('Dear Jordan Lee') or role title ('Dear Hiring Manager') is both inclusive and personal — achieving the formality without the outdated assumptions.
How to find the recipient's name
Default to gender-neutral role titles
Replace 'Dear Sir or Madam' with 'Dear Hiring Manager' or 'Dear Recruiting Manager.' These achieve professionalism without gender assumptions and sound contemporary.
Use full names when gender is unclear
If you find a name like 'Alex Kim' or 'Taylor Morgan' but cannot infer gender, use the full name: 'Dear Alex Kim.' This is the most inclusive and personal option.
Look up the hiring contact
DearHiringManager.io provides the hiring manager's full name from a job URL — eliminating the need for gendered or generic salutations entirely.
Example openings for your cover letter
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am applying for the Compliance Officer role at your organization. My CAMS certification and six years of AML program management in fintech meet the regulatory expertise requirements in your posting.Dear Jordan Lee,
I was excited to see the Marketing Director opening on your team. Your company's recent brand refresh — particularly the B2B repositioning campaign — aligns with the enterprise marketing leadership I have provided for the past seven years.FAQ
Is 'Dear Sir or Madam' offensive?
Not intentionally, but it can feel exclusionary to non-binary readers and outdated to modern recruiters. Gender-neutral alternatives are widely preferred.
What about 'Dear Mx.'?
'Mx.' is a gender-neutral honorific but rarely used in US hiring. A full name without honorific — 'Dear Riley Chen' — is simpler and universally accepted.
Do European applications still use 'Dear Sir or Madam'?
Some conservative industries do, but even in Europe, named salutations are preferred when possible. Research the company's culture before defaulting to traditional forms.
Can I use 'Dear Sir or Madam' and still get hired?
Yes — it is unlikely to be the sole rejection reason. But in competitive applicant pools, every signal matters. Modern alternatives cost nothing and help.
Related cover letter guides
- To Whom It May Concern in a cover letter
- Dear Hiring Manager in a cover letter
- No name available in a cover letter
- Unknown recipient name in a cover letter
- Dear Recruiting Manager in a cover letter
- Dear Recruitment Manager in a cover letter
- Dear Human Resources in a cover letter
- Dear HR Manager in a cover letter
From our job search guides
- How to Find Any Hiring Manager's Email Address (In 60 Seconds)
- How to Email a Hiring Manager With Your Resume (Reddit-Tested)
- Cold Email to Hiring Manager: 5 Templates That Actually Get Replies
Already applied and heard nothing back? See our follow-up guide after applying.
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