Imagine getting your dream job, and being confused regarding which salutation is to be used to accept the offer! At such times, most of us respond with our favorite salutation i.e to whom it may concern which is not a good practice to be followed. It denotes laziness or rather lack of effort taken on the part of the applicant to research the employer.
How to use to whom it may concern?
“To whom it may concern”: is a formal greeting for business correspondence when the recipient’s name is not known. Although it is not a good practice to be followed in certain situations it is acceptable. There are certain guidelines to be followed while using it in business correspondence.
- Capitalize the first alphabet of each word and not the whole word.
- Insert a colon at the end instead of a comma.
- Double-space before starting the main message of the email or letter.
Formal Greetings
Now let us have a look at the scenarios when it is accepted as formal greetings.
Addressing a large company or department
When you are addressing a large company or department then you can use the salutation
” To whom it may concern” :
Example – You are looking out for a space for your start-up and you get to know that a company is renting a part of its outlet then a formal letter addressing the company can be like this:-
“ To whom it may concern” :
I am looking for a location for my startup company. I got an intimation that you are renting out your outlet. The space seems perfect for my start-up. Let me know if you are interested so that we can fix up a meeting to discuss this further.
Best Regards,
ABC Company
Reference checks
If you are looking out for a new job and the prospective employer requires a letter of appreciation then the formal letter can be in the form of:-
“ To whom it may concern”:
I am a former employer of ABC. It was a delight to have him/her as my employee. I assure you of his capabilities and experience. Hopefully, you will have a wonderful connection with him.
Best Regards,
XYZ Company
Company complaints
If a consumer wants to file a complaint regarding a product or service then the grievance letter can be as follows:-
“ To whom it may concern”:
I bought an XYZ product from your company a few days back. Now, it has stopped operating and the product has 7 days. return policy. Now I want a refund for the same.
Best Regards,
ABC Company
Prospecting clients
If a company wants to welcome prospective clients for a new project then the initial conversation email can start with to whom it may concern. However, if the initial mail requests further details of the concerned authorities it would be greatly appreciated.
“ To whom it may concern”:
We are delighted to have you as a part of our project. Looking out for an amicable relationship in the future. We would love to know the details of the concerned authorities for further reference.
Best Regards,
ABC Company
Introduction
If a company/firm wants to get a quotation or any information from a new company then the quotation reference mail can include the salutation of to whom it may concern.
“ To whom it may concern”:
We would like a quotation from your end for the ABC product. Kindly intimate if any further assistance is required at our end.
Best Regards,
XYZ Company
Ways to find out the details of clients
In today’s age of digitization, it is not difficult to get the contact details of concerned employees of companies. There are numerous ways to find out the details of clients, HR managers, etc. A few methodologies used to find out the same are as follows:-
Call recruiting agency
One can easily get the details from the recruiting agency regarding the company’s concerned authorities.
LinkedIn Profile
In today’s era, every company has got a social presence. One can easily get the details of the hiring managers/recruiters from the LinkedIn profile of the companies.
Company website
The company website can give us a clear picture of the company’s goals and objectives. The ‘About Us page provides the contact details of the company. One can easily get the contact numbers and get further details from them.
Alternatives
Apart from the above, some alternatives fulfill the requirement and act as a better option to choose than utilizing the old-fashioned salutation of “to whom it may concern”.
We can use alternatives like
1.Dear Hiring Team/Manager,
2. Good Morning/Day,
3. Greetings
4. Dear. (Name)
5. Hello(Name)
6. Hi (Name)
7. Dear Recruitment Committee
1. Dear Hiring Team/Manager,
This can be generally used while applying for a new position in a new company. The company would appreciate it if you ask for the HR details before drafting the letter.
2. Good Morning/Day,
This salutation is generally used if the receiver of the mail is in constant touch with you on a daily or weekly basis
3. Greetings
While addressing colleagues or seniors with whom you have regular touch simply adding Greetings as a salutation works wonders. It helps to maintain a friendly atmosphere in the office.
4. Dear (Name)
Use this for everyday colleagues/seniors with whom a cup of tea/ coffee is normally relished. It is a new form of formal interaction to just use the first name to address colleagues or seniors.
5. Hello ( Name)
It is used with employees who likely have been in regular conversations for official purposes.
6. Hi (Name)
Save this salutation for your office best friend who is ever ready to help you in times of problems.
7. Dear Recruitment Committee
This salutation is utilized while applying for a new job or new position in the same company.
It gives an impressive first impact on the employee.
Conclusion
In changing times, we must adhere to the new corporate norms. Using salutations like Dear Sir/Madam is also not preferred as they too present an outdated way of salutation. Also sentences like ‘ Looking forward to hearing from you ‘ is an outdated version of communication. It creates a negative impact on the mind of the recruiting committee regarding the employee. So, be ready to climb up the corporate ladder with your new set of salutations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the most informal kind of salutation?
Ans. Hii! (Name) is the most informal kind of salutation.
- Does writing ” To whom it may concern”: have a negative impact on the employer?
Ans. Yes, it denoted a very lazy approach towards work. If the employee had taken efforts to find out the details of the concerned persons, then they would have been impressed.