How to Remember Names of Important People at Work

“Was that Sarah, Farah, or Hana?” “Is he Adib, Akmal, or Afiq?” Names can get confusing, especially if your job requires meeting tons of people, like those in sales, marketing, or human resources. The same goes for doctors meeting their patients, restaurant crew serving their guests, or even students studying history. Don't you feel that the world is one big networking venue where you need to know people’s identities with precision? Learning how to remember names is not only a work requirement; it’s also a life skill you need to possess in your arsenal.

Have you ever asked yourself this question: “Why do I have trouble remembering names?” Fortunately, you’re not as unique as you think. Forgetting identities is common to everyone. It happens even to those with the sharpest memories. Just think of your favourite actors who have received awards. During their speeches, don’t they always say, “What’s his name? Ah! Why am I so bad at remembering names? But, yes, you know who you are.” It’s funny but also awkward. How would you feel if someone forgot your name?

This problem is also prevalent in the work setting. If you’re a new hire, it can be tricky remembering the names of your coworkers during your first week–on top of adapting to a different environment and job scope. But again, just think that everyone has gone through that same situation. Do you think the CEO of the company started his day one knowing everyone already? Unbelievable. So, don’t fret because there are ways to navigate this challenge. Follow these tips when trying to recall the names of colleagues, clients, stakeholders, or even your long-lost friend.

Why Am I So Bad at Remembering Names?

You just don’t care, and your subconscious decided not to save their name in your mental directory. That is the simple reasoning you can tell yourself. But there are other reasons someone’s identity slipped from your memory. Consider these next time you beat yourself up for not remembering someone’s name:

• You were distracted during your first encounter.
• You were busy preparing for another task.
• You know too many people with a similar name.
• You never thought you’d meet this person again.
• You met too many people during the same event.
• You were too busy on your phone during introductions.
• You focused too much on what you were going to say.
• You were formulating the perfect question in your head.

How to Remember Names

The good news is that you can avoid getting into sticky situations in the future by applying the following suggestions:

1. Repeat the name in conversation.

Find opportunities to repeat the person’s name during your conversation with them. It can be as simple as asking them, “How long have you been working in marketing, Nadia?” Don’t overdo it though, unless you want to reveal yourself as someone trying to make their name stick.

Repetition helps retain information better. Just think of how you make your cup of coffee. Because you prepare it every morning, the task eventually becomes routine, and you end up doing it without much thought. You can apply the same when it comes to remembering names. “Nadia, Nadia, Nadia!” Next time you have to say that name, there’s a high chance you can recall that conversion and remember the identity.

Tip: When you’re saying goodbye, you can end the conversation by saying, “Nice meeting you, Nadia!”

2. Ask them to spell it out for you.

Naturally, this might seem weird if it was a fairly common name. Why would you ask someone to spell out Nur, Alex, or Jane? But for an unusual or complicated name, ask the person to spell it out for you. So, when you meet a Rayzal, you can ask them to slowly spell it out, as if you were saving their name to your phonebook. Visualising helps to commit it to your memory.

This tip also works for names with multiple spellings. For example, something seemingly simple as Jack can take on a variety of spellings, like Jac, Jacques, or Jock. They may sound alike, but they’re written differently. To help you remember, ask Jack (or Zack) to spell out their name.

Tip: Follow the same tip when it comes to pronunciations. When you see someone’s ID, you can ask them to pronounce their name, especially if it has a unique spelling.

3. Make associations.

If the person you’re meeting resembles a famous person or shares the same name and interests with a celebrity, make a mental association to etch it into your memory. For example, if you meet a David who likes football, you could associate him with David Beckham.

You can also make associations via visual cues. If you meet a Lionel, you can connect him to a line. Next time you meet him, you can easily bring up that image of a lion and recall his name. Or, maybe when you meet a Kim wearing high-heeled shoes, you can connect her to fashionista Kim Raymond. Establish those two dots and find a way to connect them right away.

Tip: Depending on the level of comfort, you can use personal nicknames to make you remember people better. Try to make it a light situation by jokingly saying, “Oh, because I love your high heels, I will start to call you Kim R.”

4. Establish a connection.

Having common interests is a terrific icebreaker. And it automatically gives you a topic you can talk about at that moment or return to on your succeeding encounter. Maybe you’re both parents with young kids or you share a mutual love for cats. Showing genuine interest in the other person often paves the way for meaningful conversations.

But make sure to test the waters first. You don’t want to come off as too nosy and offend the other person’s privacy. Start with general topics, like the reason you’re meeting, how you got to the venue or the day’s weather. When you notice that they’re comfortable talking with you, go ahead and ask more personal questions. Maybe you can even discuss your breakfast, the bag they’re wearing, or even the history of their name. “Did you get your name from your father? Who gave you that nickname?”

Tip: If you can’t remember their name, bank on the connection you formed. Based on the information they shared with you, you can find ways to find their profile online and connect there.

5. Write it down.

Writing things down is a proven memory aid for enhanced information retention. Remember all the notes you took down when you were a student? You got to store vital information because you wrote them in your notebook. Do the same even as an adult!

As soon as you get the chance, write down the name in your contacts list with notes about what that person does and the common interests you share with them. Save keywords as well. For example: “Zoe of HR, employment orientation, vegetarian, pink bag.”

Tip: If you’re going old school and not saving their name on your phone, just make sure to write down their name somewhere you won’t throw away immediately. No napkins or food wrappers, please!

6. Review names after.

Try this on your way home from work, at the end of an event, or right before sleeping. Do a mental review of the people you met throughout the day. Say their names and recall the associations you made.

You can also try to connect names to the events of the day, even if the two are not directly related. For example, today you won a pitch to a client, but you also met Carmen during your celebratory dinner. In your head, you can build that connection: “Carmen equals pitch win.”

Tip: Try doing this exercise in the shower where you might even want to compose a quick song out of the name you encountered that day.

What’s in a name? A lot! Knowing someone might just be your ticket to upgrading your career, getting that promotion, or finding business investors. That’s how important it is to remember names.

Plus, this seemingly menial task is your way of showing care for others. By remembering their name, you can make them feel that you are genuinely interested in getting to know them and maybe even forming a professional relationship with them. Follow the tips above next time you find yourself stuck in an “identity crisis.”

Establish a strong professional identity to help advance your career! #SEEKBetter jobs by updating your JobStreet profile. Find the names of your target companies and learn about their job posting by exploring careers. For other tips to help in your journey, make sure to visit the Career Tools page.